Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Local journalism may not get the cash

Soon-Shiong: obvious tightwad

Billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong will fight the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office over legal fees of $78,000.
Billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong will fight the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office over legal fees of $78,000.

As denizens of San Diego and Los Angeles await the pending takeover of their cities’ respective newspapers by wealthy L.A. physician Patrick Soon-Shiong, speculation is rampant regarding the future direction of local journalism. But those hoping for a significant infusion of cash into the papers by the pharmaceutical billionaire could be in for a disappointment, judging by a dispute in federal court over a losing patent battle by Soon-Shiong’s NantKewst, Inc., a drug-development outfit with a lab in San Diego.

As reported by Law.com February 28, NantKwest is fighting against having to pay a paltry $78,000 in legal fees to the United States Patent and Trademark Office after federal courts upheld the denial of the firm’s patent claim for treating cancer with “natural killer cells.” The patent office had rejected the application on the grounds of “obviousness,” according to court records. Notes Law.com, “Section 145 of the Patent Act provides that the patent applicant must pay ‘all of the expenses’ of the district court proceeding regardless of outcome.” NantKest maintains the law is overly vague and will soon present its case to the full federal circuit court of appeals in Washington.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Meanwhile, a local anonymous ex-employee of NantWorks, Soon-Shiong’s umbrella organization that also has a San Diego branch, posted a mixed review on Glassdoor.com. “I worked at NantWorks full-time (More than a year),” said the report. “Pros: Most of the colleagues were great. Cons: Entire office was laid off unexpectedly.”

Responded NantWorks: “We know this is a difficult time for all of us and especially you. Our intent as an organization is to be as transparent as possible. Management evaluates the portfolio companies and determines which products and services will continue to drive our mission and vision of delivering next-generation therapeutic treatments and solutions to patients. Although you were not directly employed by NantWorks, we hope that you will keep us in mind as a future employer.”

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

In-n-Out alters iconic symbol to reflect “modern-day California”

Keep Palm and Carry On?
Next Article

Syrian treat maker Hakmi Sweets makes Dubai chocolate bars

Look for the counter shop inside a Mediterranean grill in El Cajon
Billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong will fight the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office over legal fees of $78,000.
Billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong will fight the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office over legal fees of $78,000.

As denizens of San Diego and Los Angeles await the pending takeover of their cities’ respective newspapers by wealthy L.A. physician Patrick Soon-Shiong, speculation is rampant regarding the future direction of local journalism. But those hoping for a significant infusion of cash into the papers by the pharmaceutical billionaire could be in for a disappointment, judging by a dispute in federal court over a losing patent battle by Soon-Shiong’s NantKewst, Inc., a drug-development outfit with a lab in San Diego.

As reported by Law.com February 28, NantKwest is fighting against having to pay a paltry $78,000 in legal fees to the United States Patent and Trademark Office after federal courts upheld the denial of the firm’s patent claim for treating cancer with “natural killer cells.” The patent office had rejected the application on the grounds of “obviousness,” according to court records. Notes Law.com, “Section 145 of the Patent Act provides that the patent applicant must pay ‘all of the expenses’ of the district court proceeding regardless of outcome.” NantKest maintains the law is overly vague and will soon present its case to the full federal circuit court of appeals in Washington.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Meanwhile, a local anonymous ex-employee of NantWorks, Soon-Shiong’s umbrella organization that also has a San Diego branch, posted a mixed review on Glassdoor.com. “I worked at NantWorks full-time (More than a year),” said the report. “Pros: Most of the colleagues were great. Cons: Entire office was laid off unexpectedly.”

Responded NantWorks: “We know this is a difficult time for all of us and especially you. Our intent as an organization is to be as transparent as possible. Management evaluates the portfolio companies and determines which products and services will continue to drive our mission and vision of delivering next-generation therapeutic treatments and solutions to patients. Although you were not directly employed by NantWorks, we hope that you will keep us in mind as a future employer.”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

San Diego Dim Sum Tour, Warwick’s Holiday Open House

Events November 24-November 27, 2024
Next Article

Syrian treat maker Hakmi Sweets makes Dubai chocolate bars

Look for the counter shop inside a Mediterranean grill in El Cajon
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader