FAQs Answered By Kyle and Josh

Posted on | June 12, 2008 | Comments Off

Since starting PATracer, we have received numerous emails, calls and comments from people wanting to know how we did this, why we did that, or if Josh can really snowboard.

While some questions are best left unanswered (or unasked), we compiled some of the most common queries and PR answers here.

As always, feel free to contact us with any other questions, suggestions, comments or specific requests.

What is PATracer?

Kyle: PATracer’s "mission" is to report on patent litigation appeals at the Federal Circuit.  Primarily this means covering cases from the district court or ITC.  We:

• summarize the proceedings below and hopefully give a preview of the issues to be decided on appeal.  Usually we offer the key orders or documents for download.  This post is done at or near the time the appeal starts;

• cover the briefing with our "In Brief" posts.  Here, we try to make the briefs available for download and provide the parties’ respective "Summary of Argument"–likely a good preview of the arguments and issues to be decided by the CAFC; and

• notice the scheduling of oral argument.

Josh: For cases that we (or our readers) find extra interesting, we might also report on the oral argument, collateral proceedings, etc.

Also, we might post on topics, statistics, trends and other patent litigation items.

Why "Tracer" when your subtitle says "Tracking Patent Cases"–why not PATracker?

Josh: PATracker.com was already registered, and PatentAppealTracker.com won’t fit on our upcoming line of mugs, sweatshirts, mouse pads and toaster cozies.  So it was either PATracer
or Patently Appealing–which we liked, but it somehow seemed too cliché.

Why did you start PATracer?  For all the fame, fortune, and A-list treatment bloggers get?

Josh: Those were my exact reasons.  I have been sorely disappointed.

Kyle: For me, those things were, like, 3rd-5th on the list.

Actually, several reasons and ideas kind of came together for PATracer: (1) we wanted to know
more about what was happening in the patlit biz at the trial court
level; (2) we like to see the writing, strategery (I know its barely a
word!) and procedures tried–successfully or not–by others; and (3)
wanted to know the kind of issues and topics were floating around the
Fed Circuit before the decisions come out.

What are the "tools of the trade" for PATracer?

Kyle: Peet’s coffee (Major Dickason, Garuda and Arabian Sanani), iPod and MacBook Pro.  We use a number of free Web resources like Google Patents and Altlaw.org for cases, statutes, etc.  And we are heavily indebted to our fellow practitioners for providing information and briefs on the cases. 

Josh: Dunkin coffee, a soon-to-be-retired Dell Inspiron, and (according to iTunes) 49.3 days worth of music.  Currently we are using Typepad for the blogging software.  We also have our own server running Mediawiki–this is where we put the .pdf’s and other documents for download.  Hopefully we can do more with the wiki someday a la SCOTUSwiki.

What’s the background image in the site banner?

Kyle: A circuit diagram for a Fender Bandmaster Reverb amp, circa 1969.

Josh: Don’t worry, it’s changing soon.

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