Intellectual Property

  • August 06, 2024

    Tech Giants' Fight To Ax Fintiv Rule Returns To Fed. Circ.

    Apple and three other major technology companies have again asked the Federal Circuit to abolish a rule allowing the Patent Trial and Appeal Board to refuse to review patents based on related litigation in court, saying it is unlawful because it was implemented without formal rulemaking.

  • August 06, 2024

    Military Part Supplier Says Competitors Stole Equipment, Info

    A machining manufacturer that supplies parts for military aircraft said in a complaint filed in Michigan federal court on Monday that some of its former workers used their access to steal confidential information and equipment to start competing businesses.

  • August 06, 2024

    Music Licensor Settles Disco Song Row With Detroit Eatery

    Music licensor Broadcast Music Inc. and two other major recording companies have settled a copyright infringement lawsuit against a Detroit restaurant, resolving claims of unauthorized performances of three popular disco songs.

  • August 06, 2024

    Harvard Says Samsung Chips Infringe Chemical Patents

    Harvard University's president and fellows sued Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and multiple affiliated entities in the Eastern District of Texas, claiming that the production process for some of its microprocessors and memory chips infringe two patents on chemical layering assigned to the school.

  • August 06, 2024

    Subway, Chick-Fil-A Ink Deals In Mystery Shopper IP Suit

    Subway and Chick-Fil-A Inc. have entered agreements with Fall Line Patents LLC to resolve the patent company's claims that they infringed its data management patent with their respective mobile apps, according to a pair of joint filings with the Eastern District of Texas.

  • August 06, 2024

    Penn Says BioNTech Owes Royalties For COVID-19 Vax

    BioNTech was hit with a breach of contract suit Monday in Pennsylvania federal court by the University of Pennsylvania over alleged unpaid royalties on global net sales of its blockbuster COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty, which was developed using the school's crucial messenger RNA patents and has made more than $75 billion.

  • August 06, 2024

    Jones Day Slams Ex-Client's Bid To Exit $2M Fee Fight

    Jones Day wants to prevent former client Soverain Software LLC from exiting a decade-long spat over $2 million in unpaid legal fees, telling an Illinois state court that Soverain's bid to bring the litigation to a close "is a house of cards that collapses with the slightest breeze."

  • August 06, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Knocks Out Scottish Search Co.'s Patent Case

    A Scottish tech company failed to breathe new life into patents that cover supposed advances in reverse image searching on the internet when the Federal Circuit on Tuesday ended its suit against a different, more successful rival.

  • August 06, 2024

    DC Circ. Rules Russia Is Immune From Suit Over Jewish Texts

    The D.C. Circuit ruled Tuesday that the federal court never had jurisdiction over a Jewish group's decades-old allegations that Russia is illegally holding on to its long-lost sacred texts, finding that the country has sovereign immunity and voiding nearly $200 million in fines levied against Russia.

  • August 06, 2024

    Lowe's Must Face Retail Logistics Co.'s Software IP Suit

    Lowe's Home Centers LLC lost its bid to dismiss a retail logistics company's claims it ripped off a merchandise return management software and breached its contract with that software's manufacturer, with a North Carolina federal judge declining to fully toss any of the claims but flagging that some contradicted each other.

  • August 05, 2024

    No Atty Fees For Either Side After $8K Copyright Verdict

    A Washington federal judge refused Monday to grant plaintiff Enterprise Management's request for over $920,000 in fees after winning an $8,000 copyright verdict, finding that although it was the prevailing party, it "filed meritless claims, knowingly pursued baseless claims, and sought settlement amounts that exceeded the value of this case."

  • August 05, 2024

    $96M Award Cut To $34M After Justices' Lanham Act Ruling

    An Oklahoma federal judge on Monday reduced a $96 million trademark infringement award that went to the U.S. Supreme Court to about $34.4 million after justices concluded last year the Lanham Act applies only to domestic conduct in commerce.

  • August 05, 2024

    30 Wig Cos. Targeted At ITC In Patent Suit By JBS Hair

    A small Georgia company that calls itself "a leading innovator in the synthetic and human hair industry" is going to the U.S. International Trade Commission to complain about some 30 rivals it says are importing patent-infringing synthetic wigs, including one that was promoted by actress Vivica Fox.

