On January 20, 2021, USEPA issued its Final Guidance Memorandum on how permitting authorities should apply the United States Supreme Court’s recent decision in County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund within the NPDES permitting process.
In a previous IP Alert, we reported that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) introduced the COVID-19 Prioritized Examination Pilot Program to accelerate examination of certain patent applications directed to products or processes related to the treatment or prevention of COVID-19.
After failing to pass in 2019 and 2020, the Washington state legislature has introduced a comprehensive consumer privacy law for a third year in a row.
In a January 14, 2021 ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (“Fifth Circuit”) vacated a $4.3 million Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) fine against the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (“M.D. Anderson”), finding the penalty "arbitrary, capricious and contrary to law."
As part of our dedication to helping our clients stay up-to-date on the ever-changing landscape as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve compiled the following highlights of changes to patent, trademark, and copyright operations around the world.
The Covid-relief act (the Act) signed into law on December 27, 2020 includes a number of provisions meant to juice up the economy amidst the ongoing pandemic.
In what will be welcome news for employers who have been on the receiving end of Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective action complaints, the Fifth Circuit (covering Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) recently issued an opinion adopting a more employer-friendly process for certifying a collective action.
As of December 30, 2020, the USPTO is seeking public comments on proposed changes to terminal disclaimer practice that would increase the ability to file a terminal disclaimer in limited circumstances to obviate a nonstatutory double patenting rejection.
California’s Child Abuse and Neglect Report Act (CANRA) requires individuals who are statutorily defined as “mandated reporters” to report known or reasonably suspected child abuse or neglect to law enforcement personnel and social service agencies.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), signed December 27, 2020, will bring significant changes to group health plans in 2022, including new limits on surprise medical billing, reporting and disclosures.
As part of our dedication to helping our clients stay up-to-date on the ever-changing landscape as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve compiled the following highlights of changes to patent, trademark, and copyright operations around the world. The following are a few recent updates.
Colorado’s new Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (EPEWA) prohibits gender-based pay discrimination and imposes strict requirements for job postings and equal pay transparency.
On December 31, 2020, President Trump signed a Presidential Proclamation extending the suspension of entry of certain nonimmigrant visa holders to March 31, 2021.
