Sonos Gets Fed. Circ. To Revive IP From $33M Google Verdict

By Dani Kass

A California federal judge wrongly invalidated claims of Sonos Inc. speaker patents after its $32.5 million jury trial win over Google LLC, the Federal Circuit said Thursday as it largely reversed the judge's holding.

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Fed. Circ. Says AI Co. Not 'Interested Party' In Bid Protest

By Madeline Lyskawa

The en banc Federal Circuit affirmed on Thursday a lower court's dismissal of Percipient.ai's protest challenging its exclusion from consideration to supply computer vision technology under a $376.4 million National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency procurement, holding that the company lacks standing.

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CBP, ITC Say Masimo Suit Over Apple Watch Ruling Misplaced

By Theresa Schliep

The U.S. International Trade Commission and U.S. Customs and Border Protection balked at Masimo's request that a D.C. federal court temporarily block a ruling allowing imports of redesigned Apple Watches despite the companies' patent dispute, saying it's seeking relief in the wrong places.

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NSO's Bid To Slash Meta's $168M Win Faces Skeptical Judge

By Bonnie Eslinger

A California federal judge appeared skeptical Thursday of NSO Group's bid to slash Meta's $168 million jury win in their spyware fight, saying she's having a "hard time" reconciling NSO's argument for $444,000 as a "substantial" award when its lawyer had called that sum "a mere pittance" at trial.

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FTC Warns Google Over Alleged Partisan Gmail Spam Filters

By Rae Ann Varona

The Federal Trade Commission Thursday warned Google that it could face an investigation and potential enforcement action if Gmail blocks emails sent from Republican senders, citing recent reporting that Google flagged GOP fundraising emails as spam.

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Roblox, Discord Accused Of Failing To Protect 11-Year-Old

By Emily Field

Roblox and Discord have been hit with yet another lawsuit alleging the online platforms aren't safe for children and that they allow predators to groom youth, with the latest complaint filed by a Michigan woman who claims she was only 11 years old when she was exploited by an adult predator.

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Apple, Comcast, Others Face Headwater Patent Suit Spree

By Elliot Weld

Headwater Research LLC has fired off a salvo of patent infringement suits in two Texas federal courts against technology giants Apple Inc., Amazon and Google, as well as wireless services and cable providers Comcast, Charter Communications Inc. and Dish Network, after winning $279 million against Samsung at trial over similar claims and $175 million from Verizon in a case that later settled.

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IP Notebook: 'Lazy Reaction' Vids, Lafufus, Proud Boys TM

By Ivan Moreno

In this round of emerging copyright and trademark issues, Law360 delves into "lazy reaction video" lawsuits from YouTube creators who accuse others of pilfering video views, and the attempt by the creator of Labubu plush dolls to get ahead of the "Lafufu" knockoff craze.

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'Still A Mess': Colo. Special Session Fails To Deliver AI Clarity

By Allison Grande

During its recently concluded special session, the Colorado Legislature extended the implementation deadline for the state's groundbreaking artificial intelligence law but failed to make any substantial changes to the legislation, leaving companies to face continued uncertainty on the scope of liability and other pressing issues.

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Low Earth Co. Urges FCC To Open Spectrum For Satellite Use

By Tom Lotshaw

Logos Space, a new low Earth orbit network, urged the Federal Communications Commission to move forward with a proposal to open spectrum bands up for more extensive satellite usage.

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Brief

USPTO Offers Streamlined Patent, TM Assignment Search Tool

By Ivan Moreno

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is upgrading its search system for patent and trademark assignment records with a web-based platform beginning next month, the agency said.

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PNC Urges Justices Not To Review Nixed USAA $218M Verdict

By Cara Salvatore

PNC Bank said the U.S. Supreme Court should not review a Federal Circuit decision erasing a $218 million patent infringement verdict for USAA, which has argued the case is essentially identical to another that resulted in an opposite ruling.

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Fed. Circ. Gives Google Another Go At Database IP Challenge

By Theresa Schliep

The Federal Circuit on Thursday revived Google's challenge to the validity of claims in a pair of patents covering database systems, faulting the Patent Trial and Appeal Board for excluding portions of Google's arguments and ordering the board to apply some of the company's claim construction on remand.

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PTAB Won't Make USPTO Give William Shatner A Patent

By Dani Kass

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has affirmed the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's conclusion that "Star Trek" star William Shatner's proposed smartphone organization system doesn't meet patent eligibility requirements.

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DOJ Right On Anti-Vax Group's AP Boycott Claims, Court Told

By Bryan Koenig

The anti-vaccine group founded by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday latched onto the arguments raised by the Justice Department backing its lawsuit alleging The Associated Press, the Washington Post, Reuters and the BBC colluded with social media platforms to censor rivals.

