Intellectual Property

  • September 27, 2024

    NRA, RNC Dropped From Isaac Hayes' IP Suit Against Trump

    The estate of legendary soul singer Isaac Hayes agreed Friday to voluntarily dismiss three defendants from a copyright complaint alleging former President Donald Trump has been playing the Hayes-penned song "Hold On, I'm Comin'" at campaign events without permission.

  • September 27, 2024

    Why Many Drugs Remain Pricey 40 Years After Hatch-Waxman

    In the four decades since Congress passed the Hatch-Waxman Act in an effort to make generic drugs more available, the pharmaceutical industry has used patent thickets, "evergreening" and pay-for-delay tactics to block competition and keep prices of life-saving specialty drugs astronomical, several legal experts told Law360, while the industry argues other parties shoulder more of the blame.

  • September 27, 2024

    Waco Jury Hits ASUSTeK With $22M Patent Verdict

    A Texas federal jury hit Taiwanese computer manufacturer ASUSTeK Computer Inc. with a $22 million judgment on Thursday for infringing patents for a film that redirects natural daylight owned by SVV Technology Innovations Inc., which had asked jurors for nearly $59 million.

  • September 27, 2024

    Pharma Co. Amarin Beats Class Action Over Patent Issues

    A New Jersey federal judge has tossed a proposed class action suit against pharmaceutical company Amarin and its top brass, alleging they misled shareholders about their products and the prospects of related patent litigation, saying the investors have failed to plead any actionable misleading statements or omissions made by the defendants.

  • September 27, 2024

    Tattoo Artist's $3,750 Award Scrapped In Video Game IP Row

    An Illinois federal judge scrapped a $3,750 damages award for a former tattoo artist who sued World Wrestling Entertainment and two video game companies for depicting her tattoos on a wrestler without permission, saying the jury's award was based on undue speculation.

  • September 27, 2024

    Amazon Hit With $30.5M Verdict In Delaware Patent Trial

    A Delaware federal jury decided Friday that Amazon Web Services infringed two computer network patents that were once owned by Boeing, and told the tech giant to pay $30.5 million in damages.

  • September 27, 2024

    Off The Bench: College Sports Dominates Legal Landscape

    In this week's Off The Bench, the NCAA and the athletes in the big name, image and likeness settlement try to redo the terms to satisfy the overseeing judge, Reggie Bush says his image has been exploited by his alma mater and the NCAA for years, and the Pac-12 claims that it's being strong-armed by a rival conference for coaxing away its teams.

  • September 27, 2024

    Super Babies Cancel DC Comics, Marvel's 'Super Hero' TM

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has canceled DC Comics and Marvel Characters Inc.'s jointly owned trademarks for "super hero" and variations of the term after a U.K.-based business that creates stories of super hero babies argued the term is generic and has been abandoned by DC Comics and Marvel.

  • September 27, 2024

    Valve Corp. May Continue Wash. 'Patent Troll' Claims

    Video game patent holder Leigh Rothschild, his company Rothschild Broadcast Distribution Systems LLC and his legal team from Meyler Legal PLLC cannot escape a federal suit alleging they violated the state of Washington's anti-troll laws in pursuing bogus patent claims against video game maker and online game store operator Valve Corp.

  • September 27, 2024

    Nike's Conduct In TM Battle Warrants Atty Fees, Report Says

    Sportswear giant Nike Inc.'s behavior and threats against a Pennsylvania apparel company during a trademark dispute are severe enough to support ordering Nike to pay attorney fees, a special master has said.

  • September 27, 2024

    Nixon Peabody Bolsters IP Team With Deputy Chief, Laterals

    Nixon Peabody LLP has bolstered its intellectual property practice with the appointment of a deputy leader and two recent hires, continuing the firm's investments in that team. 

  • September 27, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen Coca-Cola bring a trademark infringement claim against its former marketing director, Glencore face legal action by American Century ETF Trust, law firm Bishop Lloyd & Jackson defend itself against two solicitors it worked alongside during inquiries into Grenfell Tower, and a U.K. cruise line face a claim by a subsidiary of the sanctioned gambling platform GTLK.

  • September 26, 2024

    1st Circ. Won't Disturb Ex-DraftKings Exec's Noncompete

    The First Circuit on Thursday rejected an appeal from a former DraftKings executive looking to undo his noncompete contract, ruling that Massachusetts law — not California law — applies to his agreement with his Boston-based former employer and that an injunction barring him from competing with DraftKings stands.

