Insights

Design patents offer protection for the ornamental appearance of a product, focusing on aspects like its shape and surface decoration, as opposed to the functional aspects protected by utility patents. The scope of a design patent is defined by the drawings and any descriptive language within the patent itself. Recent decisions by the Federal Circuit emphasize the need for clarity in the prosecution history of a design patent in order to preserve desired scope to preserve intentional narrowing (and to avoid unintentional sacrifice of desired claim scope).

A decision in May from the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals has extended the long-standing and well-publicized dispute over inventorship of use of CRISPR-Cas9 technology in eukaryotic cells. When final resolution comes, it will have important implications for users of this technology. Companies currently licensing CRISPR-Cas9 from one of the two groups claiming ownership rights to the fundamental patents covering this technology and those considering licenses or investment in users of the technology should review existing or proposed licenses to better prepare for the potential outcomes of the dispute.

The facts before the Third Circuit in the recently decided case of Patel v. United States illustrate how parties can put themselves in a bind if they make factual admissions when resolving a criminal case involving fraud on the government while not simultaneously resolving the government’s civil claims under the False Claims Act (FCA) for the same underlying conduct.

On November 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a sweeping series of enforcement actions, including four guilty pleas and more than $15 million in civil forfeitures against the  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) for remote information technology (IT) worker schemes. These actions underscore the federal government’s escalating focus on the exposure of U.S. companies to North Korean IT worker infiltration, following a series of U.S. Government action against the DPRK.

On 12 November, the highly anticipated Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill (“Bill”) was introduced to Parliament, representing a significant expansion and modernisation of the UK’s cyber security rules. Building on the foundation set by the Network & Information Systems Regulations 2018 (“NIS”), the Bill aims to enhance national security and safeguard essential services. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (“DSIT”) has published a policy paper detailing the Bill’s objectives.

Claim construction is a key stage of most patent litigations, where the court must decide the meaning of any disputed terms in the patent claims.  Generally, claim terms are given their plain and ordinary meaning except under two circumstances: (1) when the patentee acts as its own lexicographer and sets out a definition for the term; and (2) when the patentee disavows the full scope of the term either in the specification or during prosecution.  Thorner v. Sony Comput. Ent. Am. LLC, 669 F.3d 1362, 1365 (Fed. Cir. 2012).  The Federal Circuit’s recent decision in Aortic Innovations LLC v. Edwards Lifesciences Corp. highlights that patentees can act as their own lexicographers through consistent, interchangeable usage of terms across the specification, effectively defining terms by implication.

Microplastics pollution has emerged as a significant issue as the public learns more about the presence of microplastics in the environment and how they may enter the human body.

On November 12, 2025, the Tax Court issued a reviewed opinion in Patel v. Commissioner holding in favor of the IRS that the taxpayers’ transaction lacked economic substance, and therefore the taxpayers were liable for penalties under the codified economic substance doctrine at the increased penalty rate, as well as accuracy-related penalties. The Court previously held in a separate opinion that the taxpayers’ purported captive transactions did not constitute insurance because they failed to distribute risk, and in the alternative, that the micro-captives did not act as an insurer commonly would. 

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs laid out their enforcement priorities during the 2025 ANA Masters of Advertising Law Conference, at which Crowell & Moring attorneys spoke on and attended various panels.

On November 7, 2025, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the Department of War’s (“DoW”) Acquisition Transformation Strategy (the “Strategy”) during a speech to military leaders and industry at the National War College on Fort McNair.  The Strategy sets out five pillars for acquisition reform, each containing near-and long-term actions to “ensure delivery of capabilities to the American warfighter” at a more rapid pace.  

In a stunning revelation following last month’s jewel heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, a 2014 audit resurfaced, spreading rumors that the password to the museum’s video surveillance system was still “Louvre.”

On November 10, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released proposed regulations that, if adopted, would substantially alter the reporting obligations of companies that manufacture or import products containing per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The proposed regulations would significantly reduce reporting burdens by exempting numerous products that currently trigger reporting requirements under EPA’s PFAS reporting regulations.  The proposed regulations would also delay the current deadline for reporting.

In recent months the executive branch has indicated a willingness to assert control over intellectual property funded by federal research dollars in novel ways. This could potentially include leveraging its march-in rights under the Bayh-Dole Act.

Election Day 2025 included two high-profile elections that determined who will serve as the next state attorney general for the Commonwealth of Virginia and for the State of New Jersey. Former Virginia Delegate Jay Jones, a Democrat, was elected the next Virginia Attorney General and in New Jersey, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, was elected New Jersey’s next governor. Governor-Elect Sherrill is expected to appoint a Democrat as the next New Jersey Attorney General.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral argument in the consolidated case challenging the use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) to justify sweeping import tariffs. At issue is whether IEEPA authorizes the President, upon declaring a national emergency, to impose tariffs and, if so, whether that delegation is constitutionally permissible.

This news bulletin is provided by the International Trade Group of Crowell & Moring. If you have questions or need assistance on trade law matters, please contact Anand Sithian or Simeon Yerokun or any member of the International Trade Group.

On October 29, 2025, the attorneys general of Florida, Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, and Montana (the “State AGs”) jointly issued letters to three sustainability groups asserting that their plastics recycling initiatives may violate state and federal antitrust and consumer protection laws.

As part of a comprehensive plan to ensure that EU Member States achieve “defense readiness” by 2030, the European Commission has proposed a package of measures to facilitate public and private investments in defense by simplifying legal frameworks relevant to defense. In a previous alert, we provided an overview of the Defense Readiness Omnibus and examined its implications for defense procurement. In this alert, we focus on its implications for the enforcement of competition law.

Imagine a typical morning at your retail store, hospital, or hotel—customers are arriving, staff are busy, and suddenly, federal agents from ICE appear at your front desk. The surprise is real, but panic does not have to be. Unannounced inspections conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) inspectors have been occurring for years, but in recent months, ICE has ramped up inspection visits across the service sector, targeting I-9 compliance and employment records. These visits are not always dramatic raids; more often, they are routine checks that can escalate if your team is not prepared.

As a founder, your days are packed — building product, managing people, and trying to grow fast enough to stay alive. It’s easy for the end of the fiscal year to sneak up on you. But year-end board meetings are one of your best opportunities to show investors that your company is operating effectively and that you’re a thoughtful, disciplined leader.