Intellectual PropertyRSS

  • November 7, 2005

    Qualcomm Sues Nokia Amid Antitrust Allegations

    Qualcomm Inc. is firing back at Finnish cell phone maker Nokia Corp., filing a federal patent infringement lawsuit over its GSM technology only two weeks after Nokia accused Qualcomm of anti-trust violations in Europe.

  • November 7, 2005

    Automakers Settle Dispute Over Letter Q Out Of Court

    A district court will no longer need to weigh in on who has the rights to the letter Q, as automakers Nissan and Audi have settled their trademark dispute over the letter out of court.

  • November 7, 2005

    In A Twist, Generics Maker Says Pfizer Infringed Patent

    Turning the tables on Pfizer Inc., a generic drug maker sued the pharmaceutical giant for patent infringement this month, claiming Pfizer’s blockbuster blood pressure drug Norvasc violates its intellectual property.

  • November 7, 2005

    Authorized Generics Deal Cleared Of Antitrust Charges

    An appeals court has upheld a lower court decision that cleared two major drug makers of antitrust charges in a decision that once again spotlights the debate over authorized generics.

  • November 4, 2005

    Former USPTO Head Joins Preston Gates

    James Rogan, the former gang murder prosecutor who helped lead impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton and went on to shake up the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with an ambitious reform program, has quit his position at Venable and joined Preston Gates as an intellectual property litigator.

  • November 4, 2005

    Judges Urge Europe To Create Single Patent Court

    Frustrated by the slow progress in efforts to create a pan-European patent court, leading intellectual property judges from across the region have joined forces to call for a complete overhaul of the project, according to a published report.

  • November 4, 2005

    Pfizer and Mylan Back To Court In Lengthy Dispute

    In the most recent development in a court battle that is poised to enter its fourth year, a district court judge denied both the Mylan’s and Pfizer’s requests for summary judgment, sending the drug companies back to court over the patents for $2.5 billion drug Norvasc.

  • November 5, 2005

    IP Litigation Awards, Settlements Reach Record Highs

    Topped by medical device maker Medtronic’s dizzying $1.35 billion payout to a Los Angeles surgeon, this is turning out to be a blockbuster year for settlements and awards in intellectual property litigation, according to our survey of litigation payouts and the firms that win them.

  • November 4, 2005

    Patent Suits Target Apple's iPods

    Apple Inc.’s iPod personal music players, including the popular new “nano” and “mini” versions, infringe the patented technology of a small Illinois patent holding company, according to a federal lawsuit.

  • November 4, 2005

    Supreme Court May Co-Opt Patent Reform

    The U.S. patent regime stands on the threshold of the most sweeping reforms in decades, intellectual property attorneys agree. But in a twist, the most dramatic changes will likely come not from Congress, but from the Supreme Court, where a buffet of patent lawsuits awaits consideration for appeal.

  • November 2, 2005

    Chief Justice Drops Out Of Landmark Patent Case

    In a surprising move, Chief Justice John Roberts has recused himself from one of the most closely followed patent cases to reach the Supreme Court, admitting he made a mistake in taking part in the early stages of the appeal.

  • November 3, 2005

    Google Launches Print Library Amid Copyright Debate

    Amid allegations of copyright infringement from authors and publishers, Google has launched its Print Library with online access to digitized books from several university and public libraries.

  • November 3, 2005

    Entertainment Industry Urges FCC Piracy Crackdown

    The Federal Communications Commission should receive sweeping powers to prevent copyright theft by regulating broadcast signals once they enter the home, the entertainment industry urged at Congressional hearings Thursday.

  • November 3, 2005

    Drug Makers Gear Up For Round Two In Lipitor Case

    Although attention has now turned to the ongoing Lipitor litigation in the United States, Ranbaxy and Pfizer will continue their U.K. battle over the blockbuster anti-cholesterol drug after Ranbaxy was cleared to appeal a ruling of infringement handed down last month.

  • November 3, 2005

    Toshiba Takes On U.S. Competitor Over DVD Patents

    Japan’s Toshiba Corp. has forced a showdown with a U.S. entertainment technology company, pitting its busy DVD licensing cooperative against a smaller competitor that’s already under threat from a third party.

  • November 3, 2005

    Intel In $10M Chip Patent Deal Amid Contingency Brawl

    Chip maker Intel Corp. has struck a deal with Patriot Scientific, a small licensing company in Southern California, to pay $10 million in fees for patents that Patriot claims are worth as much as $1 billion. But the deal comes as Patriot is being dragged to court by a New York law firm that says it footed the bill for Patriot’s licensing efforts but never got paid contingency fees for a half-dozen lawsuits targeting some of the world’s biggest semiconductor companies.

  • November 2, 2005

    Internet Companies Refuse To Settle, Win Case

    In a district court known for settlements rather than verdicts, a judge has granted summary judgment of non-infringement in favor of three internet service providers in a suit brought by a company considered by many to be a patent troll.

  • November 2, 2005

    Rambus Accused Of "Scorched Earth Policy"

    Rambus Inc. used a “scorched-earch policy” to destroy important documents related to its patents prior to asserting them in court, attorneys for defendant Hynix Semiconductor Inc. told a federal jury in the closely watched trial between the two chip makers.

  • November 2, 2005

    Supreme Court Mulls Case On Authorized Generics

    The heated debate over authorized generics is one step closer to being heard by the Supreme Court after justices asked the Department of Justice for its opinion in the Federal Trade Commission’s case against drug maker Schering Plough.

  • November 2, 2005

    House Hearing To Address "Massive" Copyright Theft

    A Congressional hearing Thursday will explore ways to protect the entertainment industry from rampant piracy through emerging digital devices, congressional aides say.