BioFuels Journal

The U.S. Patent office has put existing patent applications for "green" projects such as biofuels on a fast track in the Green Tech Pilot Program to ensure the technology is patented quickly.

BioFuels Journal spoke with Paul Craane, a partner with Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP, a law firm based in Chicago, IL that specializes in intellectual property, about the new rules related to biofuels.

Highlights From the Podcast

• Green Tech Pilot Program is for existing patents only.

• There are 2,000 of 3,000 vacancies remaining.

• Decreases the time from three to two years.

• Biofuels patent applications should qualify which is under alternative energy production (biofuels, including fuels from agricultural waste or animal waste).

• Eliminates Examination Support Document, and eliminates the cost of a search. This is replaced with single-page document.

Biography

After beginning his career in litigation, Paul Craane, a partner with the intellectual property law firm of Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP, shifted his focus to patent procurement (prosecution) and client counseling.

Working with a wide range of technologies, Craane has successfully executed tailored prosecution strategies both domestically and in a number of foreign jurisdictions.

Craane has a strong commitment to education, believing that understanding is the key to better communication between attorney and client.

Craane's background is in mechanical and electrical engineering, with particular projects covering everything from satellite propulsion to educational toys.

Craane also has a firm foundation in U.S. law and practice. He has appeared before the United States Patent and Trademark Office for well over a decade, and has successfully handled such specialty proceedings as reissues, reexaminations and interferences.

As a litigator, Craane has appeared before judges in various U.S. district courts, and has been involved in appellate work before the Courts of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Seventh Circuit. Craane is also well versed in foreign patent prosecution, and has formulated and successfully implemented prosecution strategies for numerous international filings. To assist clients further, Craane is in the process of authoring several articles on topics of interest to small and medium-sized companies.

He received his bachelor of science degree with highest honors (University Honors – Bronze Tablet), in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Northern Illinois University College of Law, where he also was a Law Review Notes and Comments editor.

For further information, call Craane at 312-474-6623.

See Related Websites/Articles:

• Marshall, Gerstein, & Borun LLP

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