Intellectual property law in general—and patent law in particular—is one of the “hottest” and most active legal fields today, and several major changes to patent laws have made it harder to get, enforce, and file for patents. Harmon on Patents: Black-Letter Law and Commentary helps clarify the existing patent law by providing a series of “black-letter” rules, with extensive commentary that thoroughly answers any patent law question. This one-of-a-kind treatise combines expert analysis on modern substantive patent law with historical background, giving perspective to the evolution of today’s patent law. This treatise covers virtually every patent law issue, including:

• Whether the Supreme Court’s KSR decision signals a tougher standard of patentability
• Whether the Supreme Court’s decision in eBay v. MercExchange foreshadows a decreased likelihood of injunctive relief in patentinfringement cases
• Whether the Federal Circuit’s en banc Seagate decision, which vitiated the affirmative duty of due care on the part of potential infringers, substantially decreases the likelihood of a finding of willful infringement
• How foreign activities affect determination of patent infringement following the Supreme Court’s decision in Microsoft v. AT&T  

The treatise’s concise, carefully subdivided chapters add an extraordinary value and utility to the book, enabling practitioners and students alike to easily answer virtually any patent law question they encounter. 

Increasing the practicality of Black-Letter Law is how well it complements Harmon’s other renowned patent treatise, Patents and the Federal Circuit, Tenth Edition. With Patents and the Federal Circuit providing analysis on a macro level—it informs attorneys of the Federal Circuit’s position on given patent issues—Harmon on Patents: Black-Letter Law and Commentary tackles the subject on the micro level. The focus is largely on the important issues and specific details of patent cases from the Supreme Court, the Federal Circuit, and district courts, making it the perfect resource to support the broader analysis of Federal Circuit procedure and certain general legal principles found in Patents and the Federal Circuit. This remarkable book captures both the “letter” and the “spirit” of patent law with a passion that can only come from an authority who dedicated his career to understanding and articulating it. 

• Summary Table of Contents
• Detailed Table of Contents
• Preface