Why Inter Partes Reviews May Be On The Rebound

Recent inter partes review data shows that rates of referrals and institution rates at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are increasing, potentially indicating, among other reasons, that patent challengers are adjusting to the USPTO's policy changes, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.

2nd Circ. EFAA Ruling Shifts Employer Litigation Strategy

In Diaz-Roa v. Hermes Law, the Second Circuit recently held that, under the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, employers can't carve out nonharassment claims and send them to arbitration, which has implications for discovery, litigation costs and resolution strategy in EFAA-covered disputes, say attorneys at Krevolin Horst.

How Senate-Passed Bill May Reshape NCAA Antitrust Liability

With the U.S. Senate's recent passage of the Protect College Sports Act, practitioners should not wait for the U.S. House of Representatives' approval to prepare for shifts in potential antitrust protections, compensation, media rights deals and conference mergers, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

5 Issues To Watch As Fed. Circ. Hears Moderna Vax IP Case

Upcoming oral arguments before the Federal Circuit in Arbutus v. Moderna will test whether patent liability protections for government contractors extend to vaccines distributed to the public, and the resolution of certain questions, such as how to define “for the government,” may be key to the outcome, say attorneys at Honigman.

6 Ways Biotechs Can Manage Double Patenting Rejection Risk

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board review panel’s recent rejection of a Sanofi application signals that biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies should now take steps to mitigate the possibility that their patents may be rejected for obviousness-type double patenting based on the existence of applications filed years later, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.

Series

Being In The Peace Corps Made Me A Better Lawyer

When I served in the Peace Corps, the people of the West African village where I was stationed helped me acclimate to my new surroundings and enabled me to develop problem-solving, teamwork and empathy skills that have bolstered my legal practice far beyond the ability to offer technical advice, says Brian Bewley at McGuireWoods.

What $5.7B Apple Verdict Reveals About Patent Risk

A California federal jury's recent $5.7 billion damages verdict against Apple exemplifies the enormous financial exposure that can occur when patent-infringing features are incorporated into many units, though the outcome is ultimately dependent on the strength of the underlying infringement, validity and damages theories, says Michael Dorfman at Barclay Damon.

5 Ways Trial Attys Can Build Mental Health Counseling Skills

Studies demonstrate that many attorneys are not equipped to respond adequately to trauma exposure, but trial lawyers can build several key skills drawn from mental health counseling into their interactions with clients and colleagues, from cognitive reappraisal to boundary setting, says Alexandra Echsner-Rasmussen at Aylstock Witkin.

How Rule 45 Update May Change Remote Trial Subpoenas

The Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure's recently recommended update to Rule 45 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure would expand trial courts’ subpoena power for remote testimony, but it would not alter the standard for authorizing remote testimony and may prompt unresolved questions for foreign witnesses, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

Protecting Trade Secrets When AI Agents Go Rogue

In light of a recent incident in which artificial intelligence agents compromised parts of Hugging Face's production systems, and the uncertain court guidance surrounding liability in such situations, companies looking to update their trade secret protections should carefully examine agents' permissions and technical limitations, says Matt Nealon at Marshall Gerstein.

Reckoning With The IP Risks Of Building Vibe-Coded Products

While artificial intelligence can now be prompted into generating potentially valuable software, developers who sell vibe-coded products must account for questions about authorship, copyrightability and their ability to control the resulting code, say attorneys at Lawgorithm Advisors.

TTAB Tribal Immunity Ruling Alters TM Strategy Risks

Following the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board's recent holding in Philip Morris v. IP Services International that tribal sovereign immunity does not bar trademark cancellation proceedings, tribes involved in trademark licensing, partnerships or acquisitions should weigh federal registration protections against exposure to full TTAB scrutiny, says Chante Westmoreland at Sheppard.

Athletes Must Consider PR Risks Surrounding IP Enforcement

NFL player Jayden Daniels' demand for Louisiana State University to cease using his name, image and likeness, and the flurry of social media memes that ensued from this incident, highlight the challenges of navigating the balance between intellectual property legal strategy and public relations, say attorneys at McAndrews Held.

What Lawyers Should Know Before Accepting Crypto Payment

As clients increasingly request to pay legal fees, retainers and escrow funds using cryptocurrency, lawyers should consider how only a handful of state bar authorities have addressed the issue with varying ethics opinions, as well as the related questions that no authority has yet answered, says attorney Felix Shipkevich.

Changing Strategies To Protect Your Autonomous AI's IP

After Insilico recently named only human inventors on a patent application for an autonomous artificial intelligence's drug discovery, companies should take concrete steps to preserve the strongest possible intellectual property protection for AI-assisted work, including documenting human contributions and strengthening trade secret controls, says Stephen Ball at Husch Blackwell.