  • August 05, 2024

    Inari Agriculture Can't Sink Patent Case Over Corn Seed

    A legal fight between a DowDuPont spinoff and a Massachusetts plant breeding startup over the exporting of patent-protected corn seed will continue to grow in Delaware federal court, unimpeded by DuPont researchers' decision to publicly deposit their seeds. 

  • August 05, 2024

    Fanatics Wants Disputed Deal With Cardinals Rookie Sealed

    Seeking to protect "sensitive, nonpublic commercial information" about its breach of contract suit against NFL rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., Fanatics asked a New York state court Monday to seal all unredacted parts of the complaint and of several related filings, including Harrison's motion to dismiss the suit.

  • August 05, 2024

    Full Fed. Circ. Won't Eye Ruling Clarifying Foreign Damages

    The full Federal Circuit declined Monday to review a decision that clarified how to apply a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on foreign damages in patent cases while rejecting Trading Technologies' bid to increase a $6.6 million verdict it won against IBG LLC.

  • August 05, 2024

    Music, Movie Orgs. Address Deepfake Proposals

    Representatives from the music, movie and video game industries were among the speakers Monday at a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office roundtable regarding what legislation may be needed to address the explosion of deepfakes created with the growing power of artificial intelligence.

  • August 05, 2024

    Google, OpenAI Accused Of Using YouTube Videos To Train AI

    A California man has hit Google and OpenAI with separate proposed class actions in federal court accusing the companies of unlawfully transcribing YouTube videos and using them to train their large language model artificial intelligence products without the permission of the people who uploaded those videos.

  • August 05, 2024

    Pegasystems Slams Appian's 'Animus' After $2B Verdict Axed

    Business software maker Pegasystems says rival Appian's "animus" is behind a series of what it says are irrelevant, premature and burdensome discovery requests, after a Virginia appeals court vacated a $2 billion trade secrets judgment against Pegasystems.

  • August 05, 2024

    J&J, Generics Spar In Remand On Schizophrenia Drug Patent

    Following a Federal Circuit ruling that gave generics makers Teva and Viatris a new shot at trying to invalidate the last remaining patent on Johnson & Johnson's blockbuster schizophrenia drug Invega Sustenna, the parties are sparring over the impact of the appeals court's decision.

  • August 05, 2024

    Mattel Beats $46M Contract Suit Over Reality Show Idea

    A California jury has entered a verdict for Mattel Inc. in a $46 million contract suit brought against it by the company of "Lone Survivor" producer Norton Herrick alleging that the toy-maker stole its idea for a reality show in which inventors pitch toys to child judges, concluding there was no contract breach.

  • August 05, 2024

    Musk Accuses OpenAI Of Fraud, RICO Over Business Model

    Elon Musk on Monday accused OpenAI Inc. and its leaders of violating several laws related to fraud, conspiracy, contract violations and false advertising by claiming he was wrongly told the company would remain a nonprofit, in a suit filed in California federal court.

  • August 05, 2024

    Kirkland & Ellis Adds Ex-Prosecutor As IP Partner In Calif.

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP has bolstered its intellectual property litigation capabilities in its Bay Area office with the addition of a seasoned senior federal prosecutor, who has experience with high-profile cases like that of the attempted kidnapping of then-Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and the attack on her husband.

  • August 02, 2024

    Judge Knocks Stuffing Out Of Build-A-Bear's Missouri IP Suit

    A Missouri federal judge on Friday tossed Build-A-Bear Workshop's lawsuit seeking a declaration that its new Skoosherz stuffed toy line doesn't infringe trade dress rights claimed by Kelly Toys' popular Squishmallows, finding that the Missouri court doesn't have jurisdiction over the IP dispute, which is also being litigated in California.

  • August 02, 2024

    Boeing Wins Trim Of Rival Engineering Co.'s IP Case, For Now

    A Washington federal judge has significantly trimmed an aerospace engineering firm's suit accusing Boeing of stealing patented technology, agreeing with Boeing that many of the claims are inadequate to proceed at this stage, but giving the firm the opportunity to amend them.

