Intellectual Property

  • September 06, 2024

    Ingersoll Rand Blocks Rival From Hiring Ex-Exec In NDA Fight

    A Colorado state court has preliminarily blocked the former chief executive of a company acquired by industrial products giant Ingersoll Rand Inc. from working for rival Avantor, finding Ingersoll Rand will likely win its claims that the executive specifically agreed not to work for Avantor as a condition of the acquisition.

  • September 06, 2024

    Music Publishers Argue Their AI Copyright Case Is Different

    Music publishing companies suing an artificial intelligence company over using song lyrics say that their copyright lawsuit is different from some other copyright suits against AI developers.

  • September 06, 2024

    ITC Judge Partially Clears Voltage Of Infringing Solar Patent

    North Carolina solar provider Voltage LLC's imports of a "trunk bus" power transmission system infringe a patent owned by Tennessee-based competitor Shoals Technologies Group Inc., but a revised design of the product does not, an administrative law judge of the U.S. International Trade Commission has found.

  • September 06, 2024

    Off The Bench: NCAA Flops, NBA Trial, Sunday Ticket Appeal

    In this week's Off The Bench, the $2.78 billion deal to settle a vast class action targeting the NCAA's name, image and likeness compensation rules hits a snag, the NBA and Warner Bros. aim for an April trial in their media rights fight, and NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers look to reinstate their $4.7 billion antitrust victory over the league.

  • September 06, 2024

    NC Restoration Co. Wants Out Of Rival's Noncompete Fight

    The new owner of a property restoration company caught in the crosshairs of a fight between its founders and their former employer has asked for a quick exit from the dispute, saying it can't be held liable for the founders' actions when the parties' real beef is with each other.

  • September 06, 2024

    No Redo On Eminem Licensing Ruling Over Spotify Plays

    A Tennessee federal judge refused to rethink her decision in favor of Spotify on its third-party claims against the collection agent for Eminem's music publisher over a licensing dispute, stating Friday that the agent's arguments have been addressed already.

  • September 06, 2024

    Software Co. Targets Validity Of Data Tracker Patents

    A software company pressed a North Carolina federal court to throw out a rival's patent infringement claims concerning software that allows businesses to track a website user's browsing without third-party cookies, arguing the patents are invalid.

  • September 06, 2024

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

    This past week in London has seen Rockfire Capital sue its former director, Liam Kavanagh, after he was accused of cheating cash-strapped Thurrock Council out of £150 million ($197 million), FedEx launch a claim against an Israeli supply chain business, and a legal dispute between steel magnate Sanjeev Gupta and a former colleague. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • September 06, 2024

    Fox Rothschild Lands Entertainment Atty From Netflix In NY

    An attorney who most recently worked for streaming giant Netflix is bringing his lifelong love of film and past working as a writer and producer to Fox Rothschild LLP.

  • September 06, 2024

    Glioblastoma Org. Wants End To Rival's Use Of 'GBM'

    The Glioblastoma Foundation has hit a competing nonprofit with a suit alleging that the group's use of the initials "GBM" in its name has ripped off its trademark and sown confusion among donors who can't tell the two organizations apart.

  • September 06, 2024

    Platform Science Fights $19.3M Software Patent Verdict

    Platform Science Inc. has urged a California federal judge to erase a jury's verdict that it owes $19.3 million to Qualcomm spinoff Omnitracs LLC for infringing its fleet management software patent, arguing that the verdict is improper and that the court should overturn it or order a new trial.

  • September 06, 2024

    Judge Newman's Suspension Extended For Another Year

    Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman was barred Friday from hearing cases for at least another year due to her refusal to participate in an investigation into her health, with the appeals court's other judges deciding unanimously to extend a suspension that began last year.

  • September 05, 2024

    Nvidia, Microsoft Face Patent, Cartel Allegations In Texas Suit

    A new lawsuit accuses Nvidia of holding "monopoly power" over the market on graphics processing in the artificial intelligence space and alleges the tech company is colluding with Microsoft and a prominent patent risk management company to squeeze out a small startup that claims to have developed the "fundamental intellectual property" behind that technology.

  • September 05, 2024

    MGA's O.M.G. Dolls Imitated Girl Group's Looks, Member Says

    Toy company MGA Entertainment Inc.'s line of O.M.G. dolls imitated the signature looks of a pop group created by rapper T.I. called OMG Girlz, a member of the singing group testified Thursday in a California federal court retrial of a long-running intellectual property fight.

  • September 05, 2024

    NCAA's $2.78B NIL Deal Misses 1st Shot At Initial OK

    A California federal judge declined Thursday to preliminarily approve a $2.78 billion deal to settle an antitrust class action targeting the NCAA's name, image and likeness compensation rules, saying counsel must "go back to the drawing board" on some of the deal's terms.

