Intellectual Property

  • July 24, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Rejects Challenges To PTAB's Network IP Decisions

    The Federal Circuit rejected an internet router-maker's bid to restore testimony that could have flipped two decisions at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, ruling Wednesday that the court won't revive ideas developed decades ago by a since-bankrupt tech company.

  • July 24, 2024

    Apple Foe Urges Fed. Circ. To Rethink PTAB Holding

    A Michigan professor's startup has asked the full Federal Circuit to revisit a ruling penned by U.S. District Judge Alan Albright, arguing the wrong call was made on what kind of arguments from Apple the Patent Trial and Appeal Board could field.

  • July 24, 2024

    Pictures Worth More Than Words In Croc Clog Design Fight

    A Colorado federal judge has declined to use foam shoemaker Joybees' written descriptions in rival Crocs' intellectual property suit, concluding the design of the clogs is better represented by Crocs' patent illustrations.

  • July 24, 2024

    TikTok Can't Nix Trade Secrets Row By Worker's Ex-Employer

    A California federal judge on Tuesday denied TikTok's motion to toss a trade secrets suit by Beijing Meishe relating to copyrighted source code for video editing, finding Meishe plausibly alleged it found a "striking similarity" between the two companies' object codes after one of its employees quit and joined TikTok.

  • July 24, 2024

    Carrier, Ex-Salesman Reach Deal In Trade Secrets Case

    Florida-based Carrier Corp. and one of its former salesmen reached an agreement Wednesday in the company's lawsuit alleging theft of its trade secrets, with the ex-employee promising a Connecticut federal court that he won't share protected information from his previous job and will allow searches of his electronic devices.

  • July 24, 2024

    Copyright Protections For Safety Standards Stall In US House

    The U.S. House failed to advance legislation to let the private groups that set standards for a variety of safety matters keep copyright protections when their works are incorporated by reference into laws as long as the standards are still available for free online.

  • July 24, 2024

    Patent Cap In Drug Pricing Bill Seen As Having Muted Effect

    The U.S. Senate recently passed a bill aiming to lower drug prices by limiting the number of patents that can be asserted in cases over biosimilars, but attorneys say the measure's numerous exceptions make it unlikely to have a major effect on litigation or consumer costs.

  • July 24, 2024

    McCarter & English Beats Biotech Malpractice Suit In NJ

    McCarter & English LLP defeated a New Jersey biotechnology company's legal malpractice suit this week, following a New Jersey state judge's finding that the malpractice claims should have been brought in an earlier round of litigation over unpaid legal fees.

  • July 24, 2024

    Nixon Peabody Adds Veteran GC With IP, Korean Biz Focus

    The longtime general counsel of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency's Los Angeles office has joined Nixon Peabody LLP, continuing the firm's recent growth of its intellectual property team on the West Coast.

  • July 24, 2024

    Newman Facing 2nd Suspension For 'Continuing Misconduct'

    A panel of Federal Circuit judges on Wednesday recommended U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman remain suspended for another year based on her ongoing refusal to cooperate with an investigation into her health, or even acknowledge the court's concerns.

  • July 24, 2024

    Ozy Media Ends Trade Secrets Suit After Ex-CEO's Conviction

    News startup Ozy Media has dropped its trade secrets theft suit against Buzzfeed, its former editor-in-chief Ben Smith and the media company he co-founded, Semafor Inc., about a week after Ozy and its former CEO were convicted of lying to banks and investors to secure tens of millions of dollars to fund the multimedia business.

  • July 23, 2024

    Samsung Loses Bid To Throw Out $303M Patent Verdict

    A Texas federal judge shot down Samsung's attempt to throw out a $303 million verdict over infringement of server memory patents, saying the South Korean electronics giant's arguments that Netlist's comments prejudiced it during trial fell short in a July 12 opinion that was unsealed Tuesday.

  • July 23, 2024

    Sonos Tells Fed. Circ. 100K Patents At Risk If Google Prevails

    Wireless audio brand Sonos has warned the Federal Circuit that a federal judge's decision to scrap its jury win in a $32.5 million patent case against Google means that "about 100,000 patents are vulnerable."

  • July 23, 2024

    On Limiting ITC's Power, House Republican Is 'Appalled'

    Proposals that would restrict how companies can use the U.S. International Trade Commission to go after device manufacturers met a frosty reception from at least one patent-owning Republican on Tuesday, who said he was "appalled" by one idea, and likened another suggestion to communism.

  • July 23, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Gives Netflix 2nd Chance To Challenge Broadcom IP

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board must reconsider Netflix's petitions challenging the validity of a Broadcom unit's software performance monitoring patent, the Federal Circuit held Tuesday, finding flaws in the board's refusal to invalidate claims. 

  • July 23, 2024

    The Biggest Trademark Rulings Of 2024: A Midyear Report

    The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a California attorney's arguments that registering "Trump Too Small" as a trademark constituted speech protected by the First Amendment, and a split Ninth Circuit concluded district courts have the power to cancel trademark applications during litigation. Here's a look at some of the most notable trademark decisions so far this year.