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ATM Network Investment Was $700M Ponzi Scheme, Suit Says

By Sydney Price

Four individuals have been hit with a proposed class action from an investment advisory firm, accusing them of using purported investments in ATM networks to run a $700 million Ponzi scheme.

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Salesforce Hit With Suit Over Alleged Breach Affecting 1M

By Zak Kostro

The personal information of more than 1 million Farmers Insurance customers was accessed by hackers who breached cloud-based software company Salesforce's databases, according to a proposed class action in California federal court.

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Telehealth Co. Faces Investor Suit Over Revenue Reversal

By Emilie Ruscoe

Telemedicine company LifeMD Inc. and two of its executives face a proposed investor class action alleging they "recklessly" raised revenue expectations for the 2025 fiscal year in May, only to lower their forecast three months later after seeing increased costs affecting the company's men's health and weight management offerings.

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Accounting Firm Sued Over Breach Of Easterseals Data

By P.J. D'Annunzio

A North Carolina-based accounting firm was hit with a class action on Thursday alleging it failed to protect personal information and health data of children, veterans and disabled people entrusted to it by Easterseals Inc.

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Common Alcohol Monitor Braces Cause Injury, Suit Says

By Zach Dupont

An Ohio man filed a lawsuit in Colorado federal court on Thursday alleging an alcohol monitoring ankle brace made by Alcohol Monitoring Systems Inc. led to him needing to go to the emergency room and ultimately missing a week of work.

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Brief

Perplexity AI Settles TM Fight Over 'Comet' Name

By Elliot Weld

Perplexity AI and software company Comet ML have settled a trademark dispute over the "comet" mark that was sparked after Perplexity launched a search engine under that name.

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'Bitcoin Infrastructure' SPAC Files Plans To Raise $200M

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Special purpose acquisition company Bitcoin Infrastructure Acquisition Corp. Ltd. has filed plans with regulators to raise up to $200 million in an initial public offering, a move that follows a pair of crypto-focused special purpose acquisition companies that began trading on Wednesday amid surging interest in digital assets.

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Deals Rumor Mill

ByteDance Buyback To Bring $330B Value, And More Rumors

By Al Barbarino

A planned employee share buyback by ByteDance could value the company at $330 billion, the Pinault family is reaching out to potential buyers for the German sports apparel brand Puma SE, and Canada Goose might be up for sale by its private equity owner Bain Capital. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable rumors from the past week.

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Rhodium Founders Defend D&O Coverage Request In Ch. 11

By Emlyn Cameron

Founders of cryptocurrency mining firm Rhodium are defending their request for leave to pursue payouts from the company's directors and officers insurance policy, saying an ad hoc group's protests fell flat since any shortfalls in coverage would primarily affect the founders and the outcome would not change based on sufficiency of the coverage.

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SK Telecom Gets Record Fine For Massive Data Breach

By Jared Foretek

SK Telecom, the largest wireless carrier in South Korea, was fined a record 134.8 billion won (about $97 million) by South Korean regulators Wednesday after a data breach leaked phone numbers and other identifiers of more than 23 million users.

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Barnes & Thornburg Adds Corporate Attys In Dallas, Nashville

By Lynn LaRowe

Barnes & Thornburg LLP has deepened its corporate bench with a partner in Nashville who joined from Polsinelli PC and a counsel in Dallas who came aboard from Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP.

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Clark Hill Adds Tafapolsky & Smith Immigration Team In SF

By James Mills

Clark Hill PLC is growing its immigration team, bringing in three Tafapolsky & Smith LLP immigration attorneys in its San Francisco office — two as members, one as a senior attorney — and adding a completely new immigration practice area in the process.

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Brief

Longtime John Hancock Counsel Joins Prince Lobel In Boston

By Adrian Cruz

Prince Lobel Tye LLP announced that a cybersecurity attorney with over 20 years of experience, including over a decade in-house at insurance company John Hancock, has joined the firm's Boston office as a partner.

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9th Circ. Qualified Immunity Ruling May Limit Phone Searches

Though the Ninth Circuit affirmed police officers’ qualified immunity claims in Olson v. County of Grant earlier this year, it also established important Fourth Amendment precedent on the use of cellphone extractions that will apply more broadly in criminal investigations and prosecutions, say attorneys at The Norton Law Firm.

