Intellectual Property Law

Taco Bell Loses Chihuahua Dispute as it Fights 50 Cent Ad Suit

A federal appeals court has ruled that Taco Bell—and not its ad agency—is responsible for paying $42 million in damages and interest to two cartoonists who claimed the fast-food giant stole their Chihuahua idea. Two Michigan men claimed they were talking to Taco Bell advertising agents about use of their…

Jan 27, 2009 3:42 PM CST

Locke Lord Pursues Partners of Dwindling Morgan & Finnegan IP Boutique

Most of the remaining lawyers in a New York intellectual property boutique that has been dwindling for the past two years are at least thinking about joining Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell. On Friday, Locke Lord extended offers to “the bulk” of the partnership at Morgan & Finnegan, reports the…

Jan 26, 2009 9:24 PM CST

US Appeals Court Orders Expedited Briefs in Webcast Challenge

A federal appeals court has ordered expedited briefing in a challenge to a Boston judge’s order allowing a live Internet broadcast of a hearing in an illegal downloading suit. The hearing—which would have been the first free broadcast of a federal court session live on the Internet—had originally been scheduled…

Jan 22, 2009 4:30 PM CST

Will Obamas Seek Royalties for Ty’s New Sasha and Malia Dolls?

The toy maker that sells Beanie Babies is selling two new dolls with the names “Marvelous Malia” and “Sweet Sasha.” Company spokeswoman Tania Lundeen told Crain’s Chicago Business that the dolls were created to resemble Barack Obama’s daughters, but she had a different spin in an interview with the Associated…

Jan 22, 2009 2:37 PM CST

New White House Counsel Could Be Sending Cease-and-Desist Letters

Part of the job of the White House counsel is to protect the president’s image from commercial exploitation. That means Gregory Craig could be pursuing those who are profiting from items such as Obama can openers and Obama chocolate chip cookies, Washington Post columnist Al Kamen writes on the In…

Jan 12, 2009 12:59 PM CST

Associate Attorney General Nominee Sued File Sharers for RIAA

Technology blogs are talking about some controversial lawsuits filed by Barack Obama’s nominee for associate attorney general. Jenner & Block’s Tom Perrelli has represented the Recording Industry Association of America in “a slew of cases, including a high-profile bid to unmask file sharers without the requirement of a judge reviewing…

Jan 7, 2009 7:09 PM CST

Pfizer Ordered to Pay $38M to Calif. Nonprofit

Jurors in Northern California have said drugmaker Pfizer should pay $38 million to a Bay Area medical research nonprofit for stealing trade secrets to develop a pain relief drug. The verdict comes in the 2004 case filed by the San Bruno, Calif.-based nonprofit Ischemia Research and Education Foundation, the Associated…

Dec 24, 2008 11:54 AM CST

‘Armies of Attorneys’ Hired to Aid Chipmakers During Slump

Companies that manufacture computer chips are retaining “armies of patent lawyers” to combat rival products or collect patent royalties. The uptick has meant a much busier U.S. International Trade Commission, which has started investigating 42 intellectual property complaints this year, the largest number since 1983, Bloomberg reports. “Lawyers are expensive,…

Dec 24, 2008 11:38 AM CST

RIAA to Stop Suing Over Music Downloads; ISPs are New Copyright Cops

Ending a controversial enforcement effort in which it appeared to be fighting something of a losing battle, the Recording Industry Association of America says it will stop suing consumers over illegal music downloads via the Internet. “The decision represents an abrupt shift of strategy for the industry, which has opened…

Dec 19, 2008 8:21 PM CST

Hot HLS Hiring Streak Continues: Lessig to Leave Stanford for Harvard

A renowned cyberlaw expert is leaving Stanford Law School, after nearly nine years, to return to Harvard Law School. Lawrence Lessig will not only serve as a law professor at Harvard but direct the Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Ethics, reports the Harvard Crimson. Elena Kagan, the Harvard Law…

Dec 16, 2008 12:53 AM CST

Ratner Prestia Announces Rate and Salary Freeze

Another intellectual property law firm is holding the line on billing rates. Ratner Prestia will freeze all of its lawyer billing rates for at least six months, the Philadelphia Business Journal reports. The firm will encourage billing alternatives such as fixed fees. The Philadelphia-based firm has also frozen lawyer salaries,…

Dec 12, 2008 5:05 PM CST

IP Firm Cuts Rates for Recession-Weary Clients

An Atlanta-area law firm has vowed to help clients suffering under the country’s economic recession with a break in attorney fees. Starting in January, Gardner Groff Greenwald & Villanueva will reduce its flat-fee rate by 12 percent, according to a statement on its website and a report in the Atlanta…

Dec 4, 2008 9:06 PM CST

Judge Orders Bratz Dolls Removed from Shelves—After the Holidays

Holiday sales of Bratz dolls will be allowed to continue despite a federal judge’s recall order yesterday in an infringement suit against MGA Entertainment. U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson issued a permanent injunction banning MGA from selling the dolls or using the Bratz name, but stayed enforcement until Feb. 11,…

Dec 4, 2008 11:59 AM CST

A ‘Loser Pays’ Legal System Will Cut Frivolous Lawsuits, Report Says

The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research released a report today advocating for a “loser pays” rule to help staunch the exorbitant litigation costs that arise from nuisance lawsuits in the U.S. “Greater Justice, Lower Cost: How a ‘Loser Pays’ Rule Would Improve the American Legal System,” reports that Americans spend…

Dec 2, 2008 11:34 PM CST

BlockStoppers?

Jones Day has won numerous accolades for client service and litigation prowess, but one of its latest lawsuits has some scratching their heads. After a website that highlights expensive real estate transactions featured the home purchases of two firm attorneys, Jones Day sued the website, claiming trademark infringement and unfair…

Dec 2, 2008 3:20 AM CST