Intellectual Property

  • April 25, 2024

    Dominican Republic, Uzbekistan No Longer On IP Watch List

    The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced Thursday it has removed the Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan from its watch list of countries with poor track records on intellectual property protection, keeping close trade partners Mexico and Canada on the roster.

  • April 25, 2024

    Patent Holder Settles Transfer Fraud Case Tied To $17M Win

    The holder of a patent on a device that prevents New York City subways from flooding on Thursday settled a case adjacent to a $17.8 million infringement feud by agreeing to accept $850,000 from an individual and two companies accused of helping siphon money away from the infringers.

  • April 25, 2024

    TikTok Wins Partial Toss Of Chinese Co.'s IP Suit

    A California federal judge has granted TikTok's motion to dismiss many intellectual property claims against it by Chinese software company Beijing Meishe Network Technology but gave the plaintiff a chance to amend some of the claims.

  • April 25, 2024

    Atty Slams Mogul's Fight For Bank Records As Waste Of Time

    An attorney struck back against an airline mogul's attempt to acquire his bank records as part of a hacking lawsuit, telling a federal court that a subpoena was invalid because it was sent under an improper bank name.

  • April 25, 2024

    Ex-Burns & Levinson Life Sciences Chair Joins Polsinelli

    Polsinelli PC announced that the former life sciences co-chair at New England firm Burns & Levinson LLP has joined its Boston office as a shareholder. 

  • April 25, 2024

    Class Counsel Seeks $31M From $93M Lipitor Settlement

    Attorneys representing a class of buyers in antitrust litigation against Pfizer over the cholesterol medication Lipitor have asked a New Jersey federal judge to approve their request for $31 million in fees after the two sides agreed to a $93 million settlement in February.

  • April 25, 2024

    Digital Health Co.'s Former GC Joins Perkins Coie In NY

    Perkins Coie LLP is bolstering its intellectual property practice, announcing Thursday that it has brought on the former general counsel and chief compliance officer of digital healthcare company Cleerly.

  • April 25, 2024

    Ohio Deer Repellent Co. Hit With Trade Secrets Suit In NJ

    A New Jersey deer repellent company claims that an Ohio company, which was formerly a licensee, is stealing trade secrets by continuing to use its proprietary techniques and procedures after the licensing agreement lapsed.

  • April 25, 2024

    Sheppard Mullin Hires Perkins Coie IP Partner In DC

    Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP has hired an intellectual property attorney from Perkins Coie LLP, who is the third patent-focused litigator to leave that firm this week.

  • April 24, 2024

    Lyft Denied $1M Fees In Patent Suit Because Of Previous Deal

    A California federal judge on Tuesday denied Lyft Inc.'s request for $1 million in attorney fees in its patent dispute against Quartz Auto Technologies LLC, saying the parties' agreement to dismiss certain claims clearly stated that each party would "bear its own costs and attorneys' fees."

  • April 24, 2024

    'Black-ish' Actress Beats Suit Alleging She Stole Spinoff Idea

    A California appeals court permanently ended on Monday a suit alleging actress Tracee Ellis Ross and producers of "Mixed-ish" stole a writer's ideas for a sitcom based on a mixed-race character growing up in the suburbs, finding there are no substantial similarities between the two shows.

  • April 24, 2024

    NC Biz Court Trims School Food Servicer's Noncompete Suit

    The North Carolina Business Court on Wednesday pared a cafeteria food provider's lawsuit alleging a former sales director absconded with confidential information to a rival business, reasoning the Tar Heel State's laws aren't applicable over alleged out-of-state conduct.

  • April 24, 2024

    Feds Want Disbarred Atty's FOIA Suit Over USPTO Docs Axed

    The federal government urged a North Carolina federal court Wednesday to toss a disbarred attorney's sprawling Freedom of Information Act lawsuit over U.S. Patent and Trademark Office documents, arguing the case is one of a dozen duplicative, meritless suits the plaintiff has filed.