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Series

Coaching Cheerleading Makes Me A Better Lawyer

At first glance, cheerleading and litigation may seem like worlds apart, but both require precision, adaptability, leadership and the ability to stay composed under pressure — all of which have sharpened how I approach my work in the emotionally complex world of mass torts and personal injury, says Rashanda Bruce at Robins Kaplan.

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Law360 Pulse Exclusive: The Billable Hour

In this package, Law360 Pulse explores the demand for rainmakers, the continued increase of hourly rates and whether artificial intelligence will finally kill the billable hour. For all Law360 readers, click to access a sample story: Why This Small-Firm Lawyer Charges $3,000 Per Hour.

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JAG Corps Sent To DC To Fill 'Critical Vacancies'

By Courtney Bublé

Military attorneys are being sent to prosecute crimes in Washington, D.C., as the Trump administration seeks to beef up prosecutions in the nation's capital as part of the federal surge of law enforcement.

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Q&A

'Be Careful,' New Mich. Chief Judge Tells Attys When Using AI

By Danielle Ferguson

Just weeks into the job, the new chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan is navigating challenges like an uptick in cases and the need for another magistrate judge, and has a word of warning for attorneys using artificial intelligence in their practice.

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Analysis

M&A Attys Hand Tasks To 'Machines' In Careful Embrace Of AI

By Al Barbarino

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a back-office tool in mergers and acquisitions legal work, but is increasingly embedded in core deal processes that help attorneys manage due diligence, draft agreements and assess risk.

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DOJ Targets BigLaw, Big Tech For Antitrust 'Gamesmanship'

By Bryan Koenig

The U.S. Department of Justice's top antitrust official singled out technology platforms and the BigLaw attorneys who represent them Friday for "gamesmanship" by hiding key information from merger and conduct investigators, and announced a special task force "to tackle abuses that arise in our investigations."

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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Kevin Penton

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP leads this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Fifth Circuit vacated a pair of Biden-era regulations aimed at bolstering transparency in the short-selling market.

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Panel Nixes Buzbee Win Against Atty Who Aided Campaign

By Madison Arnold

A Texas state appeals court has reversed a $765,000 summary judgment awarded to personal injury lawyer Tony Buzbee in a dispute with an attorney who said she was never paid for her contributions to his 2019 Houston mayoral campaign.

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GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

By Sue Reisinger

Is AI killing the billable hour — here's what general counsel need to know about how the use of artificial intelligence is affecting law firms' billing model. Anthropic has agreed to a deal to end copyright suits brought by authors who said their works were illegally used to train the company's large language model. These are some of the stories in corporate legal news you may have missed in the past week.​

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DOJ Swears In 3 New Board Of Immigration Appeals Members

By Britain Eakin

The Executive Office for Immigration Review announced Friday that three new Board of Immigration Appeals members — Sheila E. Gallow, Marcos Gemoets and Kathleen K. Volkert — were sworn in during a ceremony on Thursday.

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Colorado Law Firm Faces Class Action Over Data Breach

By Zach Dupont

A Colorado law firm was hit with a proposed class action in federal court after a Utah woman claimed that the firm didn't take ample measures to protect the personal information of more than 5,000 people, which was stolen in a data breach earlier this year.

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Scores On July Bar Exam Rise Amid Dip In Test Takers

By Tracey Read

The number of examinees passing the multistate bar exam in July continued to gain momentum, with near record highs seen this summer over the past 12 years, according to an announcement from the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

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Exclusive

'I'm Flabbergasted': Fla. Atty's Accusers Rip Bar For Inaction

By Phillip Bantz

More than a year after it began receiving complaints that a Florida lawyer was ghosting clients, the state bar has yet to take action — highlighting what experts call a slow-moving process that can fail to keep pace with expansive alleged frauds.

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Law360 Names Attys Who Moved Up The Firm Ranks In Q2

A promotion to partner or election to practice group chair means a slew of new responsibilities and also lots of well-deserved recognition. Law360 reveals the list of attorneys whose commitment to legal excellence earned them highly coveted spots in the law firm leadership ranks. Find out if your old legal friends — or rivals — moved up in the second quarter of the year.

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Hub Hires: Prince Lobel, Rubin And Rudman, Weil

By Chris Villani

The dog days of summer did little to slow the churn in the Boston legal market. Prince Lobel added a veteran cybersecurity lawyer, Rubin and Rudman made a pair of partner hires, and Weil added more attorneys from Latham.

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Roundup

UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

By Laura Stewart Liberty

This past week in London has seen Prosecco DOC Consortium bring an intellectual property claim against a distributor, the Serious Fraud Office bring a civil recovery claim against the ex-wife of a solicitor jailed over a £19.5 million fraud scheme, and law firm Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP sue its former client, the bankrupt Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

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