This post was originally published to Seyfarth’s Gadgets, Gigabytes & Goodwill Blog.

In a recent post, we discussed whether patent applications could provide insight into the blueprints of extraterrestrial spacecraft. Yet, an enigmatic question looms large: would the powers that be genuinely consider patenting such advanced technology, fully aware that patent applications might see the light of day? Or might there be a more clandestine approach, a proverbial cloak of invisibility wielded by the men in black?

Under the Invention Secrecy Act of 1951, federal law prevents the disclosure of new technologies and inventions that may present a national security threat to the United States. Under this act, the Commissioner of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has the authority to highlight patent applications for scrutiny by U.S. defense departments (e.g., various three-letter and four-letter government agencies), ensuring certain innovations remain confidential. This veil of secrecy could extend to concepts and items conceived by individual civilians. Patents falling under such a secrecy directive are accessible to defense bodies, have export limitations, and are considered classified. Accordingly, the publication of such patent applications, or even the granting of a patent, could be delayed or altogether suppressed. These orders are in place to protect sensitive technologies from falling into the wrong hands. As of 2022, USPTO records show that there were 6,057 secrecy orders in effect. Continue Reading Cloaked in Secrecy: Can Secrecy Orders Shield Alien Innovations?

Seyfarth partner Dawn Mertineit will be attending and presenting at the Intellectual Property Owners Association Annual Conference in Boston from September 10-12. This event brings together Intellectual Property professionals across law firms, corporations, service providers, and academia and offers educational programs, committee meetings, and networking opportunities.

Dawn will be speaking on a panel titled “Trade Secrets Under Pressure from the

Continue Reading Seyfarth Partner Dawn Mertineit to Speak at 2023 IPO Annual Conference

This article was originally published on Seyfarth’s Gadgets, Gigabytes & Goodwill blog.

If there is anything movies like The Terminator have shown us, it’s that AI systems might one day become self-aware and wreak havoc. But until Skynet becomes self-aware, let’s enjoy the AI toy that is quickly becoming a part of our daily lives.  Some Samsung employees recently discovered that playing with AI models like ChatGPT may have unexpected consequences. These employees used ChatGPT for work and shared sensitive data, such as source code and meeting minutes. This incident was labeled as a “data leak” due to fears that ChatGPT would disclose the data to the public once it is trained on the data.  In response, many companies took action, such as banning or restricting access, or creating ChatGPT data disclosure policies.Continue Reading Spilling Secrets to AI: Does Chatting with ChatGPT Unleash Trade Secret or Invention Disclosure Dilemmas?

Seyfarth's Trade Secrets team recognized by World IP Review Global Trade Secrets Rankings

World IP Review included Seyfarth’s team in the first Global Trade Secrets Rankings, which was announced in 2023. The World IP Review Global Trade Secrets Rankings are based on feedback from the market and reflect the fact that trade secret issues are cross border, complex, and high value. Find more information on the World IP Review website.

Continue Reading Seyfarth’s Trade Secrets Group Earns New International Ranking

This post was originally published on Seyfarth’s Gadgets, Gigabytes & Goodwill blog.

Ransomware attacks have become one of the most common and pervasive cybercrimes perpetrated against US companies. A bad actor, often from overseas, will gain access to upload malware onto a company’s network storage or application platforms that encrypts all files it can access. A message or text file is usually left with instructions on how to contact the attacker to pay a ransom for the decryption key. In the worst case, a ransomware attack can freeze the business operations by effectively removing access to the company’s critical systems and rendering them useless. Aside from the business impact, what legal implications are created by a ransomware attack?Continue Reading Ransomware Attacks: Harmless Annoyances or Catastrophic Events?

dawn mertineit named vice chair

Seyfarth partner Dawn Mertineit was recently named Vice Chair of the Trade Secrets Committee for the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO).

The Trade Secrets Committee focuses on providing practical education to IPO membership and the public on the topic of trade secrets, including presentations, white papers, and form documents. Find more information about the IPO Trade Secret Committee on the

Continue Reading Dawn Mertineit Named Vice Chair of Intellectual Property Owners Association Trade Secrets Committee

Earlier this year, Seyfarth Shaw partnered to issue the 2022 Future Employer survey to clients and contacts. We surveyed in-house legal and business leaders to find out how they are thinking about the “Future of Work.” This was an important continuation of Seyfarth’s thought leadership endeavors related to futurist legal-thinking and the future of work, which we formalized five years ago with the inaugural survey in 2017. With respect to the protection of company data and intellectual property, the survey results highlight the need for companies to have thoughtful policies and procedures that address data usage and retention in a hybrid work environment.Continue Reading Future Employer Survey Results Highlight Need For Companies To Implement Thoughtful Policies To Protect Company Data and Intellectual Property in Hybrid Work Environment

intellectual property owners association conferenceOn September 18-20, Seyfarth partners Dawn Mertineit, Eric Barton, and Robert Milligan will be attending the Intellectual Property Owners Association’s Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. This event offers over two dozen education sessions, networking opportunities, committee meetings, and more.

During the event, Dawn will be speaking on a panel called “Hold on to Your Trade Secrets: The Winds of Change
Continue Reading Seyfarth Attorneys to Attend and Speak at IPO Annual Meeting

In the third installment of our 2022 Trade Secrets Webinar Series, Seyfarth attorneys Justin Beyer and Ian Long discussed employee mobility and its impact on trade secrets and non-compete agreements, and shared practical steps that companies can take to protect intellectual capital in today’s market.

As a follow up to this webinar, our team wanted to highlight:

• Protecting
Continue Reading Webinar Recap! Employee Mobility and Its Effects on Trade Secrets and Non-Competes