  • April 24, 2024

    3 Takeaways On How AI Is Forcing Publicity Rights To Evolve

    As digital replicas of someone's voice, image or likeness become easier to create with the help of artificial intelligence, this new era of deepfakes is shining a spotlight on the nation's patchwork of right-of-publicity laws and raising questions over when Congress may act to pass a national framework.  

  • April 24, 2024

    Map Co. Objects To Recommendation Of Tossing IP Case

    A mapping company has taken issue with a recommendation by a federal magistrate judge in New York that its copyright infringement lawsuit against environmental risk assessment data company ERIS Information should be tossed.

  • April 24, 2024

    Judge Unconvinced That Barstool Sports Swiped Shop Photo

    A new copyright lawsuit against Barstool Sports may not get off the ground after a New York federal judge questioned whether the image the photographer included in her complaint is the same one the company used on its website.

  • April 24, 2024

    Sanction Bank Workers Who Hid IP Grab, Branding Firm Says

    An architectural and marketing firm has asked a Philadelphia federal judge for sanctions against two of its former employees who jumped ship for Republic Bank, saying that texts between the ex-employees show the "nadir of bad faith" about evidence destruction in their trade secrets misappropriation suit.

  • April 24, 2024

    Pegasystems Cuts $35M Deal To End Investor Suit

    Pegasystems Inc. has agreed to pay $35 million to settle a shareholder suit in Massachusetts federal court alleging the software company failed to properly disclose a rival's trade secret litigation that led to a $2 billion verdict.

  • April 24, 2024

    Under Armour Must Show Shoe Sponsor Deals In Patent Row

    Under Armour is being forced to turn over information relating to deals it has with athletes like basketball star Stephen Curry as part of a patent infringement lawsuit, but the Texas federal judge in the case limited how much the sportswear company has to provide.

  • April 24, 2024

    Reggie Bush Scores Heisman Back After Nearly 15 Years

    Nearly 15 years after being stripped of his records and awards, former University of Southern California running back and football legend Reggie Bush is getting his 2005 Heisman Trophy back, with the Heisman Trophy Trust citing "enormous changes" in the college football environment.

  • April 24, 2024

    Ex-Yukos Oil Shareholders To Auction Russian Vodka Brands

    The Benelux rights to trademarks for 18 Russian vodka brands, including Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya, will go to auction in June in the Netherlands, the former shareholders of Yukos Oil Co. said Wednesday as they sought to enforce arbitral awards now valued at $60 billion.

  • April 24, 2024

    Colo. Cooler-Maker Says License Didn't Undo Patent Rights

    A Colorado company that makes soft-sided coolers has argued a 2023 licensing agreement didn't give away its exclusive rights to some patents as a Canadian rival has claimed, arguing the deal preserved its right to enforce the patents at issue.

  • April 24, 2024

    Toy Developer, Chinese Co. Settle Robot Source Code Suit

    A Pittsburgh-based robot toy designer has settled and dismissed its dispute with a Chinese competitor over the alleged copying of the source code for a toy design acquired from a predecessor, according to federal court filings Tuesday.

  • April 23, 2024

    10th Circ. Orders Redo Of $96M Award After Top Court Ruling

    The Tenth Circuit on Tuesday ordered an Oklahoma federal court to recalculate a $96 million trademark infringement award won by a radio control maker against its European former partners after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that the Lanham Act applies only to domestic conduct in commerce.

  • April 23, 2024

    Sanctioned Patent Challenger Fights VLSI Bid To ID Members

    Patent Quality Assurance LLC, which successfully challenged a VLSI chip patent but was sanctioned by the patent office, urged a Virginia federal judge Tuesday not to make it identify the people behind the company, saying VLSI wants their names to "seek retribution against them."