  • September 26, 2024

    NCAA, Athletes Make Tweaks To $2.78B NIL Settlement

    The National Collegiate Athletic Association and the athletes suing over the organization's name, image and likeness compensation rules on Thursday presented some clarifications to their proposed $2.78 billion antitrust settlement after a California federal judge took issue with some of the deal's terms.

  • September 26, 2024

    Attys Worry OpenAI IP Row Will Drag On Amid AI Policy Push

    A BigLaw attorney and consumer advocates found common ground during the seventh annual Berkeley Law AI Institute on Thursday expressing concerns that courts won't timely adjudicate copyright claims against OpenAI and others, while an FTC attorney noted the commission is already enforcing the Federal Trade Act against companies for over-hyping their AI.

  • September 26, 2024

    Judge Albright Steers Patent Suit Against Volvo To NJ

    U.S. District Judge Alan Albright has ruled that the presence of car dealerships in the Western District of Texas, a popular patent jurisdiction, is not enough to keep a patent lawsuit against Swedish carmaker Volvo in his Waco courtroom, transferring the case brought by an ex-Microsoft executive's private equity-funded patent litigation outfit.

  • September 26, 2024

    Edible Arrangements Says Zurich Shirked Policy Duties In $4M Suit

    Atlanta-headquartered Edible Arrangements has hit the American Zurich Insurance Co. with a breach of contract suit seeking at least $4.2 million, claiming the insurer refused to defend and indemnify it against counterclaims stemming from a trademark suit it filed against another company.

  • September 26, 2024

    Colo. Artist Says Award-Winning AI Image Merits Copyright

    A Colorado artist who created the first image generated by artificial intelligence to win an award at the state's fair sued the U.S. Copyright Office on Thursday, saying the agency wrongly rejected his application to register his work because it was not made by a human author.

  • September 26, 2024

    2nd Circ. Denies Jury Trial In Abbott Labs Gray Market Case

    A man and his wife involved in the sale of gray market diabetes test strips on Tuesday were unable to persuade the Second Circuit to undo the $33.4 million judgment they owe to Abbott Laboratories after a federal judge stripped them of their right to a jury trial.

  • September 26, 2024

    Helicopter-Maker Claims Supplier Had 'Reliability Issues'

    A former Fort Worth, Texas-based Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. engineer claimed a supplier at the center of a $100 million trade secrets lawsuit delivered parts that had "reliability issues," saying Thursday during a trial in Texas state court that the supplier had long-standing problems.

  • September 26, 2024

    Judge Recommends Axing Disbarred NC Atty's FOIA Suit

    A disbarred North Carolina attorney's sprawling Freedom of Information Act lawsuit over U.S. Patent and Trademark Office documents should be tossed, a magistrate judge recommended Thursday, finding the government immune and most of the claims already litigated.

  • September 26, 2024

    NC Medical Equipment Maker Can't Ditch Unfair Biz Suit

    The North Carolina Business Court has denied a medical equipment maker's bid to get a win based on the pleadings in a fraudulent concealment and unfair trade practices lawsuit alleging that it stole the business model and a pregnancy support garment design from a rival.

  • September 26, 2024

    OpenAI Gets Most Counterclaims Against It Axed In TM Fight

    OpenAI has defeated most counterclaims filed by a man who the company alleges is preventing it from registering its name as a trademark, after a California federal judge ruled that Guy Ravine and his company, Open Artificial Intelligence Inc., "spill much proverbial ink pontificating about their view on artificial intelligence," but most of it is irrelevant to their claims.

  • September 26, 2024

    Judge Finds Golf Simulator Original Enough, At Least for Now

    A judge overseeing a copyright case in the Southern District of New York has decided that the makers of a golf simulator had developed an interface that could, at least on paper, meet the "modest requirements of originality."

  • September 26, 2024

    Senate Patent Bill Markups Delayed Until After Election

    Congressional hearings scheduled for Thursday to mark up several bills related to patents, including measures dealing with patent eligibility, validity challenges and drug patents, have been postponed until after Election Day due to the Senate's adjournment.

Expert Analysis

  • A Look At How De Minimis Import Rules May Soon Change

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    The planned implementation of executive actions focused on the de minimis rule as it applies to shipments means companies should use this interval to evaluate the potential applicability and impact of Section 301, Section 201 or Section 232 duties on their products, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • How To Craft Strong Prong 2 Arguments For AI Patent Apps

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    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s recent guidance update on subject matter eligibility for artificial intelligence inventions highlights that the key to overcoming rejection lies in the analysis under Prong 2, which practitioners should consider leading their arguments with, says Sean Lee at Baker Botts.

