Intellectual Property

  • May 20, 2024

    Rite Aid Settles Trademark Suit Over New Logo

    Rite Aid has reached an agreement with Brand Design Co. to end a lawsuit claiming that the drugstore chain misused the design firm's font for a new logo, the parties have told a Pennsylvania federal court.

  • May 20, 2024

    Photographer, Lions Clash Over Sanders Statue Suit Venue

    A professional photographer and the NFL's Detroit Lions are scuffling over whether New York federal court is the proper venue to handle the photographer's lawsuit accusing the team of unlawfully using his copyrighted photo to create a statue of legendary running back Barry Sanders.

  • May 20, 2024

    3 Insurance Execs Can't Hit Pause On Asset Theft Claims

    Three former Sherbrooke Corporate Ltd. executives accused of stealing assets when they left to form their own venture lost a bid to halt the company's lawsuit, after a North Carolina federal judge doubted that their efforts to toss the case would succeed.

  • May 20, 2024

    USPTO Says Patent Applicants' Data Was Mistakenly Leaked

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has said it accidentally released certain patent information that shouldn't have been made public during a more than monthlong period, marking another time the office has incorrectly released information.

  • May 20, 2024

    Moderna Fends Off Pfizer's MRNA Patent Challenge

    Moderna has successfully defended a key patent underpinning its COVID-19 vaccine, after rivals Pfizer and BioNTech attempted to convince the European Patent Office that the IP protections should be nixed.

  • May 20, 2024

    Justices Reject Hearst's 'Discovery Rule' Petition In Pics Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review a Fifth Circuit decision that found Hearst Newspapers liable for infringing copyrighted photos of Ireland's "Guinness Castle," even though the suit was filed past the three-year statute of limitations.

  • May 20, 2024

    High Court Skips Fight Over 'Impossible' TM Name

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined a cert petition from Illinois-based marketing consulting firm Impossible X LLC, which had asked the justices to review a Ninth Circuit ruling that revived a trademark complaint against it from veggie-burger maker Impossible Foods Inc.

  • May 20, 2024

    Justices Reject Seirus Challenge To Design Patent Test

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to review a Federal Circuit ruling that revived Columbia Sportswear's design patent suit against Seirus Innovative Accessories Inc., which Seirus said created an "illogical, unworkable test" for design patent cases.

  • May 17, 2024

    Qorvo Wins $38.6M In Akoustis Trade Secrets And Patent Trial

    A Delaware federal jury on Friday told Akoustis Technologies Inc. to pay wireless company Qorvo Inc. nearly $38.6 million for misappropriating its trade secrets and infringing its patents, following a two-week trial over radio frequency filter technology.

  • May 17, 2024

    Boeing Jury Urged To Award Startup At Least $163M At IP Trial

    An electric-jet company told a Seattle jury Friday that Boeing misappropriated its trade secrets to build a copycat plane under the guise of investing in the startup, entitling it to an award of more than $163 million.

  • May 17, 2024

    Bong Co. Can't Get Early Win In TM Suit Over No-Show Opponent

    The maker of Stündenglass-branded glass infusers was denied a win over a retailer that didn't bother to put up a defense against its trademark infringement suit, after a California federal judge accepted a magistrate's report that the litigious manufacturer still couldn't back up its claims.

  • May 17, 2024

    3rd Circ. Won't Rethink Cancellation Of $10M Win In TM Battle

    Texans can continue to be subjected to the earworm that is the "Kars 4 Kids" jingle, as the Third Circuit declined this week to reconsider its ruling against a local charity that had temporarily won a $10 million judgment in a trademark dispute over the name.

  • May 17, 2024

    Patent Office Gets Another Earful About 'March-In' Plan

    Industry groups of all stripes have lined up at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to complain yet again about a Biden administration proposal from last year to potentially use "march-in" rights and seize pharmaceutical patents using the Bayh-Dole Act.

  • May 17, 2024

    Pfizer Unit Wins $107.5M Patent Verdict Against AstraZeneca

    A Delaware federal jury on Friday said that AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP should pay $107.5 million in royalty damages for infringing a Pfizer-brand cancer treatment patent, although a final decision won't be issued until after a bench trial on some of AstraZeneca's additional defenses. 

