Townsend and Townsend

1. Western Union Strikes Deal In Actus E-Payment IP Suit

Wednesday, Mar 10, 2010

Western Union Financial Services Inc. has settled a patent infringement suit brought by patent-holding company Actus LLC over technology for electronic methods of processing payments, joining a number of other defendants that have resolved the litigation.

2. Watson Targets Teva's Patent For LoSeasonique

Friday, Feb 26, 2010

Watson Laboratories Inc. has filed a declaratory judgment suit against Teva Women’s Health Inc., seeking a ruling that its bid to make a generic version of oral contraceptive Seasonique does not infringe a separate patent covering a lower dosage of the drug.

3. Amazon Settles Adult Web Site's Copyright Claims

Tuesday, Feb 23, 2010

Following the lead of Microsoft Corp., Amazon.com Inc. has settled a copyright infringement suit brought by adult content Web site Perfect 10 Inc. over the display of thumbnail images of pirated photographs, though Perfect 10's similar suit against Google Inc. remains pending.

4. Spansion, Others Try To Drown Chip Patent In ITC

Tuesday, Feb 16, 2010

In the wake of a judge's determination on remand that no Section 337 violation has occurred, Spansion Inc. and other respondents in the U.S. International Trade Commission's proceedings over a semiconductor patent have asked that the patent's claims be found invalid.

5. Microsoft Deal Still Secret In Thumbnail Copyright Spat

Friday, Feb 12, 2010

A federal judge has granted a stay to adult content Web site Perfect 10 Inc., relieving the company from having to turn over to Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. a previous copyright settlement the Web company made with Microsoft Corp.

6. Porn Site Wants Microsoft IP Deal Kept Under Wraps

Thursday, Feb 11, 2010

Adult content publisher Perfect 10 Inc. is asking a federal judge not to disclose a previous settlement agreement with Microsoft Corp. to Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., both of which Perfect 10 is suing for copyright infringement.

7. Bingham Unveils Details Of Lockstep-Merit Pay Plan

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2010

Bingham McCutchen LLP reportedly has released the details of its hybrid compensation plan of lockstep base pay plus merit bonuses for associates for 2010, months after the firm told its lawyers it would be shifting to such a system.

8. Law360 IP Editorial Advisory Board

Wednesday, Jan 13, 2010

Law360 is pleased to announce the formation of its 2010 intellectual property editorial advisory board.

9. Fairchild, Infineon Resolve Semiconductor Patent Row

Monday, Jan 04, 2010

Fairchild Semiconductor Corp. has ended its battle with rival German computer chip maker Infineon Technologies AG, agreeing to settle two lawsuits over patents for semiconductor technology.

10. Judge Bars Psystar From Selling Mac OS X Copies

Wednesday, Dec 16, 2009

Apple Inc. has won a permanent injunction preventing Psystar Corp. from selling copies of the proprietary Mac OS X operating system on Psystar-made computers, on the heels of a settlement in the technology giant's copyright and breach of contract suit.

11. Law360 Ranks Largest IP Practices

Friday, Dec 04, 2009

Finnegan Henderson LLP, Fish & Richardson and Morrison & Foerster LLP topped the Law360 IP 100 this year, boasting the largest intellectual property practices in the United States, as measured by the number of practicing lawyers.

12. Apple Makes Partial Deal In Psystar Computer Suit

Wednesday, Dec 02, 2009

Apple Inc. has struck a partial settlement of its copyright and breach of contract suit alleging Psystar Corp. has been illegally using the proprietary Mac OS X operating system on Psystar-made computers.

13. Sughrue Mion Grabs Calif. Biotech Patent Attorney

Thursday, Nov 19, 2009

Karen B. Dow, a biotechnology and pharmaceutical patent attorney who formerly was patent counsel for Eli Lilly & Co., has joined intellectual property firm Sughrue Mion PLLC.

14. Apple Scores Copyright Win In OS X Case V. Psystar

Monday, Nov 16, 2009

A federal judge has awarded Apple Inc. summary judgment on its claims that Psystar Corp.’s use of the proprietary Mac OS X operating system on Psystar-made computers violates Apple's copyrights, though the technology giant's trademark, breach of contract and unfair competition claims remain pending.

15. Rembrandt Tries To Revive Dial-Up Patent Claims

Wednesday, Nov 11, 2009

Patent-holding company Rembrandt Data Technologies LP is again picking up the sword in its infringement battle against a group of defendants including DirecTV Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co., launching an appeal of the dismissal of its claims over patents covering Internet dial-up technology.

16. Reed Smith Lays Out New Path For Associates

Tuesday, Oct 27, 2009

Breaking away from the pack, Reed Smith LLP has rolled out a new model that seeks to group lawyers by competency level rather than relying on the tenure-based approach of yore.

17. DLA Piper Withholds Partner Compensation

Thursday, Oct 22, 2009

DLA Piper is reportedly among the major law firms in the United Kingdom that have held back partner profit distributions as a result of the recession.

18. MoFo Plans Surgical Pay Cuts For 1st-Years

Monday, Oct 19, 2009

The news that Morrison & Foerster LLP will be paring back first-years' salaries came with a silver lining for some associates in its New York- and Asia-based offices, whose pay will remain consistent with current pay levels, the firm said Monday.

19. CSIRO Settles With D-Link In Wi-Fi Patent Battle

Monday, Oct 19, 2009

Global networking provider D-Link Systems Inc., the sole remaining defendant in a suit brought by Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization over a wireless local area network patent, has joined 3Com Corp., Nintendo of America Inc. and others on the sidelines.

20. Semiconductor Cos. Fight IP Review In LSI 337 Case

Wednesday, Oct 14, 2009

Respondents in a trade dispute brought by LSI Corp. and Agere Systems Inc. over a patent related to semiconductor chips have asked the U.S. International Trade Commission to deny the complainants' request to reconsider a recent finding that the patent is invalid.