Intellectual Property

  • August 27, 2024

    NBA Star Can't Sidestep TM Dispute Over Signature Shoe

    NBA player LaMelo Ball, his family and Puma North America Inc. must face a trademark infringement suit brought against them over the athlete's signature shoes, a California federal judge has ruled, finding that there are factual disputes to resolve and that California federal court does have jurisdiction.

  • August 26, 2024

    $4.4M Award Against Cheat Code Site Upheld At 9th Circ.

    A website that circulated cheat codes for the video game "Destiny 2" failed to convince the Ninth Circuit on Monday that it got an unfair shake in front of an arbitrator who told the site to pay $4.4 million for breaking copyright and trademark laws.

  • August 26, 2024

    'Roller Lash' and 'Lash 'N Roll' Mascaras Face Off In TM Trial

    Benefit Cosmetics told a San Francisco federal judge at the start of a trademark and trade dress infringement bench trial Monday that rival e.l.f. Cosmetics sought the "holy grail" when it created a "Lash 'N Roll" mascara that ripped off Benefit's $300 million-blockbuster "Roller Lash" product.

  • August 26, 2024

    Samsung Urges Toss Of Netlist Contract Win Over Juror's Lies

    Samsung urged a California federal judge Monday to throw out a jury's verdict that it breached a contract with chipmaker Netlist by cutting off its supply of crucial memory products, arguing a new trial is required because one juror failed to disclose crucial information during the jury selection process.

  • August 26, 2024

    Pool Co. Secures $1.1M In Fees For False Ad Trial Win

    A North Carolina federal judge has granted $1.1 million in fees for attorneys from McCarter & English LLP and Womble Bond Dickinson who represented a swimming pool salt system supplier in a trial against a competitor, finding the case qualifies as exceptional since the opposing company acted "unreasonably."

  • August 26, 2024

    Printing Biz Can't Undo Invalidity Findings Despite Settlement

    A California federal judge says that he won't rethink a jury's conclusion earlier this year that claims in two patents covering a way of coating printer paper were invalid, even if the French printing company that owns them decided to settle with an accused infringer after losing at trial.

  • August 26, 2024

    Motorola Says Hytera Owes $58M For Radio Royalty Contempt

    Motorola Solutions told an Illinois federal judge Monday that Chinese rival Hytera Communications owes more than $58 million in royalties for a mobile radio it purportedly redesigned after a jury found it misappropriated trade secrets, asserting the radio's retooled source code is still improperly based on the same protected architecture.

  • August 26, 2024

    Jury Awards Lashify $31M In Worldbeauty Patent Case

    Lashify Inc., a California company that sells do-it-yourself eyelash extension kits, is entitled to more than $30.5 million in damages from a China-based rival that infringed three of its patents, a federal jury in Texas has found, potentially opening the door to more intellectual property litigation in the beauty industry.

  • August 26, 2024

    Hikma Urges Full Fed. Circ. To End Vascepa Skinny-Label Suit

    Hikma Pharmaceuticals has asked the full Federal Circuit to intervene after a panel determined it must face infringement litigation over its generic version of Amarin Pharma Inc.'s blockbuster cardiovascular drug Vascepa.

  • August 26, 2024

    Ramones Heir Says Widow Is Infringing Group's TMs

    The brother of late punk rocker Joey Ramone took his bandmate Johnny Ramone's widow to New York federal court for allegedly infringing several of the band's trademarks as part of what the suit says is an effort to boost her own celebrity image by "riding on the coattails of the Ramones."

  • August 26, 2024

    NJ Marine Fuel Co. Sues Rival Formed By Ex-Employees

    A New Jersey marine fuel buyer has accused two brothers who worked for the company of misappropriating trade secrets and illegally accessing confidential information when they resigned to form a new venture in the same market, according to a lawsuit filed in New Jersey federal court.

  • August 26, 2024

    Restaurants Seek Grubhub's Revenue, Staff Info For TM Suit

    Restaurants pursuing a proposed class action against Grubhub Inc. for alleged trademark infringement have urged an Illinois federal court to order the food-delivery platform to comply with discovery requests, including information about orders and revenue from establishments that never agreed to partner with Grubhub.

