Intellectual Property

  • October 31, 2024

    IP Forecast: Another Apple Watch Trial Kicks Off In California

    Apple and Masimo will face off next week in their long-running feud over whether the tech giant misappropriated Masimo's trade secrets for some of the health-monitoring features used in newer versions of the Apple Watch. Here's a spotlight on that case — plus all the other major intellectual property matters on deck in the coming week.

  • October 31, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Backs PTAB Invalidation Of 3 Centripetal Patents

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday upheld a set of Patent Trial and Appeal Board decisions that found three Centripetal Networks patents that cover detecting network threats were invalid, agreeing they were too obvious to warrant patent protection.

  • October 31, 2024

    Jury Awards Synopsys $550K In IP Suit Against Software Rival

    A California federal jury has awarded software company Synopsys Inc. nearly $550,000 in damages after its competitor, Real Intent Inc., was found to have breached contractual agreements by copying certain commands from Synopsys' software — but the defendants' counsel considers the damages award a victory.

  • October 31, 2024

    Tribal Nonprofit Says Employees Divulged Trade Secrets

    A Native American nonprofit is suing an Oregon environmental consulting firm, alleging that its founder and chief executive officer divulged the trade secrets information of tribes and others and made false accusations to donors that it was mismanaging funds.

  • October 31, 2024

    'Extraordinary' Fed. Circ. Ruling Revives Seirus Invalidity Row

    Seirus Innovative Accessories Inc. will be able to pursue its defense that a Columbia Sportswear clothing design patent is invalid as obvious "under the new, less-rigid approach" established by the Federal Circuit in an "extraordinary" decision earlier this year, a California federal judge ruled.

  • October 31, 2024

    Judge Axes Disbarred NC Atty's Suit After Late Objection

    A North Carolina federal judge has thrown out a disbarred attorney's suit against the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, stating that the former lawyer failed to timely object to a recommendation that the case be dismissed and that his stated reason for missing the deadline was "not credible."

  • October 31, 2024

    Everglades Scientist's Contempt Upheld Over Data Theft

    A Florida state appellate panel upheld indirect criminal contempt against an Everglades scientist after a lower court found he violated an order to return data he allegedly took upon resigning from his previous nonprofit job following a falling out with the CEO and went to work for a rival organization.

  • October 31, 2024

    Centripetal's $151.5M Patent Award Slashed To $113.6M

    A Virginia federal judge has ruled that cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks didn't infringe one of the patents in a case where a jury awarded rival Centripetal $151.5 million, reducing that amount to $113.6 million.

  • October 31, 2024

    Copyright Office Says Rest Of AI Report To Come By Year End

    The U.S. Copyright Office plans to submit the remainder of a report on the intersection of artificial intelligence and copyright law by the end of the year, the office told House lawmakers who expressed concern over what they said were late submissions.

  • October 31, 2024

    Textbook Cos. Fight To Keep Google Pirated Books Suit Alive

    Several textbook publishers have urged a Manhattan federal judge to keep their copyright and trademark infringement suit against Google intact, alleging the tech giant has profited from the sale of pirated textbooks it advertises in searches, contrary to the company's assertions.

  • October 31, 2024

    What DOJ's New National Security Obsession Means For Attys

    The Justice Department’s emerging criminal crackdown on corporate national security violations is putting increased pressure on white collar lawyers to be conversant, if not experts, on opaque, complex and swiftly evolving regulations.

  • October 31, 2024

    NFL Legend Barry Sanders Hit With Copyright Suit

    Famed former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders is the subject of a new copyright infringement lawsuit, with the same professional photographer who is separately suing the NFL team and other entities over the same alleged misuse of a copyrighted photo.

  • October 31, 2024

    The 2024 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard

    Check out the Law360 Pulse Leaderboard to see which firms made the list of leaders in all-around excellence this year.

