Intellectual Property

DTSA Developments Raise Inadvertent Disclosure Questions

In Fres-co Systems v. Hawkins, the Third Circuit recently applied what appears to be the inevitable disclosure doctrine. The opinion did not distinguish between the plaintiff’s claims under the Defend Trade Secrets Act and the Pennsylvania Uniform Trade Secrets Act, so the mere threat of misappropriation may be sufficient under both statutes to warrant granting a preliminary injunction, say attorneys with Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice LLP.

Why ITC Is Increasingly Attractive For Patent Holders

U.S. Supreme Court decisions over the past 15 years are limiting patent holders’ rights, and the recent TC Heartland and Lexmark decisions seem to hew to that direction. The legal community is learning that the U.S. International Trade Commission offers patent holders significant advantages compared to federal court, say Ajay Mago and Scott Anderson of Culhane Meadows PLLC.

Series

Judging A Book: Kopf Reviews Posner's 'Federal Judiciary'

There is a wonderful sketch of Seventh Circuit Judge Richard Posner dressed in a black robe with arms outstretched as if they were the billowing wings of a lean vulture. He is kicking a human brain down a hallway and wearing a half-smile that looks for all the world like a sneer. That sketch is the perfect metaphor for both Judge Posner and his new book, "The Federal Judiciary: Strengths and Weaknesses," says U.S. District Judge Ri... (continued)

How To Get A Survey In A Patent Case Kicked Before Trial

The Northern District of California, in Unwired Planet v. Apple, recently excluded a survey for failing to accurately target the patented invention. The case underscores an effective, though perhaps overlooked, way to attack the use of surveys in patent damages opinions, says Brooke Myers Wallace of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

4 Cases That Could Affect Gov't Contracts For Tech

The intersection of federal procurement and intellectual property law is a strange place, occupied by far more questions than answers. It is unusual that the past few months have brought so many decisions relevant to this area of law, say attorneys with Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP.

How Fed. Circ. Missed The Intent Behind CBM: Part 2

It is hard to see how anyone reviewing the legislative history could conclude that Congress intended the covered business method program to be anything other than a cost-savings tool to be used in connection with virtually any nontechnological business method patent with a commercial nexus. As such, it is unclear why the Federal Circuit in Secure Axcess v. PNC Bank felt constrained to limit the program’s reach in the manner that it... (continued)

The Use Of Special Masters In Complex Cases

Special master appointments can be very beneficial in resolving disputes quickly, streamlining discovery, handling delicate settlement negotiations, and — somewhat surprisingly — reducing cost and delay, says retired U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin, now with JAMS.

A Plaintiff’s Guide To Discovery Proportionality: Part 2

Proportionality is often a question of whether discovery production has reached a point of diminishing returns, and about the marginal utility of additional discovery once the core discovery in the case has been completed. In other words, proportionality is a method to avoid going in circles or getting sidetracked, not an excuse for cutting corners, says Max Kennerly of Kennerly Loutey LLC.

Roundup

Notes From A Law Firm Chief Privacy Officer

As more law firms become the targets of major cyberattacks, more firms may consider appointing a chief privacy officer. In this series, CPOs at four firms discuss various aspects of this new role.

A Plaintiff’s Guide To Discovery Proportionality: Part 1

In December 2015, the parts of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure concerning proportionality in discovery were amended. The amendments changed the language defining the scope of relevance, but substantively, this remains the same as it has been for nearly 40 years, says Max Kennerly of Kennerly Loutey LLC.