Intellectual Property

  • November 04, 2024

    Judge 'Sorry' Before IP Retrial: 'My Mind Has Been Elsewhere'

    A New York federal judge has apologized for not being prepared at a pretrial conference ahead of a damages retrial between lighting fixture company Lutron Electronics and the company whose window shade patent it was found to infringe, GeigTech East Bay.

  • November 04, 2024

    Boeing Agrees To End Virgin Galactic Secrets, Contract Fight

    Boeing has agreed to end a breach of contract and trade secrets lawsuit it launched against Virgin Galactic stemming from a deal for a Boeing subsidiary to develop certain aircraft used to launch commercial spaceships.

  • November 04, 2024

    Finance Cos. Can't Prove Trade Secret Theft, Conn. Court Told

    A Connecticut financial adviser denied stealing trade secrets from his former firm and improperly accessing its computer systems after he resigned to run his own company, telling a state court that his onetime employer and its affiliates cannot prove the allegations in a lawsuit they brought against him.

  • November 04, 2024

    Ericsson Settles Cell Site Patent Case On Eve Of Texas Trial

    Ericsson reached a settlement over cellular infrastructure patents on Friday, allowing Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile to avoid a looming trial in Texas federal court over their use of the technology.

  • November 04, 2024

    Patent Co. Looks To Combine Antitrust Case With Consumers

    Patent-holding company VoIP-Pal.com is asking a D.C. federal judge to consolidate, at least for pre-trial purposes, its own Wi-Fi calling antitrust suit against Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile with a proposed class action it launched making many of the same claims.

  • November 04, 2024

    Pa. Jury Finds Fastener Co.'s Ads Infringing, But Charts OK

    A Philadelphia jury has delivered a mixed verdict in an industrial fastener manufacturer's intellectual property lawsuit against its competitor, finding that Peninsula Components Inc. improperly used Penn Engineering & Manufacturing Corp.'s "PEM" trademark in its online ads, but deciding that the mark's appearance on specification comparison charts was fair use.

  • November 04, 2024

    NJ Judge Blocks Sun Pharma From Launching Hair Loss Drug

    A New Jersey federal judge has blocked for now Sun Pharmaceutical Industries from launching a product meant to treat hair loss in the U.S., handing Incyte a win in its patent infringement lawsuit against the India-based company.

  • November 04, 2024

    Boston Dynamics Sues Supplier Over Delayed Robot Parts

    Boston Dynamics says a New Hampshire company is holding millions of dollars worth of components for its industrial robots "hostage" as leverage to renegotiate its contract, according to a lawsuit filed in Massachusetts state court.

  • November 04, 2024

    Sandoz Wins $70M In Antitrust Suit Over Hypertension Drug

    A New Jersey federal court awarded Sandoz Inc. just over $70 million in damages in a case accusing biopharmaceutical firm United Therapeutics Corp. of blocking the sale of a generic version of a hypertension medication, according to a Friday order.

  • November 04, 2024

    University Of Miami Wins Trademark Feud Over 'Canes' and 'U'

    A Florida federal judge has agreed to block an online retail company from selling products that use any symbol that is similar to trademarks the University of Miami has relating to its colored "U" symbol and the school's use of the word "Canes."

  • November 04, 2024

    Justices Say Gov't Can Join Oral Arguments In $47M TM Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday it will allow Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar to participate in oral arguments in a case where the justices will consider whether a real estate development company's corporate affiliates should be responsible for a $46.6 million trademark infringement judgment, even though they were not defendants.

  • November 04, 2024

    Federal Trade Commission Atty Returns To Katten In DC

    An attorney who spent more than a decade at the Federal Trade Commission has returned to private practice at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, where he began his legal career, boosting the firm's offerings for clients as they navigate increased antitrust scrutiny and enforcement. 

  • November 04, 2024

    Justices Skip TM Challenge To BofA's Virtual Assistant 'Erica'

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review a Tenth Circuit decision that found Bank of America Corp. did not infringe a movie website owner's trademark with its virtual financial assistant "Erica."

  • November 01, 2024

    Lack Of Alcohol License Frees Co. From 'Surfside' TM Suit

    A D.C. federal judge has freed an Illinois food and beverage holdings company from a Mexican restaurant operator's trademark infringement lawsuit accusing it of distributing canned vodka beverages donning the restaurant's "Surfside" mark, saying the holdings company didn't even have a license to sell alcohol.

  • November 01, 2024

    Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

    One circuit court will hold an oral argument for the history books, with dizzying logistics and stakes surpassing almost anything on the U.S. Supreme Court's calendar. Other circuit showdowns will delve into the high court's latest opinions and flesh out fascinating feuds involving big beer brands and emerging theories of "administrative state" overreach. All that and more is making November a month of exceptional appellate intrigue.

  • November 01, 2024

    Patent Case Sent To Albright Over Qualcomm's Objections

    A federal judge in Del Rio, Texas, agreed Friday to pass along a patent lawsuit to the crowded docket of fellow Western District of Texas U.S. District Judge Alan Albright, despite objections from Qualcomm Inc. that doing so went against the purpose behind efforts to limit the Waco judge's vast and controversial patent docket.

  • November 01, 2024

    Fired Exec's Claims Cut From Aerospace Trade Secrets Case

    An aerospace company's ex-president, who alleged defamation and unlawful termination in counterclaims against his former employer in a lawsuit accusing him of stealing its trade secrets to launch a rival business, saw all his claims get dismissed Friday in New Jersey federal court.