Expert Analysis

  • Fed. Circ. Defines Foreign IP Damages, Raises New Questions

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    In Brumfield v. IBG, the Federal Circuit recently clarified which standard determines the extraterritoriality of the patent statute after the U.S. Supreme Court's WesternGeco decision, opening a new avenue of damages for foreign activities resulting from certain domestic activities while also creating some thorny questions, say Amol Parikh and Ian Howard at McDermott.

  • Series

    Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Teach Your Party Representative The Art Of Nonverbal Cues

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    As illustrated by recent reports about President Donald Trump’s nonverbal communication in court, jurors notice what’s happening at counsel table, which may color their perceptions of the case as a whole, so trial attorneys should teach party representatives to self-monitor their nonverbal behaviors, says Clint Townson at Townson Consulting.

  • Fintiv Denials Are On The Rise At PTAB

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    Following last year's CommScope v. Dali decision, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board is increasingly using Fintiv factors to discretionarily deny inter partes review petitions — and attorneys ignore it at their peril, say Josepher Li and Michelle Armond at Armond Wilson.

  • 4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy

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    With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.

  • What Law Firms Should Know Amid Rise In DQ Motions

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    As disqualification motions proliferate, law firms need to be aware of the types of conflicts that most often lead to disqualification, the types of attorneys who may be affected and how to reduce their exposure to these motions, says Matthew Henderson at Hinshaw.

  • What Have We Learned In The Year Since Warhol?

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    In the almost year since the U.S. Supreme Court decided Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith, which was widely seen as potentially chilling to creative endeavors, seven subsequent decisions — while illuminating to some extent — do not indicate any trend toward a radical departure from prior precedents in fair use cases, says ​​​​​​​Jose Sariego at Bilzin Sumberg.

  • Practical Pointers After Fed. Circ. Double-Patenting Decision

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    With the Federal Circuit recently denying a full court review of In re: Cellect, a decision regarding obviousness-type double-patenting, affected patent family holders should evaluate their rights through both patent prosecution and future litigation lenses to minimize risks, say Austin Lorch and Jeff Wolfson at Haynes Boone.

  • Clemson's ACC Exit Fee Suit May Have Major Consequences

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    Clemson University's recent suit in South Carolina state court against the Atlantic Coast Conference, which challenges the ACC's $140 million exit fee and its ownership of member schools' media rights, would likely have enormous ramifications for ACC members in the event of a definitive court ruling, say William Sullivan and Alex Anderson at Pillsbury.

  • How Duty Of Candor Figures In USPTO AI Ethics Guidance

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    The duty of candor and good faith is an important part of the artificial intelligence ethics guidance issued last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and serious consequences can visit patent and trademark applicants who violate that duty, not just their attorneys and agents, says Michael Cicero at Taylor English.

  • Patent Lessons From 8 Federal Circuit Reversals In March

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    A number of Federal Circuit patent decisions last month reversed or vacated underlying rulings, providing guidance regarding the definiteness of a claim that include multiple limitations of different scopes, the importance of adequate jury instruction, the proper scope of the precedent, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.

  • Tenn. Law Protecting Artists From AI Raises Novel Issues

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    Tennessee recently enacted a law that extends the right of publicity protection to individuals' voices in an attempt to control the proliferation of artificial intelligence in the music industry, presenting fascinating questions about the First Amendment, the fair use doctrine and more, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • A Look At Ex Parte Seizures 8 Years Post-DTSA

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    In the eight years since the Defend Trade Secrets Act was enacted, not much has changed for jurisprudence on ex parte seizures, but a few seminal rulings show that there still isn’t a bright line on what qualifies as extraordinary circumstances warranting a seizure, say attorneys at Finnegan.

  • Series

    Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.

  • 10 Years After Alice, Predictability Debate Lingers

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    A decade after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Alice ruling, critics continue to argue that the subject matter eligibility framework it established yields inconsistent results, but that contention is disproved by affirmance data from the Federal Circuit, district courts and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, say Dennis Abdelnour and David Thomas at Honigman.

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