Intellectual Property

  • April 04, 2024

    Microsoft Unit Gets Fed. Circ. Alice Win On Imaging Patents

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday gave a win to a software company acquired by Microsoft for nearly $20 billion, affirming a decision that claims in four medical imaging patents it was accused of infringing are invalid for claiming only an abstract idea.

  • April 04, 2024

    Divided PTAB Invalidates RFID Claim It Previously Upheld

    A Patent Trial and Appeal Board panel has invalidated part of an AmaTech Group Ltd. smart card patent on rehearing, finding fault in its earlier decision to uphold the claim across two opinions and a dissent. 

  • April 04, 2024

    Coder's Late Expert Report Sank IP Suit, 6th Circ. Rules

    A panel of the Sixth Circuit has refused to revive an industrial control system designer's claims that a former business partner infringed his and his business's copyrighted software, backing a Michigan federal court's decision to exclude a critical expert witness.

  • April 04, 2024

    Ex-BigLaw Atty's Defamation Injunction Bid Meets Skepticism

    The Florida federal judge overseeing a $150 million defamation case between an ex-Greenberg Traurig LLP partner and a social media personality accused of mounting a harassment campaign against him declined, for now, to issue an injunction against alleged cyberstalking and indicated the petition may be better suited for state court.

  • April 04, 2024

    MLS Resolves Copyright Suit Over Use Of San Diego Mural

    Major League Soccer has reached an undisclosed settlement with a company that accused the league's newest soccer club in San Diego of using one of its outdoor murals there to promote the team.

  • April 03, 2024

    Dell Unit Snags $4M In Atty Fees In Computer Module IP Spat

    A Massachusetts federal judge has awarded a little over $4 million in attorney fees to Dell Inc. unit EMC Corp. following its win in decadelong litigation accusing it of infringing nearly a dozen computer module patents, according to a decision unsealed Tuesday.

  • April 03, 2024

    Microsoft Notches Fed. Circ. Win In 3D Imaging Patent Fight

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday backed a ruling from an administrative tribunal that wiped out most of a patent issued to a Florida radiologist and his ex-Lockheed Martin business partner, whose company is suing Microsoft over its line of HoloLens AR headsets.

  • April 03, 2024

    Winning Foreign Patent Damages Just Became A Lighter Lift

    The Federal Circuit has clarified that patent owners can ask for reasonable royalties when pursuing damages for foreign infringement and expanded what constitutes eligible infringement in those instances, a ruling attorneys say should make it easier to recover damages from abroad.

  • April 03, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Wrestles With Crocs' 'Patented' Claim In False Ad Suit

    Efforts by footwear brand Crocs to fight allegations that its use of the word "patented" broke false advertising laws drew confusion from a Federal Circuit panel on Wednesday, spurring one judge to remark that "there's nothing novel" about the material used to make Crocs' shoes.

  • April 03, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Gets Lost In Intricacies Of Standing In Patent Law

    The Federal Circuit was thrown for a loop Wednesday in a case that asked whether the holder of an exclusive patent license could sue for infringement another company that could have acquired a license for the same patent by other means, with one judge calling the court's case law on the matter "very muddled."

  • April 03, 2024

    VLSI's Bid To Undo Intel Patent Win Is Scrutinized On Appeal

    A Federal Circuit panel on Wednesday questioned VLSI's position that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board wrongly found claims of its computer memory patent invalid in a challenge by Intel, suggesting that a previous ruling may have foreclosed VLSI's argument.

  • April 03, 2024

    Hytera's Word Alone Won't Lift $1M-Per-Day Sanctions

    An Illinois federal judge on Wednesday refused to lift a $1 million-a-day fine and other contempt sanctions against Hytera Communications without more proof it was out of options to derail Chinese litigation Hytera started against Motorola Solutions, saying she could no longer take the company's representations at face value.