  • Opinion

    Law Firm Reactions To Campus Protests May Chill DEI Efforts

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    Law firm decisions to rescind or withhold job offers based on candidates' pro-Palestine activism could negatively affect diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the legal profession, compounding existing hiring and retention challenges, say Noor Shater at Penn Carey Law School, and Peter Farah and Jalal Shehadeh at the Palestinian American Bar Association.

  • IP Concerns For Manufacturing Semiconductors In Low Orbit

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    With space habitation companies working to launch private space stations in the near future, semiconductor manufacturers aiming to execute research and development in low or microgravity must consider the unique claim drafting and patent protection issues that will emerge, says Greg Miraglia at Quinn Emanuel.

  • 6 Tips For Trying Cases Away From Home

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    A truly national litigation practice, by definition, often requires trying cases in jurisdictions across the country, which presents unique challenges that require methodical preparation and coordination both within the trial team and externally, say Edward Bennett and Suzanne Salgado at Williams & Connolly.

  • 3 Coverage Tips As 2nd Circ. 'Swipes Left' On Tinder Claim

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    The Second Circuit's recent opinion in Match Group v. Beazley Underwriting, overturning Tinder's victory on its insurer's motion to dismiss a coverage action, reinforces three best practices policyholders purchasing claims-made coverage should adhere to in order to avoid late-notice defenses, say Lynda Bennett and Alexander Corson at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • USPTO Guidance Suggests 2 Strategies For AI Inventions

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    Analyzing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent guidance, it appears that there are at least two paths for establishing that an artificial intelligence invention is eligible for protection, and that which strategy to use may turn on how broadly the invention is applied, says William Morriss at Frost Brown.

  • A Blueprint For Structuring An Effective Plaintiff Case Story

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    The number and size of nuclear verdicts continue to rise, in part because plaintiffs attorneys have become more adept at crafting compelling trial stories — and an analysis of these success stories reveals a 10-part framework for structuring an effective case narrative, says Jonathan Ross at Decision Analysis.

  • Series

    Round-Canopy Parachuting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Similar to the practice of law, jumping from an in-flight airplane with nothing but training and a few yards of parachute silk is a demanding and stressful endeavor, and the experience has bolstered my legal practice by enhancing my focus, teamwork skills and sense of perspective, says Thomas Salerno at Stinson.

  • And Now A Word From The Panel: The MDL Map

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    An intriguing yet unpredictable facet of multidistrict litigation practice is venue selection for new MDL proceedings, and the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation considers many factors when it assigns an MDL venue, says Alan Rothman at Sidley Austin.

  • Boeing Ruling Is A Cautionary Tale For Trade Secret Litigants

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    A Washington federal court’s recent ruling canceling a $72 million jury award against Boeing because Zunum Aero had failed to properly identify its trade secrets highlights the value of an early statement of alleged secrets, amended through discovery and used as a framework at trial, says Matthew D'Amore at Cornell.

  • Why Now Is The Time For Law Firms To Hire Lateral Partners

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    Partner and associate mobility data from the second quarter of this year suggest that there's never been a better time in recent years for law firms to hire lateral candidates, particularly experienced partners — though this necessitates an understanding of potential red flags, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Courts Will Still Defer To Feds On Nat'l Security

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    Agencies with trade responsibilities may be less affected by Chevron’s demise because of the special deference courts have shown when hearing international trade cases involving national security, foreign policy or the president’s constitutional authority to direct such matters, say attorneys at Venable.

  • A Look At The Economic Impact Of Drug Patent Differentiation

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    Given the Federal Trade Commission’s recent emphasis on unfair competition based on disputed patent listings, pharmaceutical market participants are likely to require nuanced characterizations of actual and but-for market competition when multiple patents differentiate multiple products, say economists at Competition Dynamics.

  • Google And The Next Frontier Of Divestiture Antitrust Remedy

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    The possibility of a large-scale divestiture in the Google search case comes on the heels of recent requests of business breakups as remedies for anticompetitive conduct, and companies should prepare for the likelihood that courts may impose divestiture remedies in the event of a liability finding, say Lauren Weinstein and Nathaniel Rubin at MoloLamken.

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