  • August 26, 2024

    Shkreli Must Give Up Copies Of Unique Wu-Tang Clan Album

    Martin Shkreli must hand over any copies he made of a one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album while a challenge from the crypto project that holds the sole physical copy plays out, a New York federal judge ordered Monday.

  • August 26, 2024

    NC State '83 Basketball Champs Add TV Networks To NIL Suit

    Members of the 1983 North Carolina State basketball championship team, known as the Cardiac Pack, have added CBS and TNT to their lawsuit alleging their name, image and likeness were exploited by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and others to garner untold amounts during March Madness without the players seeing a dime.

  • August 26, 2024

    Masimo, Apple Fight Over Jury Hearing Trade Secrets Claims

    After a California jury deadlocked last year in Masimo's high-stakes intellectual property case against Apple over the way the latter company's watches are programmed to monitor blood oxygen, the medical technology contractor says it wants a bench trial to address its trade secrets claims next time around, but Apple is opposing that move.

  • August 26, 2024

    White & Case Lands Chicago IP Partner From Mayer Brown

    White & Case LLP has continued to expand its footprint in Chicago by adding an intellectual property attorney as a partner in its global technology industry group, the firm said Monday.

  • August 26, 2024

    RTX Settles Bearing Co.'s Trade Secrets Suit On Eve Of Trial

    Defense contractor RTX Corp. on Monday settled claims that it passed a Connecticut roller bearing manufacturer's sensitive design drawings to a competitor, averting a trial set to begin this week.

  • August 26, 2024

    Judge Declines To Enhance $45M Doorbell Video IP Verdict

    A Texas federal judge said Monday that Vivint Inc. need only pay the $45.4 million a jury said it owes video doorbell maker SB IP Holdings LLC for infringing its audiovisual patents along with pre- and post-judgment interest, declining to enhance the award at the patent holder's request.

  • August 26, 2024

    9th Circ. Chief Judge Cleared Of Judicial Misconduct Claims

    The Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit on Friday cleared its chief judge of judicial misconduct claims alleging she failed to timely investigate a Los Angeles judge's decision to have a lawyer handcuffed and detained during contempt proceedings, finding the allegations were unfounded.

  • August 26, 2024

    Toy Giant Playing Games With Royalties, Suit Says

    Toy maker Spin Master Ltd. is shorting a Massachusetts company on royalties it agreed to pay to use designs for a handful of big-wheeled, remote-controlled monster trucks and other vehicles, according to a state court lawsuit.

  • August 26, 2024

    Judge Won't Vacate Claim Construction In Settled Patent Case

    An Indiana federal judge has dismissed an insulation patent suit that had been running for years just before trial, but declined to vacate her prior claim construction order because it "would likely disserve the public interest" and waste the significant effort put into the case already.

  • August 23, 2024

    Abbott Judge Suggests $54M Judgment In Test Strip TM Case

    A New York federal magistrate judge has recommended that default judgments totaling more than $54 million be entered against 85 companies and individuals who didn't respond to Abbott Laboratories' nearly decade-old trademark suit over gray-market diabetes test strips, according to a report and recommendation filed Thursday.

  • August 23, 2024

    Maxell Urges Trade Commission To Bar TCL Smart TV Imports

    Maxell Ltd. urged the U.S. International Trade Commission to permanently bar TCL from importing certain smart televisions that Maxell claims infringe several of its patents, saying TCL continues to import allegedly infringing televisions despite being long aware of Maxell's patent portfolio.

  • August 23, 2024

    Del. Chief Judge Tells IP Biz Owner To Show Up, Pay $53K

    Delaware's top federal judge Friday ordered a Texas-based patent litigation business owner to appear before him to address what he called a "potential fraud on the court" and "misconduct" by the firm's counsel, adding she'll have to pay $53,000 in accrued sanctions for refusing to show up in-person since last year.

