Intellectual Property

  • April 25, 2024

    Judge Reopens Allstate Trade Secrets Case Against Ex-Agent

    A Colorado federal judge has partially reopened a case alleging that a former Allstate exclusive agent poached customers for another agency, directing the ex-agent to explain why he shouldn't be held in contempt in the lawsuit.

  • April 25, 2024

    7th Circ. OKs Pausing Nail Polish IP Suit For Ownership Fight

    A company registered in New Jersey that sells nail polish has failed to persuade a federal appeals court to let it move ahead with its trade secrets case in a Chicago federal court against its former business partners in China until first resolving an ownership dispute "lurking just beneath the surface."

  • April 25, 2024

    Dominican Republic, Uzbekistan No Longer On IP Watch List

    The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced Thursday it has removed the Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan from its watch list of countries with poor track records on intellectual property protection, keeping close trade partners Mexico and Canada on the roster.

  • April 25, 2024

    Patent Holder Settles Transfer Fraud Case Tied To $17M Win

    The holder of a patent on a device that prevents New York City subways from flooding on Thursday settled a case adjacent to a $17.8 million infringement feud by agreeing to accept $850,000 from an individual and two companies accused of helping siphon money away from the infringers.

  • April 25, 2024

    TikTok Wins Partial Toss Of Chinese Co.'s IP Suit

    A California federal judge has granted TikTok's motion to dismiss many intellectual property claims against it by Chinese software company Beijing Meishe Network Technology but gave the plaintiff a chance to amend some of the claims.

  • April 25, 2024

    Atty Slams Mogul's Fight For Bank Records As Waste Of Time

    An attorney struck back against an airline mogul's attempt to acquire his bank records as part of a hacking lawsuit, telling a federal court that a subpoena was invalid because it was sent under an improper bank name.

  • April 25, 2024

    Ex-Burns & Levinson Life Sciences Chair Joins Polsinelli

    Polsinelli PC announced that the former life sciences co-chair at New England firm Burns & Levinson LLP has joined its Boston office as a shareholder. 

  • April 25, 2024

    Class Counsel Seeks $31M From $93M Lipitor Settlement

    Attorneys representing a class of buyers in antitrust litigation against Pfizer over the cholesterol medication Lipitor have asked a New Jersey federal judge to approve their request for $31 million in fees after the two sides agreed to a $93 million settlement in February.

  • April 25, 2024

    Digital Health Co.'s Former GC Joins Perkins Coie In NY

    Perkins Coie LLP is bolstering its intellectual property practice, announcing Thursday that it has brought on the former general counsel and chief compliance officer of digital healthcare company Cleerly.

  • April 25, 2024

    Ohio Deer Repellent Co. Hit With Trade Secrets Suit In NJ

    A New Jersey deer repellent company claims that an Ohio company, which was formerly a licensee, is stealing trade secrets by continuing to use its proprietary techniques and procedures after the licensing agreement lapsed.

  • April 25, 2024

    Sheppard Mullin Hires Perkins Coie IP Partner In DC

    Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP has hired an intellectual property attorney from Perkins Coie LLP, who is the third patent-focused litigator to leave that firm this week.

  • April 24, 2024

    Lyft Denied $1M Fees In Patent Suit Because Of Previous Deal

    A California federal judge on Tuesday denied Lyft Inc.'s request for $1 million in attorney fees in its patent dispute against Quartz Auto Technologies LLC, saying the parties' agreement to dismiss certain claims clearly stated that each party would "bear its own costs and attorneys' fees."

  • April 24, 2024

    'Black-ish' Actress Beats Suit Alleging She Stole Spinoff Idea

    A California appeals court permanently ended on Monday a suit alleging actress Tracee Ellis Ross and producers of "Mixed-ish" stole a writer's ideas for a sitcom based on a mixed-race character growing up in the suburbs, finding there are no substantial similarities between the two shows.

  • April 24, 2024

    NC Biz Court Trims School Food Servicer's Noncompete Suit

    The North Carolina Business Court on Wednesday pared a cafeteria food provider's lawsuit alleging a former sales director absconded with confidential information to a rival business, reasoning the Tar Heel State's laws aren't applicable over alleged out-of-state conduct.

  • April 24, 2024

    Feds Want Disbarred Atty's FOIA Suit Over USPTO Docs Axed

    The federal government urged a North Carolina federal court Wednesday to toss a disbarred attorney's sprawling Freedom of Information Act lawsuit over U.S. Patent and Trademark Office documents, arguing the case is one of a dozen duplicative, meritless suits the plaintiff has filed.

  • April 24, 2024

    3 Takeaways On How AI Is Forcing Publicity Rights To Evolve

    As digital replicas of someone's voice, image or likeness become easier to create with the help of artificial intelligence, this new era of deepfakes is shining a spotlight on the nation's patchwork of right-of-publicity laws and raising questions over when Congress may act to pass a national framework.  

  • April 24, 2024

    Map Co. Objects To Recommendation Of Tossing IP Case

    A mapping company has taken issue with a recommendation by a federal magistrate judge in New York that its copyright infringement lawsuit against environmental risk assessment data company ERIS Information should be tossed.

  • April 24, 2024

    Judge Unconvinced That Barstool Sports Swiped Shop Photo

    A new copyright lawsuit against Barstool Sports may not get off the ground after a New York federal judge questioned whether the image the photographer included in her complaint is the same one the company used on its website.

  • April 24, 2024

    Sanction Bank Workers Who Hid IP Grab, Branding Firm Says

    An architectural and marketing firm has asked a Philadelphia federal judge for sanctions against two of its former employees who jumped ship for Republic Bank, saying that texts between the ex-employees show the "nadir of bad faith" about evidence destruction in their trade secrets misappropriation suit.

