Bumper crop of new patents in the Orange Book for July!

There were 82 new patents listed in the Orange Book during July. Usually the number of new patents range from 30-50. Is this going to be a trend? I hope not! I would have to spend a lot more time each month identifying the types of claims in each patent for the Orange Book Companion(R).

One of those "new" patents should not count, though. It is a process patent. Right now there are nine process patents listed in the Orange Book, including the new one. That is actually down from a couple years ago when there were fifteen!

Not all of the process patents in the Orange Book come right out and claim "a method of making X." No, they are a little more subtle. The new one claims "a method of enhancing the solubility of" X by mixing it with Y in certain weight ratios. Just because the claims do not say "method of making" or "process for making" does not make them any less of a process.

Another wrinkle that this new process patent presents is the fact that it is used to make the INACTIVE pills that are included in a monthly birth control package! OK, I admit that even though they do not contain the drug, they contain iron and therefore may be acting as an iron supplement for a woman to take during her period. So at least the patent covers a process of making something useful after all.

There always seems to be something interesting happening in the Orange Book!

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