  • October 31, 2024

    Firms' Hiring Strategies Are Evolving In Fight For Top Spot

    Competition for top talent among elite law firms shows no signs of slowing down, even amid economic uncertainty, with financially strong firms deploying aggressive strategies to attract and retain skilled professionals to solidify their market position.

  • October 31, 2024

    Teva Fined €463M For Blocking Rival MS Drug Launch

    The European Union antitrust enforcer hit pharmaceutical giant Teva with a €463 million ($502 million) fine Thursday for launching a smear campaign against a rival multiple sclerosis drug and misusing the patent system to thwart the competitor's attempt to enter the market.

  • October 30, 2024

    FDA Didn't Flub Approval In Orphan Drug Case, DC Court Says

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration didn't err in determining that a rival narcolepsy treatment is not the "same drug" as Jazz Pharmaceuticals' exclusive treatment, a D.C. federal judge ruled Wednesday, holding that the FDA's approval of the rival drug didn't run afoul of the Orphan Drug Act.

  • October 30, 2024

    Judge Quizzes Attys As $1.5M Mascara TM Trial Wraps

    A California federal judge quizzed counsel during bench trial closings Wednesday in Benefit Cosmetics' $1.49 million lawsuit alleging e.l.f. Cosmetics' "Lash 'N Roll" mascara ripped off Benefit's blockbuster "Roller Lash" mascara, questioning why Benefit didn't conduct a consumer survey and asking whether it matters that Benefit inspired e.l.f.'s product.

  • October 30, 2024

    Realtor.com's Parent Can Amend Costar Claims, Judge Rules

    A federal judge has ruled that Realtor.com's parent company can amend two claims alleging its rival Costar unlawfully accessed its computers but that it would not be limited in its Computer Fraud and Abuse Act claim to arguing that it suffered "technological harms."

  • October 30, 2024

    After Exeltis Win, Judge Won't Allow Suits On Dropped Patents

    A Delaware federal judge has shot down a request that seven patents Insud Pharma's New Jersey-based division Exeltis USA Inc. dropped in patent litigation against Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. be dismissed in a way where they could be refiled later.

  • October 30, 2024

    Northwestern Settles Patent Suit After $6.6M Trial Win

    Northwestern University told a Delaware federal judge it has reached a deal to bring an end to its patent infringement suit against Universal Robots over three patents on collaborative robot, or "cobot," systems, about a month after a jury handed the school a $6.6 million verdict in its favor.

  • October 30, 2024

    4th Circ. Mulls Shipping Honeywell Royalty Fight To Fed. Circ.

    The Fourth Circuit grappled Wednesday with whether a fight over royalty payments between technology conglomerate Honeywell and its Japan-based rival had its roots in patent or contract law, which could dictate whether the appeal stays put or gets kicked over to the Federal Circuit.

  • October 30, 2024

    Judge Finds Some Patent Claims Indefinite In Chip Fight

    A California federal judge has found that some of the claims in HD Silicon Solutions LLC patents it accused semiconductor company Microchip Technology Inc. of infringing are invalid, ruling they are not specific enough.

  • October 30, 2024

    Halliburton Loses Fracking Claims At Patent Board

    A Texas business has persuaded an administrative board at the patent office to wipe out all of the claims in a Halliburton Co. patent that covered a method of operating an electric fracking pump.

  • October 30, 2024

    Suit Says Print Shop Stole Watermarked Pics For Contract Bid

    An advertising firm is taking a printing and promotions shop to North Carolina federal court after the printer allegedly misappropriated photos of the ad company's camouflage products and used them to try to score a merchandising deal with the Missouri Army National Guard despite one picture bearing its actual owner's watermark.

  • October 30, 2024

    Eyelash Biz Wants Albright To Triple $31M Patent Verdict

    A California company that sells do-it-yourself eyelash extension kits is asking U.S. District Judge Alan Albright to triple a nearly $31 million willful patent infringement verdict against a Chinese rival that "intentionally flooded the market with 632 models of infringing products."