  • September 05, 2024

    TM Ruling Creates Way To Pierce Corporate Veil, Justices Told

    A conservative legal group says that a Fourth Circuit ruling the justices have agreed to review over a $43 million trademark award in a fight between two businesses that use the name "Dewberry" provides a new way to pierce the corporate veil that "veers far from acceptable legal principles."

  • September 05, 2024

    Lupin Infringes Exeltis Contraceptive Patents, Judge Finds

    Mumbai-based generic-pharmaceuticals company Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. has infringed five patents of the estrogen-free contraceptive Slynd, a Delaware federal judge said Wednesday, finding in favor of Spanish pharmaceutical company Insud Pharma and its New Jersey-based division Exeltis USA Inc. on all asserted claims.

  • September 05, 2024

    ITC To Investigate Synthetic Hair Cos. For Patent Violations

    The U.S. International Trade Commission said it's launching an investigation after Atlanta-based JBS Hair Inc. claimed rival companies are importing synthetic hair that infringes ts patents.

  • September 05, 2024

    Guess What? The Guess Who Settled Their Intra-Band TM Suit

    The trademark dispute between two halves of the Canadian rock band The Guess Who ended Thursday when the four rockers filed a joint stipulation asking a California federal judge to toss the lead singer and lead guitarist's claims that their two former bandmates were using the group's trademarks without permission.

  • September 05, 2024

    OpenAI Slams YouTuber's AI Training Class Action

    OpenAI told a California federal judge that a proposed class action accusing it of unjustly enriching itself by training its large language model programs with transcripts of YouTube videos is just a "carbon copy" of similar claims already thrown out by the courts, arguing the complaint should be dismissed.

  • September 05, 2024

    Norton, Quinn Emanuel Decry $600M Patent, Contempt Ruling

    NortonLifeLock and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP again urged the Federal Circuit to overturn a $600 million patent infringement verdict against the company that was in part based on the firm's being held in contempt, with both saying the holding has serious flaws.

  • September 05, 2024

    Shoemaker Can't Avoid Birkenstock's Copycat Suit

    A Massachusetts-based shoemaker and its manufacturer must face almost every intellectual property claim brought against it by Birkenstock after a federal judge declined to dismiss all but one claim in the popular brand's suit alleging design patent, trademark and trade dress infringement.

  • September 05, 2024

    UK Screen Directors Tap Ex-Disney GC To Seek Royalties

    One year ago this month, Peter Wiley walked away from his job as chief international counsel for the Walt Disney Co., saying he wanted to "take a short break." And he did.

  • September 05, 2024

    Veteran Atty Launches Solo Patent Boutique In Va.

    Longtime patent attorney Michael Kiklis — a former partner at both Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and Oblon McClelland Maier & Neustadt LLP who has represented companies including SLB, Thermo Fisher Scientific's Life Technologies Corp. and Steuben Foods Inc. — has launched his own patent boutique in Alexandria, Virginia.

  • September 05, 2024

    Ex-Siemens Exec Concedes Trade Secret Caper Merits Prison

    A former executive of Siemens Energy Inc. has told a Virginia federal judge that he recognizes that a period of incarceration is merited after he pled guilty to stealing trade secrets from General Electric Co. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. to undercut their bids to build a gas turbine plant.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My deep and passionate involvement in playing, writing and producing music equipped me with skills — like creativity, improvisation and problem-solving — that contribute to the success of my legal career, says attorney Kenneth Greene.

  • Lessons In High-Profile Jury Selection Amid NY Trump Trial

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    Richard Gabriel and Michelle Rey LaRocca at Decision Analysis consider how media exposure can affect a prospective juror in a high-profile case, the misunderstood nature of bias, and recommendations for jury selection in these unique situations as the Trump hush money trial continues in New York.

  • How AI Cos. Can Cope With Shifting Copyright Landscape

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    In the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, recent legal disputes have focused on the utilization of copyrighted material to train algorithms, meaning companies should be aware of fair use implications and possible licensing solutions for AI users, say Michael Hobbs and Justin Tilghman at Troutman Pepper.

  • How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case

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    The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.

  • Supply Chain Considerations For Companies Deploying AI

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    Many businesses will risk failure by embracing artificial intelligence without fully understanding the risks, and the value of a five-step AI supply chain analysis cannot be overstated, say Brooke Berg and Nathan Staffel at Nardello & Co.

  • How Real Estate Cos. Can Protect Their IP In The Metaverse

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    The rise of virtual and augmented reality creates new intellectual property challenges and opportunities for real estate owners, but certain steps, including conducting a diligence investigation to develop an understanding of current obligations, can help companies mitigate IP issues in the metaverse, says George Pavlik at Levenfeld Pearlstein.

  • Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content

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    From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.

  • Patent Lessons From 4 Federal Circuit Reversals In April

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    Four Federal Circuit decisions in April that reversed or vacated underlying rulings provide a number of takeaways, including that obviousness analysis requires a flexible approach, that an invalidity issue of an expired patent can be moot, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.

  • 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.

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