Intellectual Property

  • July 22, 2025

    Brandt's Fruit Trees Says Farm Misuses 'Pink Lady' Apple TM

    Brandt's Fruit Trees filed a trademark infringement suit in Washington federal court Monday accusing a Yakima Valley farm of illegally using its Pink Lady apple trademark in connection with approximately 55,000 unlicensed trees that produce Lady in Red apples, in violation of their grower licensing agreement.  

  • July 22, 2025

    Engineer Cops To Stealing Missile Tracking Tech To Aid China

    An engineer who worked at a tech company admitted in California federal court to stealing trade secrets regarding nuclear missile detection used by the U.S. government after previously seeking to help the People's Republic of China with its military research, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • July 22, 2025

    IP Atty's FCA Suit Against Valeant Over Apriso Tossed Again

    A California federal judge on Tuesday again threw out an attorney's whistleblower False Claims Act suit alleging Valeant Pharmaceuticals fraudulently obtained a patent to block generic Apriso, but gave him several weeks to amend his case.

  • July 22, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Urged To Nix Motorola Fintiv Memo Withdrawal Fight

    Stellar Inc. has urged the Federal Circuit to ignore Motorola's challenge to a decision by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's acting leader that shut down its attempt to invalidate various Stellar patents at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

  • July 22, 2025

    NY Judge Backs Calif. Bioscience Co. In $15M Arbitration Row

    A New York federal judge has ruled that a California-based bioscience company can enforce an arbitration award rejecting a more than $15 million claim asserted by a Hong Kong biopharmaceutical firm, saying there is no genuine dispute since the biopharmaceutical firm failed to respond.

  • July 22, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Won't Stop Entresto Generic During Novartis Appeal

    The Federal Circuit won't stop MSN Pharmaceuticals from releasing its generic version of Novartis' blockbuster cardiovascular drug Entresto while the latter appeals a noninfringement ruling, according to a Tuesday order.

  • July 22, 2025

    Sandals Owes Longtime Ad Partner $50K In Copyright Trial

    Resort giant Sandals owes nearly $50,000 to a former, longtime, advertising partner for copyright infringement regarding 33 photos and videos, a Florida federal judge ruled Monday following a bench trial, but found that over 600 other claimed works don't qualify for damages.

  • July 22, 2025

    Fair Use Carveout Applies To Med Device Repairs, Judge Says

    A D.C. federal judge has shot down two industry groups' challenge to a rule that placed medical device diagnostic procedures and repairs under fair use copyright exceptions, saying all of their challenges under the Administrative Procedure Act were unpersuasive.

  • July 22, 2025

    Zynga PTAB Win Upheld As Fed. Circ. Finds No 'Shenanigans'

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday upheld the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's invalidation of an IGT gambling patent challenged by mobile game maker Zynga, saying the board did not engage in unlawful "shenanigans" by reviewing the patent after an earlier dispute between the parties.

  • July 22, 2025

    Judge Nixes 'Ghost' Lawyer's Suit Against Ex-Employee, Atty

    A Florida judge has tossed a lawsuit that an attorney accused of ghosting and defrauding his clients brought against his former paralegal and a legal malpractice lawyer alleging they conspired to steal his clients and trash his reputation.

  • July 22, 2025

    Maxell Seeks Boost To $112M Patent Award, Samsung Hits Back

    Maxell Ltd. has asked a Texas federal judge to enhance a $112 million jury verdict and permanently bar Samsung from infringing patents covering functions in personal electronics, while Samsung said the verdict should be thrown out as a matter of law.

  • July 22, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Won't Intervene In Pipe Liner Discovery Dispute

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday rejected German packaging company Buergofol GmbH's bid to override a South Dakota federal court's decision saying pipe liner company Omega Liner Co. Inc. can obtain certain information in discovery as part of a patent infringement suit against Omega.

  • July 22, 2025

    WTO Finds China's Anti-Suit Injunctions Violate TRIPS

    China's use of anti-suit injunctions in patent litigation violates an international intellectual property agreement, according to arbitrators at the World Trade Organization.

