2024 Legal Secretaries & Administrators Conference

Arlington, VA. April 24, 2025 –The American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of Virginia in Pegasystems Inc. v. Appian Corporation, an appeal concerning issues of trade secret misappropriation damages under the Virginia Uniform Trade Secrets Act (VUTSA).

Arlington, VA. March 18, 2025 –The American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) submitted comments on the World Intellectual Property Organization Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge.

On February 26, 2025, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Dewberry Group, Inc. v. Dewberry Engineers Inc. The opinion is in line with the amicus brief filed by AIPLA on September 6, 2024.

Arlington, VA. January 30, 2025 –The American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) submitted comments to the Department of Intellectual Property of Thailand on the New Draft Patent Law being considered for adoption. The comments focus on many issues in the proposed law relating to patent registration, subject matter eligibility, patent term extensions, and enforcement, among other matters.

In a joint letter, AIPLA and IPO urged Congress to ensure the USPTO has the resources and flexibility needed to address its patent application backlog, which has reached 826,000. The letter notes that timely patent examination is essential to US innovation, economic growth, and global competitiveness, yet recent executive actions—such as a hiring freeze, return-to-office mandates, and employee buyouts—may impact the USPTO’s operations. Unlike other agencies, the USPTO is funded by user fees, not taxpayer dollars, and must retain resources to process applications efficiently. Restrictive policies could slow innovation, weaken IP protection, and harm US economic leadership. Secretary of Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick has acknowledged the urgency of reducing delays, and we support efforts to strengthen the USPTO’s capacity. AIPLA and IPO welcome the opportunity to work with Congress on legislative and administrative solutions that support American inventors and businesses.