  • April 03, 2024

    Models Get $95K Default Win In Strip Club Piracy Suit

    A Washington federal judge ordered a Seattle strip club to pay a group of professional models $95,000 in damages on Wednesday, after finding it had engaged in "amateur piracy" by using their photos without permission and failed to defend itself.

  • April 03, 2024

    Sen. Durbin Urged To Pass Legislation To Curb Judge Shopping

    A coalition of more than 20 organizations have called on Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to curtail the use of judge shopping through legislation and oversight because they believe more is needed beyond the Judicial Conference of the United States' latest action to curb "right wing" influence over the courts. 

  • April 03, 2024

    TikTok Defeats Video Tech Patent Suit Over 'For You' Feature

    TikTok Inc. permanently defeated video technology developer 10Tales' infringement suit alleging the video-sharing giant's "For You" feature copied its invention covering a digital "recommendation system" presenting customized content relevant to users based on their social network information for advertising, after a California federal judge said Tuesday the concept was abstract and not inventive.

  • April 03, 2024

    Reba McEntire's Ex-Hubby Loses Bid To Cancel Farm Name TM

    The ex-husband of country star Reba McEntire has lost a bid to cancel the trademark "Starstruck Farm" after the man who bought the property kept the name, with a Tennessee federal judge finding that McEntire's former husband, Narvel Blackstock, has not met his burden regarding likelihood of confusion or bad faith to profit off the name.

  • April 03, 2024

    1-800-Flowers Seeks $4.3M In Fees After Rival's IP Suit Failed

    After dispatching a trademark infringement lawsuit from Edible Arrangements last month, rival retailer 1-800-Flowers.com told a Georgia federal judge on Tuesday it should be entitled to up to $4.3 million attorney fees for being forced to defend against the "anemic" and "oppressive" litigation.

  • April 03, 2024

    Mintz Adds Trademark Pro From Winston & Strawn In Calif.

    Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC has hired an attorney for its intellectual property practice group who worked for more than a decade at Winston & Strawn LLP and spent brief in-house stints at Nike and video game company Capcom.

  • April 02, 2024

    Bong Maker Says Texas Company Is Ripping Off Its Trademark

    A California-based bong maker says a Texas company used its registered trademarks on phony water pipes, telling a federal court Monday that the counterfeit marks leave customers confused and are causing the brand's reputation to go up in smoke.

  • April 02, 2024

    Podcast Agrees To Ax AI-Generated George Carlin Special

    The makers of Dudesy, a comedy podcast created and written by artificial intelligence, have agreed to take down a fake comedy special that "resurrected" George Carlin and to refrain from using the late comedian's image, voice and likeness without permission, Carlin's estate told a California federal judge Tuesday.

  • April 02, 2024

    USPTO Stands By Proposal To Increase Many Patent Fees

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office released a proposal Tuesday to increase many patent-related fees beginning next year, standing by planned hikes related to requesting continued examination, design patents and post-grant challenges that have drawn concern.

  • April 02, 2024

    'This Just Has To Stop': Judge Hits Hytera With $1M Daily Fine

    An Illinois federal judge imposed a daily $1 million fine and other steep contempt sanctions against Hytera Communications on Tuesday, as she ripped the company for violating her order to refrain from participating in Chinese litigation that could undermine Motorola Solutions' $530 million mobile radio trade secrets trial win.

  • April 02, 2024

    Judge Notes There's No 'Jump To Conclusions' Mat In His Court

    In throwing out a lawsuit against a luxury car brand, a Delaware federal judge likened an expert report proffered by a patent litigation outfit to the absurd "Jump To Conclusions" mat from the 1999 movie "Office Space."

  • April 02, 2024

    Lupin Scores Win In Rosacea Patent Fight With Galderma

    A judge has found that Galderma failed on its allegations that Lupin infringed a pair of its patents that cover a rosacea drug, saying "Galderma has a theory but no proof."