Expert Analysis

  • Primer On Chinese Trade Secret Disputes For US Practitioners

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    Increasing cross-border disputes over trade secret misappropriation between U.S. and Chinese entities emphasize the need for U.S. practitioners to navigate China's legal landscape following recent reforms that enhance the viability of litigation in Chinese courts, say attorneys at Jones Day.

  • Mental Health First Aid: A Brief Primer For Attorneys

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    Amid a growing body of research finding that attorneys face higher rates of mental illness than the general population, firms should consider setting up mental health first aid training programs to help lawyers assess mental health challenges in their colleagues and intervene with compassion, say psychologists Shawn Healy and Tracey Meyers.

  • Licensing And Protections For Voice Actors In The Age Of AI

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    While two recently enacted California laws and other recent state and federal legislation largely focus on protecting actors and musicians from the unauthorized use of their digital likenesses by generative artificial intelligence systems, the lesser-known community of professional voice actors also stands to benefit, says attorney Scott Mortman.

  • Opinion

    Failure To Use Apportionment Has Distorted Patent Damages

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    Apportionment is the solution to the problem of inflated patent infringement damages, and courts should return to focusing on the smallest saleable unit as the starting point for apportionment analysis, say William Lee at WilmerHale and Mark Lemley at Stanford Law School.

  • Series

    Collecting Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The therapeutic aspects of appreciating and collecting art improve my legal practice by enhancing my observation skills, empathy, creativity and cultural awareness, says attorney Michael McCready.

  • Takeaways From Novo Nordisk's Fight For Market Exclusivity

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    Generic competitors’ challenge to Novo Nordisk’s patents in hopes of capturing a portion of the rapidly expanding Type 2 diabetes and obesity treatment market highlights the role of abbreviated new drug application litigation, inter partes review and multidistrict litigation in patent defense, says Pedram Sameni at Patexia.

  • Using Primacy And Recency Effects In Opening Statements

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    By understanding and strategically employing the primacy and recency effects in opening statements, attorneys can significantly enhance their persuasive impact, ensuring that their narrative is both compelling and memorable from the outset, says Bill Kanasky at Courtroom Sciences.

  • Opinion

    Bill Is Key To Protecting US Economy From Patent Piracy

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    It is critical that Congress pass a recently introduced bill that would protect U.S. investors from intellectual property theft by restoring court-ordered injunctions as the default remedy in patent infringement cases to ensure inventors get the justice they deserve, says Andrei Iancu at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Defending AI, Machine Learning Patents In Life Sciences

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    Ten years after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Alice v. CLS Bank, artificial intelligence and machine learning technology remain at risk for Alice challenges, but reviewing recent cases can help life sciences companies avoid common pitfalls and successfully defend their patents, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Honoring Your Learned Profession

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    About 30,000 people who took the bar exam in July will learn they passed this fall, marking a fitting time for all attorneys to remember that they are members in a specialty club of learned professionals — and the more they can keep this in mind, the more benefits they will see, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • From Concept To Capital: 5 Stages Of Evolving IP Needs

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    Companies must understand the shifting intellectual property needs throughout an organization’s life cycle in order to protect innovation, which can be done by fortifying the IP portfolio, expanding and leveraging IP assets, and more, says Keegan Caldwell at Caldwell Law.

  • Allergan Ruling Reinforces Value Of Patent Term Adjustments

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    The Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Allergan v. MSN, which held that patent term adjustment awards for first-filed, first-issued patents cannot be stripped away by later-issuing child patents that expire earlier, means practitioners must consider the potential impact of any action that might reduce the adjustment amount, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Opinion

    AI May Limit Key Learning Opportunities For Young Attorneys

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    The thing that’s so powerful about artificial intelligence is also what’s most scary about it — its ability to detect patterns may curtail young attorneys’ chance to practice the lower-level work of managing cases, preventing them from ever honing the pattern recognition skills that undergird creative lawyering, says Sarah Murray at Trialcraft.

  • 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.

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