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Intellectual Property
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Featured
A Guide To The USPTO's Long List Of Requests For Comment
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has kept attorneys busy this year by seeking input on numerous patent issues and proposed rules. Here's a cheat sheet to the topics where feedback has been collected, from fee hikes to director reviews, and those with upcoming comment deadlines, including artificial intelligence.
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July 24, 2024
FTC Chair Wary AI Tools Can Be Used For Corporate Collusion
Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan weighed in on a host of topics during a discussion Wednesday at the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, expressing concerns about the agency's high legal bills for expert witnesses and describing AI price-setting tools as a potential loophole for collusion.
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July 24, 2024
NBA Reaches $76B, 11-Year Deal With Amazon, NBC, Disney
The National Basketball Association announced Wednesday that it has negotiated new telecast and streaming agreements with Amazon, NBCUniversal and The Walt Disney Co. collectively worth $76 billion, bringing to an end the league's long-standing partnership with TNT, which has vowed to "take appropriate action."
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July 24, 2024
Albright Stays 3D Patent Row Against Apple For PTAB Appeal
U.S. District Judge Alan D. Albright has agreed to pause a patent owner's suit accusing Apple of infringing its three-dimensional interface technology for mobile devices to let both sides appeal to the Federal Circuit the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's rulings invalidating some of the asserted patents.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
Editor's Picks
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Fed. Circ.'s Fight With Newman: A Year In Review
One year has passed since it came to light that the Federal Circuit's judges were investigating whether their colleague, U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman, was mentally competent to remain on the court. In that time, Judge Newman has garnered support from many in the patent community, but has faced a series of setbacks in her legal challenges.
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Why IP Attys Are Watching This $2B Trade Secrets Battle
A case of alleged corporate espionage involving two software companies that resulted in a $2 billion verdict has all the hallmarks of a legal thriller, and attorneys are watching the appeal closely to see how it could impact trade secrets litigation.
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Trials After PTAB Invalidity Rulings Present Tricky Issues
A recent case illustrates that Patent Trial and Appeal Board decisions finding patents invalid do not necessarily preclude a district court from holding an infringement trial on the same patents, though attorneys say such a scenario could raise some challenging issues.
Expert Analysis
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Opinion
Conception Is The Proper Test For AI-Assisted Inventions
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office should adopt the conception standard for reviewing AI-assisted inventions, and require the disclosure of artificial intelligence prompts and responses because they are material to patentability, which would then simplify the patent examiner’s invention decision, says Thomas Hamlin at Robins Kaplan.
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What High Court TM Rulings Tell Us About Free Speech
Recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings show tension between free speech and trademark law, highlighting that while political mockery is protected, established brands may be forced to adapt to evolving cultural values, says William Scott Goldman at Goldman Law Group.
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Series
Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer
When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.
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Series
After Chevron: Uncertainty In Scope Of ITC Oversight
The U.S. International Trade Commission's long-standing jurisprudence on some of the most disputed and controversial issues is likely to be reshaped by the Federal Circuit, which is no longer bound by Chevron deference in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision, say Kecia Reynolds and Madeleine Moss at Paul Hastings.
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Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity
The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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How In-House IP Counsel Can Deal With AI's Rise
Generative artificial intelligence is poised to revolutionize intellectual property law, especially for smaller and midsize enterprises, meaning IP in-house counsel need to prioritize AI implementation to navigate the coming changes, says Friedrich Laub at Diasorin.
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7th Circ. Motorola Ruling Raises Stakes Of DTSA Litigation
The Seventh Circuit’s recent ruling in Motorola v. Hytera gives plaintiffs a powerful tool to recover damages, greatly increasing the incentive to bring Defend Trade Secrets Act claims against defendants with large global sales because those sales could generate large settlements, say attorneys at MoFo.
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1 Year At The UPC: Implications For Transatlantic Disputes
In its first year, the Unified Patent Court has issued important decisions on procedures like provisional measures, but complexities remain when it comes to coordinating proceedings across jurisdictions like the U.S. due to differences in timelines and discovery practices, say attorneys at McDermott.
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Patent Ruling Shows A Minor Typo Can Lead To A Major Loss
A federal court’s recent ruling in SIPCO v. Jasco, where patent infringement claims were dismissed because of a typo made during prosecution, highlights key moments in the terminal disclaimer application process where double-checking the patent number is especially crucial, say attorneys at Mintz.
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Opinion
Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.
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Leveling Up IP Protections For Video Game Icons' Film Debuts
Video game creators venturing into new realms of entertainment that include their iconic characters, such as television and film adaptations, should take specific steps to strengthen their intellectual property rights, say Joshua Weigensberg and Parmida Enkeshafi at Pryor Cashman.
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Series
Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.
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Opinion
Proposed Terminal Disclaimers Rule Harms Colleges, Startups
Universities and startups are ill-suited to follow the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s recently proposed rule on terminal disclaimers due to their necessity of filing patent applications early prior to contacting outside entities for funds and resources, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.
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A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates
Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.
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Opinion
Cell Tech Patent Holdup Is Stalling Automaker Innovation
Courts and Congress should seek to stem anticompetitive harm caused by standard-essential patent holders squeezing automakers with unfairly high royalties for cellular connectivity technology, says Charles Haake at Alliance for Automotive Innovation.