  • April 24, 2024

    Pegasystems Cuts $35M Deal To End Investor Suit

    Pegasystems Inc. has agreed to pay $35 million to settle a shareholder suit in Massachusetts federal court alleging the software company failed to properly disclose a rival's trade secret litigation that led to a $2 billion verdict.

  • April 24, 2024

    Under Armour Must Show Shoe Sponsor Deals In Patent Row

    Under Armour is being forced to turn over information relating to deals it has with athletes like basketball star Stephen Curry as part of a patent infringement lawsuit, but the Texas federal judge in the case limited how much the sportswear company has to provide.

  • April 24, 2024

    Reggie Bush Scores Heisman Back After Nearly 15 Years

    Nearly 15 years after being stripped of his records and awards, former University of Southern California running back and football legend Reggie Bush is getting his 2005 Heisman Trophy back, with the Heisman Trophy Trust citing "enormous changes" in the college football environment.

  • April 24, 2024

    Ex-Yukos Oil Shareholders To Auction Russian Vodka Brands

    The Benelux rights to trademarks for 18 Russian vodka brands, including Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya, will go to auction in June in the Netherlands, the former shareholders of Yukos Oil Co. said Wednesday as they sought to enforce arbitral awards now valued at $60 billion.

  • April 24, 2024

    Colo. Cooler-Maker Says License Didn't Undo Patent Rights

    A Colorado company that makes soft-sided coolers has argued a 2023 licensing agreement didn't give away its exclusive rights to some patents as a Canadian rival has claimed, arguing the deal preserved its right to enforce the patents at issue.

  • April 24, 2024

    Toy Developer, Chinese Co. Settle Robot Source Code Suit

    A Pittsburgh-based robot toy designer has settled and dismissed its dispute with a Chinese competitor over the alleged copying of the source code for a toy design acquired from a predecessor, according to federal court filings Tuesday.

Expert Analysis

  • 6 AI Cases And What They Mean For Copyright Law

    Author Photo

    Artificial intelligence cases filed last year, some decided and others pending, demonstrate how the appellate courts that set binding precedent look at the intersection between copyright and AI, so legal frameworks must adapt and provide clarity in order to foster innovation, protect creators, and ensure fair and equitable outcomes, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Why Fed. Circ. Affirmed Attorney Fee Award In PersonalWeb

    Author Photo

    A recent Federal Circuit decision to leave a $5.2 million fee award in place in the PersonalWeb patent case underscores district courts' discretion to sanction unreasonable arguments and litigation tactics under the U.S. Code's attorney fee provision, say attorneys at Shearman. 

  • How AI Is Changing The Game Of Professional Sports

    Author Photo

    As more professional sports teams and organizations employ the use of artificial intelligence, counsel should keep a critical eye on several legal issues, including both state and federal regulatory developments, data privacy concerns, and how AI tools could potentially affect applicable intellectual property rights, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • Trending At The PTAB: 6 Areas To Watch In 2024

    Author Photo

    Expect further changes in a half-dozen areas in 2024 following a busy 2023 at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, including more adjustments to the director review process and the first case to hit the Appeals Review Panel, say attorneys at Finnegan.

  • Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

    Author Photo

    Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.

  • What's In The USPTO Policy Pipeline This Year

    Author Photo

    Practitioners can expect a number of policy updates and initiatives from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this year, including development of AI capabilities, pushback against fraudulent patents and expansion of educational opportunities, say Rosaleen Chou and Lauren Katzenellenbogen at Knobbe Martens.

  • AI In IP Law: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

    Author Photo

    Keeping up with generative artificial intelligence was the name of the game for intellectual property lawyers in 2023 as the government worked to determine whether AI-generated output is protectable under the law and guest writers assessed the technology's risks and rewards.

  • The Most-Read IP Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

    Author Photo

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office incentives and restrictions, Federal Circuit decisions on exact meaning, and lessons from the comedic whodunit “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” were among popular intellectual property topics guest authors tackled this year.

  • The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

    Author Photo

    A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.

  • Inside Higher Education's New FCA Liability Challenges

    Author Photo

    As the educational sector expands its use of government funding, schools are at increased risk under the False Claims Act, but recent settlements offer valuable lessons about new theories of liability they may face and specific procedures to reduce their exposure, say James Zelenay and Jeremy Ochsenbein at Gibson Dunn.

  • Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

    Author Photo

    Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.

  • Reviewing 2023's Global AI Landscape Across Practice Areas

    Author Photo

    2023 stands out as a landmark year for artificial intelligence, both domestically and internationally, so legal professionals should brace for an increasingly complex future shaped by AI's integration into a multitude of sectors, including intellectual property, data privacy and cybersecurity, and ethics, say Fran Faircloth and May Yang at Ropes & Gray.

  • 2024 Trends To Watch As AI And IP Litigation Intersect

    Author Photo

    Just as generative artificial intelligence tools have proven unpredictable, the resulting legal disputes may also hold a few surprises in store for 2024, as intellectual property litigation related to AI inputs, outputs and the tools themselves takes shape, say Philip Warrick and Chengming Liu at Irell & Manella.

  • In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

    Author Photo

    Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.

  • The Year In FRAND: What To Know Heading Into 2024

    Author Photo

    In 2023, there were eight significant developments concerning the fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory patent licensing regime that undergirds technical standardization, say Tom Millikan and Kevin Zeck at Perkins Coie.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Intellectual Property archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!