James C. Signor

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James C. Signor

Overview

Mr. Signor primarily focuses his practice on serving European clients in all aspects of U.S. intellectual property law. He has a wealth of experience in drafting and prosecuting patents in diverse technologies. In addition to his strong patent prosecution practice, he works closely supporting clients in making informed business decisions and in enforcing and commercializing their IP. This has involved drafting numerous opinions on patent validity, patentability and the freedom to operate, in addition to drafting petitions for reexamination and Inter Partes Review, assisting in patent infringement litigation, counseling with respect to litigation-related matters, performing due diligence and negotiating and drafting license and joint development agreements.

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Mr. Signor is a frequent speaker to European audiences on a broad range of U.S. law topics. Through his long-time role as vice-chair of the European Practice Committee of the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) and location in the firm’s Frankfurt office, Mr. Signor has had the opportunity to collaborate on numerous projects, patent seminars and conferences with European patent practitioners and the European Patent Office (EPO).

Experience

Mr. Signor’s practice has a particular emphasis in the mechanical, electrical and computer fields. In the mechanical field, areas of expertise include manufacturing, rapid prototyping, robotics, product finishing, chemical plant designs, infrared technologies, optics, consumer products, appliances, measurement devices, automotive and aircrafts. In the electrical field, areas of expertise include turbines, power distribution systems, electrical components and imaging. In the computer field, areas of expertise include cloud computing, software defined networking, blockchains, network security, machine learning and artificial intelligence.  Mr. Signor has particular expertise in subject matter eligibility case law and navigating Alice rejections.

Education

  • St. John’s University School of Law, J.D., 2008
    • Dean’s List Honors
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, summa cum laude, 2005

Admissions

  • Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • Admitted to practice before the Second Judicial Department of New York State

Honors

  • Selected as a 2015-2016 Global Fellow by the Federal Circuit Bar Association (FCBA) and the German Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (GRUR)
  • Rensselaer Medal recipient for achievement and excellence in Mathematics and Science
  • Pi Tau Sigma (National Honor Society of Mechanical Engineers)
  • Tau Beta Pi (National Honor Society of Engineers)

Professional Affiliations

  • Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO)
    • Vice-Chair of the European Practice Committee
  • American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
  • Licensing Executives Society (LES)
  • Vereinigung von Fachleuten des Gewerblichen Rechtsschutzes (VPP)
  • Rechtsanwaltskammer Frankfurt am Main
  • New York State Bar Association (NYSBA)
  • Federal Circuit Bar Association (FCBA)
  • U.S. Bar-EPO Liaison Council

Articles, Publications & Lectures

  • “Patenting Computer Simulations in Europe Following Enlarged Board Case G1/19,” moderator of IPO Chat Channel webinar (May 12, 2021)
  • “U.S. Patent Formalities: The Guide to the Formal Requirements,” a 1.5 day online seminar for PAFA professionals by FORUM Institut für Management GmbH (November 11-12, 2020)
  • “Alice Storm: Cost Effective & Winning Strategies in 2020,” Knowledge Group CLE webinar (July 30, 2020)
  • “Artificial Intelligence: Patentability and Inventorship in Europe,” moderator of IPO Chat Channel webinar (July 1, 2020)
  • “USPTO Revised Subject Matter Eligibility Guidelines: What You Should Know,” Knowledge Group CLE webinar (March 10, 2020)
  • “U.S. Patent Formalities: The Guide to the Formal Requirements,” a 1.5 day seminar for PAFA professionals by FORUM Institut für Management GmbH in Amsterdam, Netherlands (October 16-17, 2019)
  • “Time to Call 911 (Emergency) on 101 in the U.S.?,” IPO European Practice Committee Conference, Universität Basel, Switzerland (May 2, 2019)
  • “Overview of New USPTO Guidelines under 35 U.S.C. §§ 101 and 112,” IPO European Practice Committee Call (February 21, 2019)
  • “Challenges in Patenting Blockchain in the U.S.,” 6th Annual Indo-European ICT Conference at the European Patent Office (EPO), Munich, Germany (November 29, 2018)
  • “U.S. Patent Formalities: The Guide to the Formal Requirements,” a full day seminar for PAFA professionals by FORUM Institut für Management GmbH in Amsterdam, Netherlands (September 28, 2018)
  • “Recent U.S. Case Law Bolsters Patentability and Enforceability of Computer-Related Inventions,” IPO European Practice Committee Call (July 19, 2018)
  • “Patenting Computer-Implemented Inventions (CII) at the EPO,” an interactive workshop with European Patent Office (EPO) representatives at the IPO-EPO Day Conference, Munich, Germany (November 14, 2017)
  • “Strategies for Approaching New Restrictions on Patentable Subject Matter in the U.S.,” IPO European Practice Committee Conference, Paris, France (May 18, 2017)
  • “Alice’s Progeny – Hope for Computer-Implemented Inventions,” IPO European Practice Committee Call (December 14, 2016)
  • “Aktuelle Entwicklungen im US-Patentanmeldeverfahren [Latest Developments in U.S. Patent Application Procedures],” FORUM Institute, Heidelberger PAFA-FORUM, Heidelberg, Germany (November 24, 2016)
  • “Optimizing Applications for the U.S.: Avoiding Pitfalls, Drafting and Prosecution Tips,” IPO European Practice Committee Conference, Frankfurt, Germany (May 12, 2016)
  • “A U.S. Perspective on Article 84 EPC,” European Patent Office (EPO) Symposium, The Hague, Netherlands (January 14, 2016)
  • “Strategien für die Erstellung von U.S. Patentanmeldungen [Patent Application Drafting Strategies for the U.S.],” VPP National Conference, Cologne, Germany (October 22, 2015)
  • “Learning to Live with Alice – How Patentable Subject Matter Has Changed in the U.S.,” IPO European Practice Committee Call (June 18, 2015)
  • “Design Patents in the U.S.,” IPO European Practice Committee Call (October 16, 2014)
  • “The American Invents Act in Practice,” Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany (June 24, 2014)
  • “Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank Int’l – The New Face of Section 101,” IPO European Practice Committee Call (August 21, 2014)

Languages

  • German

Insights

Education

  • St. John’s University School of Law, J.D., 2008
  • Dean’s List Honors
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, summa cum laude, 2005

Admissions

  • Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • Admitted to practice before the Second Judicial Department of New York State