  • July 22, 2025

    Brandy Melville Hits Temu For 'Bait-And-Switch' Copycat Garb

    Bargain-shopping app Temu's entrance into the "ultra fast fashion" market might have been "meteoric," but that's because it rips off other brands' intellectual property to sell cheap copycat products, Brandy Melville alleges in a federal lawsuit, claiming Temu even uses the clothing brand's photographs to pull a "bait-and-switch" on shoppers.

  • July 22, 2025

    IP Notebook: Cox Piracy Appeal, Ugliest House, Keyword Feud

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to review Cox Communications Inc.'s appeal regarding the liability of internet service providers for their customers' music piracy has prompted defendants to request stays in separate intellectual property litigation until the question is resolved, but plaintiffs say that's no reason for delays.

  • July 22, 2025

    USPTO Employee Held In China Amid Visa Disclosure Dispute

    The U.S. State Department said Tuesday it is speaking with Chinese government officials about a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office employee who is being prevented from leaving the country.

  • July 22, 2025

    Ex-Mich. Players Say Ohio Ruling Can't Sink $50M NIL Suit

    Former University of Michigan football players have told the court the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference cannot use a similar case in Ohio to escape the players' antitrust suit accusing the defendants of monopolizing profits and depriving athletes of their fair share.

  • July 22, 2025

    SAP Sues Startup For IP Infringement Amid US Antitrust Suit

    German software giant SAP SE has sued a smaller rival for patent infringement in Europe's patent court, as it defends against U.S. claims that it is pushing the competitor out of the vaguely defined market for business process analysis service.

  • July 22, 2025

    4th Circ. Affirms $190M Trademark Verdict Against Vivint

    Smart home software company Vivint on Tuesday lost its appeal seeking to overturn a nearly $190 million verdict in which a North Carolina jury found it liable for deceiving customers of a rival local security company, with the Fourth Circuit finding there was enough evidence to support the award.

  • July 22, 2025

    OpenAI Scores TM Win Against Open Artificial Intelligence Co.

    A California federal judge has granted OpenAI Inc. a win in a trademark infringement case it brought against a company with a similar name, finding the other company had made misrepresentations to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

  • July 22, 2025

    Pillsbury Adds Technology IP Litigator From Goodwin

    Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP announced Monday that a former Goodwin Procter LLP technology intellectual property law partner has joined the firm's New York office.

  • July 22, 2025

    Native Groups Reject Trump's Call For Old Team Names

    Two Native American advocacy groups are condemning President Donald Trump's threat to kill a $3 billion plan for the new Washington Commanders stadium if the NFL team's former name isn't reinstated, saying Indigenous cultures are not past relics, mascots or forms of entertainment.

  • July 22, 2025

    EU Deepens Look Into Universal Music $775M Downtown Deal

    European Union antitrust enforcers kicked off an in-depth probe Tuesday into Universal Music Group's bid to buy Downtown Music Holdings, raising concerns that the $775 million transaction could give UMG access to the "commercially sensitive data of its rival record labels" held by Downtown.

  • July 21, 2025

    Intel, VLSI Clash Over Ownership Verdict Effect In Patent Fight

    VLSI Technology argued Monday that a federal jury's finding that Fortress Investment Group controls it and Finjan Holdings doesn't save Intel Corp. from a patent infringement case against the technology giant, while Intel asserted the exact opposite.

  • July 21, 2025

    Novartis Can't Block Generic Entresto Amid TM Feud Appeal

    The Third Circuit said no way to Novartis AG's attempt to block a competitor from selling a generic version of a heart failure drug while the pair duke it out in federal court over Novartis' allegations that an Indian drugmaker is infringing its trademarks.

Expert Analysis

  • Copyright Takeaways From 2 Calif. GenAI Rulings

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    Two California federal court decisions suggest that the fair use defense may protect generative artificial intelligence output, but given the ongoing war between copyright holders and AI platforms, developers should still consider taking steps to reduce legal risk, says Lincoln Essig at Knobbe Martens.