  • August 23, 2024

    TriZetto Says Infosys Swiped Healthcare Software Secrets

    Cognizant TriZetto Software Group Inc. on Friday lodged trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract claims against competitor Infosys Ltd., alleging that Infosys improperly used information about TriZetto's "closely guarded, proprietary software offerings" to develop its own competing products and services.

Expert Analysis

  • Legal Battles Show Brands' Dilemma In Luxury Resale Trend

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    Recent litigation, such as Chanel's pending case against The RealReal, underscores the intricate balance luxury brands must strike between protecting their trademarks and embracing the burgeoning secondhand market that values sustainability, says Prachi Ajmera at Michelman & Robinson.

  • AI-Generated Soundalikes Pose Right Of Publicity Issues

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    Artificial intelligence voice generators have recently proliferated, allowing users to create new voices or manipulate existing vocals with no audio engineering expertise, and although soundalikes may be permissible in certain cases, they likely violate the right of publicity of the person who is being mimicked, says Matthew Savare at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Why Jurors Balk At 'I Don't Recall' — And How To Respond

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    Jurors often react negatively to a witness who responds “I don’t remember” because they tend to hold erroneous beliefs about the nature of human memory, but attorneys can adopt a few strategies to mitigate the impact of these biases, say Steve Wood and Ava Hernández at Courtroom Sciences.

  • Beware Of Trademark Scammers Leveraging USPTO Data

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    Amid a recent uptick in fraudulent communications directed at trademark applicants, registrants must understand how to protect themselves and their brand from fraudulent schemes and solicitation, say Michael Kelber and Alexandra Maloney at Neal Gerber.

  • Series

    Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge​​​​​​​ at Robinson Bradshaw.

  • 10 Tips To Build Trust With Your Witness During Trial Prep

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    Preparing a witness for deposition or trial requires more than just legal skills — lawyers must also work to cultivate trust with the witness, using strategies ranging from wearing a hat when conducting mock cross-examination to offering them a ride to court before they testify, say Faye Paul Teller and Sara McDermott at Munger Tolles.

  • A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence

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    The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.

  • PTAB Rulings Shed Light On Quantum Computing Patents

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    Recent Patent Trial and Appeal Board decisions on enablement rejections against quantum computing patent claims provide patent practitioners with valuable guidance on best practices for avoiding and overcoming enablement, say Fred Qiu and Alex Nie at Sheppard Mullin.

  • To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef

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    To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?

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    Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.

  • Fed. Circ. Rulings Crystallize Polymorph Patent 'Obviousness'

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    A comparison of two recent Federal Circuit obviousness challenge decisions regarding polymorph patents provides helpful insight into the assessment of screening arguments, particularly the issue of reasonable expectation of success, say Michael Green and John Molenda at Steptoe.

  • 3 Infringement Defenses To Consider 10 Years Post-Nautilus

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    In the 10 years since the U.S. Supreme Court’s influential Nautilus ruling, the spirit of the “amenable to construction” test that the opinion rejected persists with many patent litigators and judges, so patent infringement defense counsel should always consider several key arguments, says John Vandenberg at Klarquist Sparkman.

  • Attys Beware 2 Commonly Overlooked NIL Contract Issues

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    As name, image and likeness deals dominate high school and collegiate sports, preserving a client's NCAA eligibility should be a top priority, so lawyers should understand the potentially damaging contract provisions they may encounter when reviewing an agreement, says Paula Nagarajan at Arnall Golden.

  • FTC Focus: Exploring The Meaning Of Orange Book Letters

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    The Federal Trade Commission recently announced an expansion of its campaign to promote competition by targeting pharmaceutical manufacturers' improper Orange Book patent listings, but there is a question of whether and how this helps generic entrants, say Colin Kass and David Munkittrick at Proskauer.

  • Trending At The PTAB: Real Party In Interest And IPR

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    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s recent Luminex v. Signify decision, finding a complaint seeking indemnification may be treated as a public demand sufficient to establish a real party-in-interest, shows that the board continues to apply a broad and expansive definition to that term, say Yicong (Eve) Du and Yieyie Yang at Finnegan.

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