Expert Analysis

  • How To Use Exhibits Strategically Throughout Your Case

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    Exhibits, and documents in particular, are the lifeblood of legal advocacy, so attorneys must understand how to wield them effectively throughout different stages of a case to help build strategy, elevate witness preparation and effectively persuade the fact-finders, say Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie and Colorado prosecutor Adam Kendall.

  • Tips For Companies Tapping Into Commercial Cleantech

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    A recent report from the European Patent Office and European Investment Bank examining the global financing and commercialization of cleantech innovation necessary for the green energy transition can help companies understand and solve the issues in developing and implementing the full potential of cleantech, says Eleanor Maciver at Mewburn Ellis.

  • Opinion

    USPTO's Proposed Disclaimer Rule Would Harm Inventors

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    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s recently proposed rule on terminal disclaimers will make the patent system less available to inventors and will unfairly favor defendants in litigation, say Stephen Schreiner at Carmichael IP and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.

  • Series

    Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.

  • 15 Quick Tips For Uncovering And Mitigating Juror Biases

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    As highlighted by the recent jury selection process in the criminal hush money trial against former President Donald Trump, juror bias presents formidable challenges for defendants, and attorneys must employ proactive strategies — both new and old — to blunt its impact, say Monica Delgado and Jonathan Harris at Harris St. Laurent.

  • Tips For Keeping Trade Secrets In The Vault

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    Key practices aimed at maintaining confidentiality can help companies establish trade secret status as the Federal Trade Commission's ban on noncompetes makes it prudent to explore other security measures, says John Baranello at Moses & Singer.

  • Reducing Patent Litigation Costs Starts With Early Strategy

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    With the average cost ranging from $1 million to $4 million, defending a patent case can create a serious strain on resources, particularly for midsize or smaller companies, so certain cost-cutting steps should be considered at the outset — even if some seem counterintuitive, say Jeffrey Ahdoot and Wendy Verlander at Verlander.

  • Legal Issues To Watch As Deepfake Voices Proliferate

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    With increasingly sophisticated and accessible voice-cloning technology raising social, ethical and legal questions, particularly in the entertainment industry and politics, further legislative intervention and court proceedings seem very likely, say Shruti Chopra and Paul Joseph at Linklaters.

  • Opinion

    'Natural Person' Or Not, AI-Made IP Deserves Protection

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    The entire legal edifice rests on a determination that an artificial system is not a so-called natural person, and although this may appear to be straightforward on its face, rapid advances in technology may soon force us to revisit our understanding of a natural person, says Manav Das at McDonnell Boehnen.

  • Lessons On Challenging Class Plaintiffs' Expert Testimony

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    In class actions seeking damages, plaintiffs are increasingly using expert opinions to establish predominance, but several recent rulings from California federal courts shed light on how defendants can respond, say Jennifer Romano and Raija Horstman at Crowell & Moring.

  • Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance

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    A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.

  • Businesses Should Take Their AI Contracts Off Auto-Renew

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    When subscribing to artificial intelligence tools — or to any technology in a highly competitive and legally thorny market — companies should push back on automatic renewal contract clauses for reasons including litigation and regulatory risk, and competition, says Chris Wlach at Huge Inc.

  • Del. IP Ruling May Mark Limitation-By-Limitation Analysis Shift

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    A Delaware federal court's recent ruling in Lindis Biotech v. Amgen, which involved complex technology where the complaint contained neither facts nor a specific allegation directed to a claim limitation, might spark a shift away from requiring a limitation-by-limitation analysis, say Ted Mathias and Ian Swan at Axinn.

  • Trump Hush Money Case Offers Master Class In Trial Strategy

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    The New York criminal hush money trial of former President Donald Trump typifies some of the greatest challenges that lawyers face in crafting persuasive presentations, providing lessons on how to handle bad facts, craft a simple story that withstands attack, and cross-examine with that story in mind, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Cell Therapy Cos. Must Beware Limits Of Patent Safe Harbors

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    Though developers of gene and cell therapy products commonly assume that a legal safe harbor protects them from patent infringement suits, recent case law shows that not all preapproval uses of patented technology are necessarily protected, say Natasha Daughtrey and Joshua Weinger at Goodwin.

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