In this FICPI Focus 45 webinar we welcome former Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and FICPI Member of Honour, the Honorable Judge Paul R. Michel.  

Judge Michel has been an outspoken advocate and author on the topic of patent subject matter eligibility and the need for legislation to repair the “massive uncertainty and unpredictability” in the U.S. patent system as a result of a series of Supreme Court decisions that have “made the system dysfunctional.”  
 
Judge Michel will concentrate on U.S. law and decisions, but will also compare the U.S. system to that of Europe and Asia, particularly China.  He will discuss how the lack of predictability, inconsistent results and excessive restrictions result in excessive costs for patent owners, burdens on the courts and patent office, and deleterious impacts on investment decisions, both VC and corporate.  Judge Michel will also reference how district court judges have arrived at “irrational decisions” without evidence or claim construction on preliminary motions under Rule 26.
 
Finally, Judge Michel will report on the current status of on-going efforts to get relief from Congress, with which FICPI is involved.