Breaking: Judge Issues Injunction Against New Patent Rules

lightbulb Hey patent geeks — and you know who you are! — a federal judge in Richmond, Vir. has issued an injunction against the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s new rules, which were due to take effect tomorrow. It’s a big win for Kirkland & Ellis, which represented GlaxoSmithKline, the company that filed the lawsuit challenging the rules.

Click here and here for prior Law Blog coverage on the case.

On Patently O, a reader asks a question: “Does anyone know how often something like this has happened with other federal agency rulemaking? It seems rather extraordinary to me, but of course I do not follow such matters outside of the IP arena.” Law Blog readers, whaddya know?

Update, late Wednesday afternoon: Here’s the judge’s 39-page order, courtesy of the good folk at the Patent Blog.