  • Opinion

    Juries Are Key In Protecting The Rule Of Law

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    Absent from the recent discourse about U.S. rule of law is the crucial role of impartial jurors in protecting the equitable administration of justice, and attorneys and judges should take affirmative steps to reverse the yearslong decline of jury trials at this critical moment, says consultant Clint Townson.

  • Opinion

    4 Former Justices Would Likely Frown On Litigation Funding

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    As courts increasingly confront cases involving hidden litigation finance contracts, the jurisprudence of four former U.S. Supreme Court justices establishes a constitutional framework that risks erosion by undisclosed financial interests, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • Brand Protection Takeaways From OpenAI Trademark Case

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    The ongoing battle between IYO and OpenAI offers critical lessons on diligent trademark enforcement and proactive risk management for startups and established players alike navigating branding in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector, say attorneys at Dykema.

  • How Attys Can Use AI To Surface Narratives In E-Discovery

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    E-discovery has reached a turning point where document review is no longer just about procedural tasks like identifying relevance and redacting privilege — rather, generative artificial intelligence tools now allow attorneys to draw connections, extract meaning and tell a coherent story, says Rose Jones at Hilgers Graben.

  • IP Due Diligence Tips For AI Assets In M&A Transactions

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    Artificial intelligence systems' integration into business operations creates new considerations for intellectual property due diligence in mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions, and implementing a practical approach to identifying AI assets can help avoid litigation and losses, say Armin Ghiam and Senna Hahn at Hunton.

  • How To Strengthen A Case By Mastering Expert Witness Prep

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    A well-prepared expert witness can bolster a case's credibility with persuasive qualifications, compelling voir dire responses and concise testimony that can withstand cross-examination, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

  • A Look At Florida's New Protected Series LLC Legislation

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    A new law in Florida enhances the flexibility of using limited liability companies as the entities of choice for most privately held businesses, moving Florida into a small group of states with reliable uniform protected series legislation for series LLCs, says Louis Conti at Holland & Knight.

  • Opinion

    New USPTO Leadership Must Address Low-Quality Patents

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    With John Squires in line to become the new director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the agency has an opportunity to refocus its mission on prioritizing quality in patent examination and taking a harsher stance against low-quality patents and patent trolls, says Jill Crosby at Engine Advocacy & Foundation.

  • Opinion

    High Court Must Overrule Outdated Patent Eligibility Doctrine

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    A certiorari petition should directly ask the U.S. Supreme Court to correct its 1972 patent decision in Gottschalk v. Benson, the critical point where patent eligibility law veered from the statutory text toward judicial policymaking, says Robert Greenspoon at Dunlap Bennett.

  • Series

    Playing The Violin Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing violin in a string quartet reminds me that flexibility, ambition, strong listening skills, thoughtful leadership and intentional collaboration are all keys to a successful legal practice, says Julie Park at MoFo.

  • DOJ Enforcement Trends To Watch In 2nd Half Of 2025

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    Recent investigations, settlements and a declination to prosecute suggest that controlling the flow of goods into and out of the country, and redressing what the administration sees as reverse discrimination, are likely to be at the forefront of the U.S. Department of Justice's enforcement agenda the rest of this year, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • The State Of AI Adoption In The Patent Field

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    The use of generative artificial intelligence in patent-related practices has lagged behind early predictions, which may be explained by a number of core concerns that organizations must address before seriously considering adoption, say attorney Michael Drapkin and leadership coach Michael Colacchio.

  • Purdue Case Could Transform Patent Obviousness Analyses

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    If accepted for review by the U.S. Supreme Court, Purdue Pharma v. Accord Healthcare — concerning whether Purdue's abuse-deterrent opioid formulation patents were invalid as obvious — could significantly shift how courts weigh secondary considerations in patent obviousness analyses, say attorneys at Lathrop.

  • 'Top Gun' And 'Together' IP Suits Spotlight Similarity Issues

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    The outcome of recent lawsuits revolving around the films "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Together" may set meaningful precedents for how courts analyze substantial similarity in creative works, say attorneys at Greenspoon Marder.

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