Novartis Gets Win On Entresto Patent Tied To Earlier Ruling

By Adam Lidgett

A Delaware federal judge found Wednesday that MSN Pharmaceuticals Inc. infringed a patent covering Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.'s blockbuster cardiovascular drug Entresto, saying the issue has already been litigated before.

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Fed. Circ. Gives Apple New Shot At Axing Smart Mobile Patent

By Adam Lidgett

The Federal Circuit on Wednesday undid the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's finding that Apple failed to show a Smart Mobile wireless patent was invalid, saying the first claim was unpatentable and that the board needs to rethink the other challenged portions.

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Licensing Deal Saves Cisco From Lionra Suit, Fed. Circ. Says

By Theresa Schliep

The Federal Circuit rebuffed Lionra Technologies Ltd.'s efforts to save its patent infringement case against Cisco Systems Inc., with a panel finding Wednesday that a licensing agreement foreclosed the lawsuit and calling Lionra's characterization of the agreement "skewed."

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Fed. Circ. Won't Reinstate Text-Tracking Patent Case

By Elliot Weld

The Federal Circuit on Wednesday affirmed a lower court's decision declining a cellular data-tracking company's request for a new trial, rejecting the company's arguments that the district judge's claim construction had been erroneous.

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Disney Can't Dodge 'Toy Story 3' TM Claim On Remand

By Elliot Weld

A California federal judge has refused to grant Disney a partial win in a trademark infringement case brought by a stuffed animal manufacturer over the "Toy Story 3" character Lotso, ruling that the manufacturer had established a Lanham Act case against Disney before the U.S. Supreme Court considered the case.

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Litigation Funder, Former GC Reach Deal In Trade Secrets Suit

By James Mills

Litigation funder Siltstone Capital LLC and its former general counsel have reached a settlement in the company's lawsuit, alleging the GC used trade secrets to form a rival litigation funder.

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NYC Sues Dr. Phil's Son To Stop NYPD Reality Show

By Hailey Konnath

The city of New York on Wednesday sued the son of celebrity psychologist Dr. Phil in state court, claiming that he and his production company plan to air a reality television show about the New York Police Department that contains footage that would threaten the lives and safety of active police officers, witnesses and victims.

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Bill Would Require Stays On Patent Claims Against End Users

By Elliot Weld

A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives aims to mandate that a stay be implemented on claims against retailers or end users in patent infringement cases when a manufacturer steps in to defend those claims.

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Allergan Says Fed. Circ.'s Ax Of $39M Win Misread Record

By Ryan Davis

A Federal Circuit decision reversing a $39 million verdict against Sandoz in Allergan's suit accusing it of infringing an eyelash growth drug patent misunderstood the evidence and was based on an "indisputably false" premise, Allergan said in a petition for rehearing Tuesday.

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EcoFactor Can't Restore Thermostat IP Claims At Fed. Circ.

By Adam Lidgett

Smart home energy company EcoFactor on Wednesday failed to persuade the Federal Circuit to revive claims in one of its smart thermostat patents following a Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision that invalidated the claims.

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Pot Co., Rolling Paper Maker Settle 'Juicy' Trademark Suit

By Rachel Konieczny

A tobacco company and Colorado cannabis company told a federal judge that they have settled a trademark lawsuit in which the maker of Raw rolling papers had asked the court to permanently bar the cannabis company from using its product names.

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Maxim Says Playboy Ripped Off Its Modeling Contest

By Elliot Weld

Maxim has sued Playboy in Manhattan federal court for trade secret misappropriation and copyright infringement, accusing Playboy of copying Maxim's online modeling competition by using the same mechanics and architecture when launching a contest of its own.

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Tex-Mex Chain's 'Feeling' Isn't Trade Secret, NC Biz Court Told

By Hayley Fowler

A chain of upscale Tex-Mex restaurants in North Carolina failed to specify the trade secrets a former manager is accused of stealing to replicate its dining concept at another restaurant in Missouri, defense counsel told a North Carolina Business Court judge on Wednesday.

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PE Firm Used Jail Threats To Steer Cannabis Deal, Court Told

By Abigail Harrison

A private equity firm can't free itself from a contract breach spat between a CBD and hemp product manufacturer and its business partner, as the firm not only interfered with the contract but also threatened to have people thrown in jail if they refused to capitulate, a North Carolina federal court heard Wednesday.