  • November 01, 2024

    Fitbit Knocks Out Cellspin Litigation Campaign At Fed. Circ.

    Fitbit and others defeated a pair of appeals on Friday in patent litigation over ideas involving programming automatic social media posts, with the Federal Circuit ruling to reject arguments that a California federal judge should have decided patent suits differently and should have recused herself anyway because of her husband's ties to Fitbit parent Google.

  • November 01, 2024

    No New Trial For Akoustis After $39M Trade Secret Case Loss

    A federal judge has refused to give Akoustis Technologies Inc. another trial after jurors earlier this year told it to pay wireless company Qorvo Inc. nearly $38.6 million for trade secrets and infringing misappropriating acoustic wave resonator patents.

  • November 01, 2024

    Unisys Settles Trade Secrets Dispute with Ex-Execs

    Information technology firm Unisys Corp. has agreed to settle claims that two former executives swiped confidential information and trade secrets before departing to work for a competitor.

  • November 01, 2024

    IBM Settles $19.5M EDTX Case Over 'Blockchain' Software

    IBM told U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap on Friday that it has reached a settlement in principle with an Oklahoma litigation outfit that won a $19.5 million patent verdict from a federal jury in Marshall, Texas, back in September.

  • November 01, 2024

    Hip-Hop Artist Madlib Says Biz Manager Is Holding IP Hostage

    Hip-hop producer Madlib has filed suit in California state court alleging his longtime business manager has engaged in "rank self-dealing" and is now holding the artist's music and intellectual property rights hostage.

  • November 01, 2024

    Fracking Services Co. Nitro Gets OK For $3M Equipment Sale

    Oil and gas fracking services provider Nitro Fluids LLC received approval Friday for a $3.25 million sale of some of its assets to stalking-horse bidder KLX Energy Services LLC.

  • November 01, 2024

    2nd Circ. Agrees Ed Sheeran Didn't Rip Off 'Let's Get It On'

    A Second Circuit panel on Friday said Ed Sheeran's hit "Thinking Out Loud" did not rip off Marvin Gaye's Motown classic "Let's Get It On," affirming a lower court's summary judgment order that concluded the musical building blocks of Gaye's song were not original enough to be protectable.

  • November 01, 2024

    Jury To Decide Timing Issue In Insulin Patch Trade Secret Row

    A Massachusetts federal judge has refused to trim some allegations in Insulet Corp.'s suit alleging that a South Korean insulin pump patch manufacturer stole trade secrets, while finding that a jury needs to decide when the clock started to tick on a federal trade secrets claim.

Expert Analysis

  • AI Art Ruling Shows Courts' Training Data Cases Approach

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    A California federal court’s recent ruling in Andersen v. Stability AI, where the judge refused to throw out artists’ copyright infringement claims against four companies that make or distribute software that creates images from text prompts, provides insight into how courts are handling artificial intelligence training data cases, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • FTC Focus: What Access To Patent Settlements Would Mean

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    Settling parties should adopt a series of practice tips, including specifying rationales to support specific terms, as the Federal Trade Commission seeks to expand its access to settlements before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, say Shannon McGowan and David Munkittrick at Proskauer.

  • Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles

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    Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.

  • Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.

  • Takeaways From UPC's Amgen Patent Invalidity Analysis

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    The Unified Patent Court Central Division's decision in Regeneron v. Amgen to revoke a patent for lack of inventive step is particularly clear in its reasoning and highlights the risks to patentees of the new court's central revocation powers, say Jane Evenson and Caitlin Heard at CMS.

  • How Cos. Can Leverage IP In Corporate Bankruptcy

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    In light of an increase in year-to-date Chapter 11 filings, businesses must understand the importance and value of intellectual property in corporate bankruptcy and restructuring, from contributing to enterprise value, to providing leverage in negotiations and facilitating recovery, says Gregory Campanella at Ocean Tomo.

  • 5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond

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    As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.

  • Examining Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Of AI Inventions

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    In light of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office data showing that patent applications for artificial intelligence inventions are likelier to get rejected based on patent-ineligible subject matter, inventors seeking protection should be aware of the difficulties and challenges pertaining to patent eligibility, say Georgios Effraimidis at NERA and Joel Lehrer at Goodwin.

  • IP Hot Topic: The Intersection Of Trademark And Antitrust Law

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    Antitrust claims – like those in the U.S. Department of Justice’s recent case against Apple – are increasingly influencing trademark disputes and enforcement practices, demonstrating how antitrust law can dilute the power of a trademark, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • When Trauma Colors Testimony: How To Help Witnesses

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    As stress-related mental health issues continue to rise, trial attorneys must become familiar with a few key trauma-informed strategies to help witnesses get back on track — leaning in to the counselor aspect of their vocations, say Ava Hernández and Steve Wood at Courtroom Sciences.

  • Series

    Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.

  • How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'

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    Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.

  • When The Supreme Court Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade

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    Instead of grousing about the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions overturning long-standing precedents, attorneys should look to history for examples of how enterprising legal minds molded difficult decisions to their advantage, and figure out how to work with the cards they’ve been dealt, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Fed. Circ. Resolves Post-AIA Question On Prefiling Activity

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    For more than a decade, patent attorneys have worried about what the America Invents Act means for specific prefiling activities, but two recent Federal Circuit decisions suggest the enumerated prefiling activities in Section 102(a)(1) will not affect validity if done within a year of filing the application, says Howard Skaist at Berkeley Law.

  • Opinion

    Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process

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    Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.

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