Former in-house patent lawyer admits $5M billing scheme, will reimburse Hunter Douglas

Sued in federal court in Denver, a former lead in-house patent lawyer for Hunter Douglas Inc. has admitted a billing scheme that diverted more than $5 million of company funds to a patent-search firm he secretly controlled and promised to repay the money. Jason Throne, 53, said in court papers…

Dec 8, 2014 5:05 PM CST

Threatened patent suits amounted to deceptive tactics, FTC alleges; law firm and client settle

The Federal Trade Commission has settled a complaint against a Texas law firm and its client that alleged their threatened patent suits amounted to false or misleading statements. Law firm Farney Daniels and its client MPHJ Technology Investments agreed in a consent order (PDF) to stop making misrepresentations in letters…

Nov 10, 2014 6:15 AM CST

Federal appeals court blasts attorney for forwarding chief judge’s congratulatory email

After receiving a congratulatory email earlier this year from the sitting chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, a prominent patent lawyer did what the email expressly suggested and forwarded the praise to others. Edward Reines sent the email to more than 70 current or…

Nov 5, 2014 4:18 PM CST

US creates new office to harmonize the global patent system

Oct 1, 2014 4:30 AM CDT

Patent lawyer faces $5.9M malpractice suit over wrong bra-insert dimensions

A BigLaw attorney got the drawings right in a patent application for silicone bra inserts intended to enhance the purchaser’s cleavage. But Bernard Codd of McDermott Will & Emery didn’t accurately describe the inserts in the written portion of a 2009 patent application, leaving now-former client Debra MacKinnon without enforceable…

Aug 19, 2014 5:40 PM CDT

Government paralegals making up to $80K had little work to do, report says

Dozens of paralegals hired in 2009 to combat a growing backlog of patent appeals were often idle because a hiring freeze halted hiring of judges to hear the cases, according to a new report. The work-at-home paralegals filled their time surfing the Internet, doing household tasks, watching TV and exercising,…

Aug 1, 2014 12:53 PM CDT

Federal Circuit gets reined in over patent fees in infringement suits

Jul 1, 2014 8:50 AM CDT

Samsung and Quinn Emanuel must pay $2M for revealing ‘attorneys’ eyes only’ info, judge rules

A major law firm and its client must pay a patent litigation opponent more than $2 million in legal fees and costs, a federal judge in California has ruled. The award covers the expense of litigating a sanctions motion and discovery dispute over the revelation of “attorneys’ eyes only” information…

Jun 24, 2014 6:10 PM CDT

Computer software based on an abstract idea isn’t eligible for a patent, SCOTUS rules

Computer software that is based on an abstract idea isn’t eligible for a patent, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled. The unanimous opinion (PDF) by Justice Clarence Thomas was a defeat for the Alice Corp., which sought to enforce patents on a computer program that helps foreign-exchange buyers and sellers…

Jun 19, 2014 3:04 PM CDT

Law firm websites need to step up their game for Google | Dodging spammers while using autoreply

Law firm websites that focus on keywords rather than quality content are now losing the SEO battle, the Colorado Bar Association’s SOLO in COLO writes. New Google algorithms mean that firms need to publish original, meaningful content on a regular basis. “Law-firm sites that regularly showed up on page one…

Jun 6, 2014 1:30 PM CDT

No liability for induced infringement when company and customer split patented steps, SCOTUS says

A technology company isn’t liable for inducing patent infringement when it performs some steps of a method patent and encourages others to take the remaining steps, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled. The court ruled on behalf of Internet services company Limelight Networks in a unanimous opinion (PDF) by Justice…

Jun 2, 2014 4:33 PM CDT

Federal Circuit’s chief judge resigns leadership post after email controversy

Judge Randall Rader of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has announced his resignation as chief judge of the court following a controversy over an email he sent to a BigLaw partner. The court announced on Friday that Rader will step down as chief judge at the…

May 23, 2014 2:56 PM CDT

Patent trolls are getting First Amendment protection for their demand letters

May 1, 2014 9:00 AM CDT

Supreme Court eases standard for award of attorney fees in patent litigation

The Federal Circuit’s standards for the award of attorney fees in patent cases are “unduly rigid,” the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled. The Supreme Court issued opinions in two attorney fee cases today, including one cast as an avenue to deter frivolous litigation by patent trolls. The opinions ease the…

Apr 29, 2014 2:56 PM CDT

Attendees’ smartphones cause courtroom chaos at latest Apple-Samsung patent trial

It isn’t just smartphone technology that’s at issue in a high-profile Silicon Valley trial in which two leading manufacturers of the devices are battling over patent rights. Attendees at the much-watched San Jose, Calif., trial between Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. are trying the patience of U.S. District Judge…

Apr 9, 2014 3:45 PM CDT