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Patentability, Validity and Infringement. He is also "of counsel"
to the law firm of Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco.
Professor Chisum's expert report and his rebuttal report were
limited to the issue of the ownership of the Amoco patents, as
between Powertex and Mr. Podd. Professor Chisum began his analysis
with the general proposition that the actual human inventor owns the
patent rights to an invention until those rights are transferred.
He stated that there are several exceptions to the general rule,
including an express or implied contract to assign patent rights,
the "hired to invent" doctrine, the "corporate opportunity"
doctrine, the "alter ego" theory, and the "shop right" doctrine.
Professor Chisum examined the legal framework underpinning each
of the exceptions to the general rule. He determined that none of
the exceptions apply to give Powertex an ownership interest in the
Amoco patents. Accordingly, Professor Chisum concluded that Mr.
Podd has been the legal and equitable owner of the Amoco patents at
all times and that any rights Powertex has in those patents derive
solely from the Tri-Podd license agreement.
ii. Gayle Parker
Mr. Parker received his B.S. in industrial engineering from
Lafayette College in 1956 and his J.D. from George Washington
University in 1960. From 1956 to 1957, he worked as a patent
examiner in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. From 1958 to
1979, he was the Director of Licensing and patent counsel for the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters. Since
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