Patent Law

‘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

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

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

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

Criticizing plaintiff’s ‘chutzpah,’ federal judge holds lawyer jointly responsible for over $207K in legal fees

A federal judge in Houston is holding a lawyer and his client liable for more than $207,500 in their opponent’s legal fees, saying they filed a patent infringement lawsuit and continued to litigate it after the defendant “pointed out its obvious lack of merit.”

Aug 29, 2024 2:34 PM CDT

Does SCOTUS decision in ‘Trump too small’ case show ‘rifts in the originalist consensus’?

Updated: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office did not violate the First Amendment rights of a trademark applicant when it refused to register the phrase “Trump too small.”

Jun 13, 2024 12:40 PM CDT

Scheme by former Samsung lawyers was ‘dishonest, unfair, deceitful and repugnant,’ judge says

A federal judge in Texas has tossed a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung Electronics because of evidence that the claims were “infected” by the theft of information protected by attorney-client privilege.

May 29, 2024 1:25 PM CDT

Top artificial intelligence insurance tips for lawyers

To better advise artificial intelligence decisions, lawyers should know the benefits, shortcomings and best practices of incorporating insurance into AI risk management.

May 10, 2024 1:52 PM CDT

Weekly performance meetings in glass room visible to others were retaliatory, plaintiff says in suit against Morgan Lewis

A Black patent prosecution specialist born in 1962 alleges that Morgan, Lewis & Bockius gave better opportunities to white, younger co-workers and retaliated when she complained by having weekly performance meetings in a glass-walled conference room visible to colleagues.

Apr 1, 2024 3:37 PM CDT

AI-generated music is everywhere; is any of it legal?

There has been an explosion of AI-generated music featuring the living or resurrecting the dead. But as artists push the limits of parody, fair use, right of publicity, infringement and authorship, there is one overarching question: Is any of this stuff legal?

Jan 18, 2024 3:50 PM CST

BigLaw firm’s ‘misrepresentations and passive obstreperousness’ prevented witness testimony, judge says

A federal judge in Virginia has held lawyers at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in civil contempt while ordering its former client to pay enhanced damages for “abhorrent litigation conduct.”

Oct 24, 2023 2:07 PM CDT

Proposed patent reforms will harm AI innovation, Google GC says

Google criticized the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week for proposed changes to the process for patent challenges, saying they will likely limit opportunities for innovation in artificial intelligence.

Aug 24, 2023 9:45 AM CDT

Meet Lawsuit Barbie: She’s been busy at Barbie’s courthouse

Barbie has been living in the real world for a long time. Because of the doll’s colossal success since its introduction in 1959, countless lawsuits have gone through the courts as the doll’s maker has sought to enforce its rights and protect her image.

Jul 25, 2023 9:36 AM CDT

Retired patent attorney who helped nab ‘Golden State Killer’ recounts her remarkable journey

In September 1998, a landscape worker clearing brush near I-85 in Mebane, North Carolina, came upon the skeletal remains of an unidentified child under a towering Howard Johnson’s sign. Despite law enforcement efforts, the youth remained nameless for two decades. He was simply known as “the Boy Under the Billboard.”

Apr 4, 2023 9:43 AM CDT