  • May 17, 2024

    'Confusing' Evidence Leads To New Patent Trial For Shopify

    A Delaware federal judge Friday granted in part Shopify Inc.'s bid for a new trial in an infringement suit over a series of patents for website generation owned by Express Mobile Inc. after Express won a $40 million jury verdict in 2022.

  • May 17, 2024

    Royalty Suit Aims To Make Spotify Nix 'Bundled' Subscription

    In a lawsuit against Spotify, the nonprofit the U.S. Copyright Offices uses to distribute royalties alleged Thursday that the audio streaming service's new premium subscription package could cause illegal underreporting of royalties and cost songwriters and music publishers "hundreds of millions of dollars."

  • May 17, 2024

    'Wolfman' Blasts Paramount's Bid To Toss 'Top Gun' IP Suit

    The actor who played Henry "Wolfman" Ruth in the original "Top Gun" movie has urged a California federal court not to dismiss his right-of-publicity complaint against Paramount Pictures for using his image in the 2022 blockbuster sequel, saying the film studio is incorrect to argue the First Amendment shields it from the suit.

  • May 17, 2024

    T. Boone Pickens' Ranch Buyer Can Proceed With TM Suit

    The new owner of the late T. Boone Pickens' luxurious hunting estate in the Texas Panhandle can proceed with a lawsuit accusing a neighboring property owner of infringing the ranch's trademark rights by using them to advertise a land sale, a federal judge concluded Thursday.

  • May 17, 2024

    PTAB Denies Institution Of Review Of Mel NavIP Patent

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has said it wouldn't be reviewing an automotive navigation device patent, handing a win to Hyundai Motor Co. in the patent dispute.

  • May 17, 2024

    Insurance Cos. Jointly Drop Policy Language Copyright Suit

    An insurance policy licensing group and an underwriting firm told a Connecticut federal judge Friday that they have agreed to end their dispute with two insurance underwriting competitors they accused of infringing their copyrights by copying certain language from a marine transportation policy and using it without permission.

  • May 17, 2024

    Calif. Jury Finds Samsung Breached Contract With Netlist

    A Los Angeles federal jury found on Friday that Samsung materially breached a contract with chipmaker Netlist by cutting off its supply of crucial memory products, delivering a significant win for Netlist in its multi-jurisdictional patent fight with Samsung even though no monetary damages were at stake.

  • May 17, 2024

    Nestle Assistant GC Joins Mayer Brown's IP Practice In LA

    Mayer Brown LLP has hired Nestle's U.S. head of brand intellectual property as counsel for its global IP practice in Los Angeles.

  • May 17, 2024

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

    This past week in London has seen a wave of claims filed against Verity Trustees Ltd., Harley-Davidson hit retailer Next with an intellectual property claim, Turkish e-commerce entrepreneur Demet Mutlu sue her ex-husband and Trendyol co-founder Evren Üçok and the Solicitors Regulation Authority file a claim against the former boss of collapsed law firm Axiom. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 16, 2024

    Voice Actors Say Lovo Stole Their Voices For AI Tech

    Artificial intelligence startup Lovo has been stealing actors' voices for its AI-driven voice-over software, voice actors Paul Lehrman and Linnea Sage alleged in a proposed class action Thursday after they unexpectedly heard Lehrman's voice used in a podcast about the potential dangers of AI technology.

  • May 16, 2024

    Internet Archive Must Face Record Labels' Copyright Suit

    A California federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the Internet Archive and the foundation that helps fund it must face a suit from record labels accusing the archive of copyright infringement by willfully copying and distributing thousands of protected recordings for free, saying the archive failed to show that the complaint was untimely.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    9th Circ. Should Overturn The Miles Davis Tattoo Ruling

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    A California district court made several missteps that led to a finding that celebrity artist Kat Von D's Miles Davis tattoo did not infringe copyright, and the Ninth Circuit should overturn the decision because recent U.S. Supreme Court guidance was ignored and the jury did not receive adequate instruction, says Brian Moriarty at Hamilton Brook.

  • Generative AI Raises IP, Data Protection And Contracts Issues

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    As the EU's recent agreement on the Artificial Intelligence Act has fueled businesses' interest in adopting generative AI tools, it is crucial to understand how these tools utilize material to generate output and what questions to ask in relation to intellectual property, data privacy and contracts, say lawyers at Deloitte Legal.

