The heirs of Argentinian soccer super star, Diego Maradona, as well as a John Doe identified only by an IP address, have been sued for trademark infringement based on their use of the name “Maradona.” The suit was filed on January 13, 2022, and is just another episode in an ongoing struggle over the rights … Continue Reading
A recent High Court decision in the case of Blu-Sky Solutions Limited (“Blu-Sky”) v Be Caring Limited (“BCL”) has put terms and conditions into the spotlight. The case has highlighted the importance of making sure that any onerous terms in your standard terms and conditions are clearly brought to the attention of the other party … Continue Reading
Much of the discussion about the Federal Circuit’s precedential opinion in Yu et al. v. Apple, Inc. et al. has focused on the perceived confusion and dysfunction of U.S. patent law that invalidates a claim directed to an “improved digital camera” as a patent-ineligible “abstract idea.” After delving into the underlying record, this author posits … Continue Reading
In patent infringement cases involving consumer electronics and the like, the accused instrumentality oftentimes includes components the accused infringer obtained from third-party suppliers. To prove infringement, the patent owner may need discovery from the third party, such as source code, and that discovery would in turn be relied upon by the patent owner’s testifying expert. … Continue Reading
Since the mid-2000s, mention Marshall, Tyler, Sherman, Beaumont or Texarkana to an experienced patent litigator and you would get knowing nods about this string of small Texas towns, tips on their favorite BBQ or Tex-Mex restaurants, and war stories about the big patent wars fought there. The Eastern District of Texas, along with the District … Continue Reading
In his continued blog series, Dr. Paolo Beconcini and Elisa Li discuss the principles of evidence pertaining to IP disputes in China, including recent and substantial changes to those rules. In China, evidence must be collected prior to the filing of a case, as there is no discovery. The changes address commonly-occurring issues of authenticity, foreign … Continue Reading
Serving foreign corporate defendants with a complaint filed in a U.S. Federal Court has never been an easy task, but the COVID-19 global pandemic and regional shut-down orders have made finding someone to physically serve with process nearly impossible in many locations. Contrary to conventional wisdom, one district court recently made it clear that The … Continue Reading
Monday’s announcement of the institution of a section 337 investigation of Certain Batteries and Products Containing the Same, 337-TA-1244, is notable as the first time in recent memory that a battery company has sued in the US International Trade Commission (ITC) for design patent infringement. Battery patents typically cover new and useful features of a … Continue Reading
Top technology trends in the legal profession for 2021 are likely to include artificial intelligence, block chain and cryptocurrencies, autonomous vehicles, digital health, and … court filings on paper. Following a recent widespread cybersecurity breach, the United States federal courts are prohibiting electronic filing of highly confidential documents. Parties must file such documents on paper … Continue Reading
Ferrari 250 GTO, often hailed as the most expensive car in the world, was initially introduced by Ferrari in 1962. Only 36 models of 250 GTO were exclusively produced between 1962 and 1964. The fact that each buyer had to be personally approved by Enzo Ferrari only added to the exclusivity of this particular car … Continue Reading
Embedding content from a social media site in one’s website initially seemed to be a safe harbor from a copyright infringement claim. In 2007, the Ninth Circuit adopted the so-called “server test,” ruling that in-line linking of images – now more commonly referred to as embedding – did not violate the exclusive display, copying or … Continue Reading
On July 1, 2020, the Federal Circuit’s Amendments to its Rules of Practice took effect. These Amendments were adopted to clarify and streamline the Court’s current practices, especially in view of the 2019 amendments to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. To assist practitioners, the Federal Circuit released a summary of its Adopted Rule Amendments. … Continue Reading
In Mayborn Group, Ltd. v. ITC, 19-2077 (July 16, 2020), the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) affirmed an U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) decision denying a petition for rescission of a General Exclusion Order (GEO) based on new invalidity arguments presented by a party not involved in the underlying investigation. This decision … Continue Reading
Courts are exercising their power under Rule[1] 30(b)(4) to order that depositions be taken remotely and by videoconference during these uncertain times of the coronavirus pandemic. Such orders reflect concerns about the progress of cases, as discussed in our prior blog, and the public health. With remote depositions being essential under current circumstances, attorneys need … Continue Reading
Today’s litigators are advocates and strategists, excelling in the application of rules, the art of negotiation, and the power of oral argument, and they use these tools to achieve the best possible outcomes for their clients. In the age of COVID-19, with stay-at-home orders in effect across much of the nation, litigators may have lost … Continue Reading
The Supreme Court arguments in USPTO v. Booking.com B.V.[1] on May 4, 2020, marked a historic first: the Supreme Court held oral arguments remotely, by telephone. As a result, lawyers and Supreme Court enthusiasts were able to listen to the argument in real time. Further, both the Petitioner USPTO and the Respondent Booking.com were represented … Continue Reading
It is a trite comment that cross-border commerce and international markets have globalized most every business, from fledging startups to multinational companies. With this new globalized reality, parties are commonly finding themselves either directly involved in disputes around the world or connected to them in some way. Northern California, with its high tech sector and … Continue Reading
On April 10, 2020, 3M Co. sued an unauthorized vendor for attempting to sell an NYC agency $45 million worth of 3M-brand respirator masks at 500% of 3M’s list price, or more. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as government agencies scramble to procure personal protective equipment (PPE), unscrupulous parties are capitalizing on the crisis through price … Continue Reading
In Valeant Pharmaceuticals Int’l, Inc. v. Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc., No. 2018-2097 (Fed. Cir. April 8, 2020), the Federal Circuit was asked “whether prior art ranges for solutions of structurally and functionally similar compounds that overlap with a claimed range can establish a prima facie case of obviousness.” Concluding that they can, the Federal Circuit reversed … Continue Reading
It is back to state court for Acer America Corp., after the Federal Circuit held that Acer’s state law trade secret claims should never have been removed to federal court in the first instance. Intellisoft Ltd. v. Acer America Corp., No. 19-1522. Vacating the district court’s judgment in Acer’s favor, the Federal Circuit reiterated longstanding … Continue Reading
On March 26, a federal district court in New York held that the publishers of the popular NBA 2K videogame did not infringe on plaintiff’s tattoo copyrights when the publishers depicted those tattoos on basketball players in NBA 2K. The publishers, 2K Games and Take-Two Interactive Software, were successful in asserting multiple copyright defenses, including … Continue Reading
As more and more courts grapple with the Coronavirus Public Health Emergency, many are issuing Administrative Orders with provisions for conducting business via teleconference or videoconference. Most courts and litigators are familiar with holding status conferences and discovery dispute hearings by phone conference. But what should courts and parties do about complex hearings such as … Continue Reading
In an effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, courts across the US are now limiting services to those that are essential and enforcing social distancing, especially in civil matters. We summarize here key provisions of the COVID-19 orders for twelve federal courts that commonly hear patent, copyright, trademark and/or trade secret cases. These courts are … Continue Reading
After deliberating less than three hours, a jury in the Northern District of Illinois recently awarded Motorola Solutions over $700 million in damages for a civil claim arising under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (“DTSA”). Motorola Sols., Inc. v. Hytera Commc’ns Corp., Ltd., No. 1:17-cv-1973, ECF No. 834 (N.D. Ill. Jan. 31, 2020). Most remarkable … Continue Reading
