Intellectual Property Law

Why Musk and Dorsey want to ‘delete all IP law’

Elon Musk’s endorsement of a tech leader’s call to “delete all IP law” could all be dismissed as idle social media chatter if Musk didn’t have a track record of turning X posts into U.S. government policy via his prominent role in President Donald Trump’s administration.

Apr 16, 2025 10:55 AM CDT

Lawyers will seek stipulated dismissal of fired associate’s bias suit against Kirkland & Ellis

A fired associate and Kirkland & Ellis plan to ask a court to toss the lawyer’s federal lawsuit against the law firm alleging gender bias and retaliation, according to an April 8 docket entry.

Apr 14, 2025 2:35 PM CDT

‘Patenting Life’ shares tales from a career on the cutting edge of science and the law

Jorge Goldstein entered the fields of science and patent law at a time of immense change for both. In Patenting Life, he shares the fascinating histories behind some well-known medications, lesser-known scientists and groundbreaking court cases.

Apr 9, 2025 8:45 AM CDT

2 Irell & Manella lawyers should be sanctioned after witness ‘was tricked’ with altered document, special master says

An Irell & Manella associate who decided to alter a date on a schematic drawing to prove a point during a deposition should be sanctioned, along with a partner who missed an email revealing the plan, a special master has recommended.

Mar 20, 2025 3:02 PM CDT

Art generated solely by AI can’t be copyrighted, federal appeals court says

A federal appeals court has ruled against a computer scientist who sought to copyright a work of art made by his artificial intelligence system, the “Creativity Machine.”

Mar 19, 2025 11:05 AM CDT

Morgan Lewis, plaintiff settle alleged age, race bias case

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and a patent prosecution specialist who sued for alleged age and race bias have agreed to dismiss the case.

Feb 19, 2025 9:01 AM CST

Using Westlaw headnotes to train competing AI legal research program isn’t fair use, judge rules

An appeals judge sitting by designation changed his mind Tuesday and partly ruled for Thomson Reuters in its lawsuit claiming that a legal research startup committed copyright infringement by training its artificial intelligence program using Westlaw headnotes.

Feb 12, 2025 2:30 PM CST

Gender equity questions arise with college athletes’ NIL agreements

Updated: “A lot of schools have considered bringing [third-party] NIL collectives in-house, but they may want to think again,” says Robert Boland, a professor at the Seton Hall University School of Law who previously was an athletics integrity officer at the Pennsylvania State University.

Feb 7, 2025 9:49 AM CST

DC church controls Proud Boys trademark as result of judge’s decision

A Washington, D.C., judge has transferred interest in a trademark owned by Proud Boys International, a far-right group, to a church that its members vandalized in December 2020.

Feb 4, 2025 1:59 PM CST

Misuse of digital replicas should be addressed by federal law, ABA House says

Resolution 501 calls for federal legislation to prevent the unauthorized use of an individual’s voice, visual likeness or image through technological means. It recommends that legislation include safeguards to protect First Amendment rights and address right of publicity and privacy laws and other related issues.

Feb 3, 2025 6:26 PM CST

Stanford Law prof fires Meta as client, citing platform’s ‘descent into toxic masculinity’

Updated: A professor at Stanford Law School announced on LinkedIn on Monday that he could no longer “in good conscience” represent Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

Jan 16, 2025 12:53 PM CST

ACLU among groups calling on arbitrators to stop enforcing ‘stay or pay’ contracts

More than a dozen civil rights groups are urging the American Arbitration Association to stop the enforcement of “stay or pay” contracts.

Jan 14, 2025 9:14 AM CST

How Nintendo’s IP lawyers are fighting back against ‘Pokémon With Guns’

Behind Nintendo Co.’s fierce protection of wide-ranging intellectual property is a legal team adept at weaponizing patents against potential rivals. Now those attorneys are setting their sights on a studio that’s risen to prominence with a game the industry has dubbed “Pokémon With Guns.”

Nov 15, 2024 10:30 AM CST

Copyright decision is a win for milkshake lovers and the right to repair

The Library of Congress—which houses the Copyright Office—has ruled that any technician can repair some commercial food preparation equipment, including the McDonald’s ice cream machines. The decision could decrease the amount of time McDonald’s restaurants have to wait for an expert to fix the devices.

Nov 1, 2024 2:15 PM CDT

Unbeknownst to corporate lawyer, scammers used her name to file thousands of trademark applications

Ana Belén Vinueza isn’t the only lawyer to have her identity stolen to file trademark applications. Scams involving stealing attorney identities and bar credentials specifically to file trademark applications are apparently becoming increasingly common.

Oct 22, 2024 1:38 PM CDT