  • April 02, 2024

    Frat That Allows Women Barred From Using 'Sigma Phi' Name

    A federal judge in Detroit says that a University of Michigan fraternity is breaking the law by continuing to use the Sigma Phi name after the national fraternity excommunicated the group for accepting women.

Expert Analysis

  • UPC Decision Highlights Key Security Costs Questions

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    While the Unified Patent Court recently ordered NanoString to pay €300,000 as security for Harvard's legal costs in a revocation action dispute, the decision highlights that the outcome of a security for costs application will be highly fact-dependent and that respondents should prepare to set out their financial position in detail, says Tom Brazier at EIP.

  • Managing ANDA Venue Issues As Del. And NJ Filings Rise

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    Delaware and New Jersey have prevailed as the primary forum for pharmaceutical litigation as more generic companies file abbreviated new drug applications, but this venue scheme presents traps for the unwary, and legislation may still be necessary to ensure fairness and predictability, say Timothy Cook and Kevin Yurkerwich at WilmerHale.

  • Series

    Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance

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    Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories

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    The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.

  • The Fed. Circ. In Nov.: Factual Support And Appellate Standing

    The Federal Circuit's recent Allgenesis Biotherapeutics v. Cloud Break Therapeutics decision shows that appellate standing requires specific factual support, underscoring the necessary requirements for a patent challenger in an appeal from an inter partes review at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, say Jeremiah Helm and Sean Murray at Knobbe Martens.

  • How Color Psychology Can Help Tell Your Trial Narrative

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    Research shows that color is a powerful sensory input that affects memory and perception, so attorneys should understand how, when and why to use certain shades in trial graphics to enhance their narrative and draw jurors’ focus, says Adam Bloomberg at IMS Consulting.

  • A Comparison Of Patent Dispute Resolution In US And China

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    As the U.S. and China are the two most significant arenas for patent disputes, multinational corporations must be able to navigate their patent dispute systems, which differ in speed, cost and potential damage awards, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • New Legal Frameworks Are Instrumental For AI In Music

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    As artificial intelligence encroaches — or complements — the deeply human art of music making, creating harmony between law and technology will require all stakeholders in the music industry to provide input on intellectual property and ethical concerns, say Ariela Benchlouch and Gai Sher at Greenspoon Marder.

  • IP Suits Over Brand Owner Font Use Offer Cautionary Tales

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    Dyan Finguerra-DuCharme and Mallory Chandler at Pryor Cashman consider the history of fonts and point to recent court decisions that show how brand owners can avoid legal typeface troubles.

  • Copyright Ruling A Victory For Innovation In Publishing Sector

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    The D.C. Circuit’s recent ruling in Valancourt v. Garland shows that demanding book copies without paying for them is arguably property theft, proving that the practice stifles innovation in the publishing industry by disincentivizing small printing companies from entering the market due to a fear of high costs and outdated government regulations, says Zvi Rosen at Southern Illinois University School of Law.

  • 3 Rulings Illustrate Infringement Hurdles For Hip-Hop Plaintiffs

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    Three district court decisions dismissing hip-hop copyright claims recently came down in quick succession, indicating that plaintiffs face significant hurdles when they premise claims on the use of words, phrases and themes that are common in the genre, say Benjamin Halperin and Shiara Robinson at Cowan DeBaets.

  • Rethinking Tech Contract Terms For Governance Of AI Use

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    Traditional considerations in technology deals are often inadequate for governing artificial intelligence use, which means lawyers should revisit and reimagine existing terms across the full spectrum of relevant contracts, ranging from procurement agreements and data licenses to customer agreements, say Marina Aronchik and Samuel Hartman at Mayer Brown.

  • Deploying Analogies To Explore AI Copyright Questions

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    Xin Shao at F. Chau & Associates translates two representative artificial intelligence copyright cases into more traditional copyright law scenarios to facilitate the direct application of legal theories to undisputed technological facts.

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