  • Exporters Should Approach Self-Disclosure With Caution

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    A January Bureau of Industry and Security memorandum created an abbreviated process for disclosing export control violations that lack aggravating factors, but deciding which disclosure method to utilize remains a complex strategic undertaking to which companies must give careful consideration, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Is Compulsory Copyright Licensing Needed For AI Tech?

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    The U.S. Copyright Office's inquiry into whether Congress should establish a compulsory licensing regime for artificial intelligence technologies that are trained on copyrighted works has received relatively little attention — but commenters recently opposed the regime under three key themes, say Michael Kientzle and Ryan White at Arnold & Porter.

  • EDNY Ruling Charts 99 Problems In Rap Lyric Admissibility

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    A New York federal court’s recent ruling in U.S. v. Jordan powerfully captures courts’ increasing skepticism about the admissibility of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials, particularly at a time when artists face economic incentives to embrace fictional, hyperbolic narratives, say attorneys at Sher Tremonte.

  • 3 Principles For Minimizing The Risk Of A Nuclear Verdict

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    In one of the latest examples of so-called nuclear verdicts, a single plaintiff was awarded $2.25 billion in a jury trial against Monsanto — revealing the need for defense attorneys to prioritize trust, connection and simplicity when communicating with modern juries, say Jenny Hergenrother and Mia Falzarano at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Coaching High School Wrestling Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Coaching my son’s high school wrestling team has been great fun, but it’s also demonstrated how a legal career can benefit from certain experiences, such as embracing the unknown, studying the rules and engaging with new people, says Richard Davis at Maynard Nexsen.

  • SG's Office Is Case Study To Help Close Legal Gender Gap

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    As women continue to be underrepresented in the upper echelons of the legal profession, law firms could learn from the example set by the Office of the Solicitor General, where culture and workplace policies have helped foster greater gender equality, say attorneys at Ocean Tomo.

  • Opinion

    Patent Waiver For COVID Meds Would Harm US Biopharma

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    If the Biden administration backs the World Trade Organization in waiving patent rights on COVID-19 treatments, it would negatively affect the U.S. biopharmaceutical industry and help foreign competitors, without necessarily expanding global access to COVID-19 care, says clinical pathologist Wolfgang Klietmann.

  • NCAA's Antitrust Litigation History Offers Clues For NIL Case

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    Attorneys at Perkins Coie analyze the NCAA's long history of antitrust litigation to predict how state attorney general claims against NCAA recruiting rules surrounding name, image and likeness discussions will stand up in Tennessee federal court.

  • Key Considerations For Evaluating An AI Vendor

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    As artificial intelligence technology advances across industries, businesses can mitigate risks, while maximizing the value of their investment, by evaluating technology, expertise, support services, transparency and more when selecting an AI vendor, say Rahul Kapoor and Shokoh Yaghoubi at Morgan Lewis.

  • Exploring The Foreign Discovery Trend In Delaware

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    Despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting the use of Section 1782, recent trends from a Delaware federal court suggest that Delaware remains an appealing forum for such foreign discovery requests, says Florentina Field at Abrams & Bayliss.

  • SAG-AFTRA Contract Is A Landmark For AI And IP Interplay

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    SAG-AFTRA's recently ratified contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers introduced a framework to safeguard performers' intellectual property rights and set the stage for future discussions on how those rights interact with artificial intelligence — which should put entertainment businesses on alert for compliance, says Evynne Grover at QBE.

  • Googling Prospective Jurors Is Usually A Fool's Errand

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    Though a Massachusetts federal court recently barred Google from Googling potential jurors in a patent infringement case, the company need not worry about missing evidence of bias, because internet research of jury pools usually doesn’t yield the most valuable information — voir dire and questionnaires do, says Sarah Murray at Trialcraft.

  • A Look Into How Jurors Reach High Damages Awards

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    In the wake of several large jury awards, Richard Gabriel and Emily Shaw at Decision Analysis shed light on challenges that jurors have in deciding them, the nonevidentiary and extra-legal methods they use to do so, and new research about the themes and jury characteristics of high-damages jurors.

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