  • July 23, 2024

    Full Fed. Circ. Won't Undo TD Ameritrade's One-Word IP Win

    The full Federal Circuit on Monday denied a patent owner's en banc rehearing petition challenging a one-word ruling in favor of stockbroker TD Ameritrade in a high-stakes patent fight and effectively rejected an amicus party's legal challenge to the court's rule allowing one-word affirmance decisions.

  • July 23, 2024

    Litigation Funder Says Apple Doc Request Is 'Mere Suspicion'

    Apple Inc. is trying to make an "end run" around a California trial court by demanding that Omni Bridgeway LLC turn over documents explaining its financial interest in patent litigation against Apple based on "mere suspicion," the litigation funder has told a Delaware federal judge.

  • July 23, 2024

    Senate Dems Roll Out Bill To Codify Chevron Deference

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led a group of Democratic senators Tuesday in introducing a bill to codify the now-defunct doctrine of Chevron deference after it was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last month.

  • July 23, 2024

    Firm Says Rival's Trademark Merely 'Common Spanish Phrase'

    A Houston-based immigration law firm wants claims trimmed in a suit brought by a rival Washington state firm claiming unfair competition and trademark violation, also filing a counterclaim for declaratory judgment that calls the supposed trademark a "common Spanish phrase."

  • July 22, 2024

    Elon Musk's X Corp. Accused Of TM Infringement, Again

    Public relations firm Multiply on Monday accused Elon Musk's social media platform of ripping off its stylized "X" logo to create a substantially similar design, despite knowing Multiply already has a registered trademark, according to an infringement lawsuit in California federal court.

  • July 22, 2024

    Neo Wireless Deceived Patent Officials, Auto Giants Say

    Automakers accused of infringing Neo Wireless LLC's technology have urged a Michigan federal judge to keep alive their defense that Neo committed misconduct, arguing that the wireless company withheld information about a competitor's project that would have rendered the patents at issue obvious.

  • July 22, 2024

    USPTO Wins Dismissal Of Danish Co.'s PTSD Drug Lawsuit

    A Virginia federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office appropriately rejected drugmaker Lundbeck's request for three additional months of patent exclusivity for a PTSD drug, saying the agency could dock those days due to the impermissible gray shading of some text in the company's patent application.

  • July 22, 2024

    VidStream Can't Block X Features That Allegedly Infringe IP

    VidStream can't block X Corp. from deploying features that allegedly infringe its patent over a system for receiving and distributing user-generated video, a Texas federal judge said Monday, finding that VidStream is unable to show the alleged infringement can't be remedied through monetary damages and therefore fails to show it will be irreparably harmed.

  • July 22, 2024

    LegalForce Says Legal Finance Group Is Infringing Its Logo

    LegalForce RAPC Worldwide PC has filed a federal trademark infringement suit against Law Finance Group Inc. in the San Francisco Bay Area, accusing it of violating the firm's "LF" trademark in providing legal services.

Expert Analysis

  • The Secret Sauce For Trademarking Viral Food Products

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    Three recent high-profile trademark disputes in the food industry illustrate the importance of protecting brands early — especially for any company aiming for viral fame — and underscore the value of intent-to-use applications, say Elliot Gee and Matthew Dowd at Dowd Scheffel.

  • Chanel TM Ruling Shows Resellers Must Tread Carefully

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    The Southern District of New York's recent jury verdict in Chanel v. What Goes Around Comes Around, in which Chanel brought trademark infringement and false association claims, serves as a reminder that businesses must routinely ensure their practices are protected by the first sale and fair use doctrines, say Stephen Barrett and Gabriela Rios at Wilson Elser.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic

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    Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Fed. Circ. Ruling Shows Difficulty Of Proving Deceptive Intent

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    The Federal Circuit’s recent Freshub v. Amazon decision demonstrates how proving the deceptive intent requirement for inequitable conduct can be challenging, even when there is a five-year delay after abandonment before revival, say attorneys at BCLP.

  • The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals

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    Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.

  • Breaking Down The EPO's Revised Practice Guidelines

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    The European Patent Office's updated guidelines for examination recently took effect and include significant changes related to the priority right presumption, the concept of plausibility and artificial intelligence, providing invaluable insight on obtaining patents from the office, say lawyers at Finnegan.

  • Trending At The PTAB: Permissible New Reply Arguments

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    In the time since the Federal Circuit’s Axonics ruling, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board has allowed petitioners to raise new unpatentability grounds in response to unforeseeable claim constructions in petitions, and reiterated that a petition need not anticipate every argument that may be raised in the response, say Joseph Myles and Timothy May at Finnegan.

  • Exploring A New Era Of IP Law Amid The Rise Of Generative AI

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    Attorneys at Hogan Lovells explore the effects of generative artificial intelligence in three areas of intellectual property, recent updates and emerging trends, and its significance on the IP landscape now and moving forward.

  • 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.

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