Intellectual Property Law

Patent Reform Pending

The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider legislation today that makes it more difficult to obtain patents and lowers penalties for infringement. Critics contend the present system favors those who obtain patents for small technology changes in an effort to win infringement suits against other inventors, the Wall Street Journal (sub.…

Jun 6, 2007 5:14 PM CDT

Rival Outfoxed by PA DA’s Ballot Move

An incumbent Pennsylvania prosecutor who is professionally known by her maiden name, Fox, pulled a fast one on him at election time, contends her rival, whose middle name is also Fox. Voters may have been confused because Greene County District Attorney Marjorie Fox used that name on the ballot in…

Jun 5, 2007 8:57 PM CDT

Howrey Conflict Alleged

A company that owns several patents is seeking to disqualify Howrey from representing a defendant it sued for infringement. San Francisco company Friskit Inc. says in a May 25 motion that it met with lawyers from Howrey’s East Palo Alto, Calif., office in January to discuss hiring the firm to…

Jun 5, 2007 1:32 PM CDT

Help Wanted: Hedge Fund Mole

Hedge fund managers are sending patent litigators to court to report on the outcome of patent litigation. Ron Laurie, of Inflexion Point Strategy, an IP investment bank, told IP Law and Business that he’s heard the lawyers help the managers make trades before news services can report on the proceedings.…

May 10, 2007 1:38 PM CDT

Andy Griffith Wins Right to Run for Sheriff

Although he lost resoundingly the last time around, Andy Griffith can continue to run for sheriff in Grant County, Wis., a federal judge has ruled. The federal court in Madison, Wis., was brought into the electoral fray by a lawsuit filed by the “real” Andy Griffith, a television actor now…

May 7, 2007 6:04 PM CDT

Vonage Cites Patent Ruling, Seeks Retrial

Vonage Holdings is citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent patent ruling in a motion seeking a retrial of a patent infringement case. Vonage filed the motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg News. The Supreme Court’s Monday ruling in…

May 2, 2007 2:09 PM CDT

Google Cites Law’s Protections in Copyright Case

A response filed by Google in a copyright infringement suit says it is protected from liability by safe-harbor clauses in a 1998 federal law. Viacom Inc. claims Google infringes its patents through videos posted by users on Google’s YouTube Web site. Google cites the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in its…

May 1, 2007 4:01 PM CDT

Patent Ruling Has Broad Reach

The U.S. Supreme Court decision yesterday making it more difficult to obtain patents on new products is one of its more important patent rulings in years. The court said an invention is not entitled to a patent if it is the result of only “ordinary innovation” and “does no more…

May 1, 2007 2:04 PM CDT

Mixing IP with Mmmmmm

There’s a multipage nondisclosure agreement that visitors must sign before they’re allowed in the kitchen at Moto restaurant in Chicago. And some of the food prepared by executive chef Homaro Cantu is served with a copyright notice.

May 1, 2007 11:07 AM CDT

Crisis Pending

Can a patent on a legal strategy prevent a client from taking your advice? The courts may soon decide.

May 1, 2007 10:25 AM CDT

Supreme Court Rules on Two Patent Cases

In two patent decisions today, the U.S. Supreme Court made it easier to challenge patents on new products and declined to extend U.S. anti-infringement standards abroad. In one case, the high court said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had applied an overinclusive test in determining whether…

Apr 30, 2007 6:33 PM CDT

Vonage Back in Business While Appeal Proceeds

Despite allegedly infringing several voiceover patents held by Verizon Communications Inc., Internet upstart Vonage Holdings Corp. can continue in business as usual against the telephone giant while its appeal of an earlier damages ruling is pending. Overturning a federal court injunction issued earlier this month which prevented Vonage from marketing…

Apr 25, 2007 12:31 AM CDT

Chinese Court Orders Yahoo Fine

A Chinese court has ordered Yahoo Inc. to pay about $27,000 for infringing the copyrights of music companies, the Associated Press reports. The suit brought by a trade group representing recording companies had claimed Yahoo’s search engine improperly links to Web sites posting pirated songs. In a statement, Yahoo vowed…

Apr 24, 2007 2:54 PM CDT

Court Order: Lawyer Billing Records Secret

Under an order filed Friday by a federal judge in Oklahoma, attorney billing records will be kept confidential in ongoing litigation by the Recording Industry Association of America over alleged unauthorized individual Internet use of song files. The detailed billing records need to be kept confidential, explained District Judge Lee…

Apr 16, 2007 10:22 PM CDT

No New Cases for U.S. Supreme Court Today

The U.S. Supreme Court granted no new cases on the merits today. However, the high court asked the U.S. Solicitor General to weigh in with his thoughts on three others involving employee benefits, federal labor law and patent rights, reports SCOTUSblog. A response is expected in time to allow the…

Apr 16, 2007 7:14 PM CDT