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NC Court Throws Duke A Lifeline In Transfer Battle With QB

By Alex Lawson

A North Carolina state judge allowed Duke University quarterback Darian Mensah to enter the NCAA transfer portal Wednesday, but prohibited him from signing with another school until ruling on Duke's request for an injunction that would keep him at the university.

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Widow Of 'Sophie's Choice' Author Settles Stage Rights Spat

By Chris Villani

The 97-year-old widow of author William Styron has settled a suit by a playwright who claimed he held exclusive rights to the stage version of Styron's novel "Sophie's Choice," according to a filing in Massachusetts state court.

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Music Promoters Fight Free Music Giant's £4M Royalty Claim

By Hanna Vioque

Two music promotion companies have denied owing £4.1 million ($5.5 million) in license fees and other royalties to a royalty-free record label, arguing that the disputed deal ended in 2017 and the label had previously agreed to accept payment in installments.

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Burford Capital Hires New Korea Exec Amid Growth Push

By Ryan Boysen

Burford Capital LLC has hired a new executive to oversee its operations in South Korea as the litigation funder aims to double its portfolio to roughly $15 billion by 2030, in part by expanding its geographic footprint.

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Utilizing AI In Agriculture Requires A Strong IP Strategy

As agricultural technology companies race to deploy artificial intelligence solutions at scale, it's important to prioritize the importance of intellectual property strategy early on to avoid losing value in a fast-moving landscape, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.

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How A 1947 Tugboat Ruling May Shape Work Product In AI Era

Rapid advances in generative artificial intelligence test work-product principles first articulated in the U.S. Supreme Court’s nearly 80-year-old Hickman v. Taylor decision, as courts and ethics bodies confront whether disclosure of attorneys’ AI prompts and outputs would reveal their thought processes, say Larry Silver and Sasha Burton at Langsam Stevens.

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Ex-Baker McKenzie Atty Alleges Assault In New DC Lawsuit

By Alison Knezevich

A former Baker McKenzie associate who was sued for defamation over a series of social media posts accusing the firm's Washington, D.C., managing partner of sexual assault has brought her own lawsuit, marking the first time she publicly detailed her allegations in court records.

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Trump Calls For Prosecution Of Jack Smith Post-Hearing

By Courtney Bublé

Shortly after former special counsel Jack Smith gave his first public congressional testimony on the Trump cases, in which he warned the rule of law should not be taken for granted, President Donald Trump said he should be prosecuted.

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Goldstein Prosecutors Unveil Conflicting Cash Source Claims

By Jared Foretek

A former lawyer at SCOTUSblog founder Thomas Goldstein's firm said Thursday that Goldstein told coworkers that the more than $960,000 in cash he brought off a flight from Hong Kong — the source of which is integral to the government's case — had come from a client.

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ABA Outlines Limited Atty Duty To Give Info To Former Clients

By Lynn LaRowe

The American Bar Association said attorneys have a limited responsibility to convey information to former clients or successor counsel that was not within the client's file, when doing so is necessary to protect a client's interests and reasonably practicable, according to a new ethics opinion.

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Proposed Subpoena Rule Change Raises Victim Privacy Fears

By Brandon Lowrey

A proposal to loosen restrictions on the use of federal criminal subpoenas would endanger and further traumatize victims of crime, most of whom lack legal representation to fight the invasive demands, victims' rights advocates told a federal rules advisory committee on Thursday.

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Pa. Justices Say Judge's Partisan Posts Warrant Suspension

By Hayley Fowler

Pennsylvania's highest court has adopted a balancing test for restricting a sitting judge's free speech outside the context of an election and, in doing so, affirmed the suspension of a state court judge who it said damaged the court's appearance of impartiality by making political posts on social media.

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Brief

Courthouse News Drops Access Suit Against DC Court Clerk

By Emily Sawicki

National litigation news outlet Courthouse News Service has voluntarily and permanently dropped claims against a Washington, D.C., Superior Court clerk and the executive officer of the D.C. courts over filing delays, with both sides agreeing to pay their own costs.

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