Intellectual Property Law

Can company restrict reuse of its ink cartridges to bypass patent doctrine? SCOTUS to decide

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to decide whether a company that sells its printer cartridges subject to a bar on their reuse or resale can invoke patent law against a company that violates the restriction. At issue is whether the restrictions imposed by Lexmark International bypass the general…

Dec 5, 2016 11:09 AM CST

SiriusXM agrees to pay up to $99M in copyright class action brought by Turtles members

SiriusXM has agreed to pay up to $99 million to settle three class action suits claiming the satellite radio service infringed musicians’ copyrights for music recorded before 1972, when federal copyright law began to offer protection. The suits claimed the artists were entitled to payments for older music because of…

Dec 2, 2016 7:45 AM CST

Law firm can run ads targeting specific nursing home, Georgia Supreme Court rules

A Mississippi-based law firm seeking nursing home neglect and abuse cases didn’t violate Georgia trademark law by targeting PruittHealth Inc. in one of its ads, the Georgia Supreme Court has ruled. In a decision on Monday, the court lifted an injunction that had barred the ads by the McHugh Fuller…

Nov 22, 2016 12:10 PM CST

These law firms get the most business from large companies in five areas of litigation

The nation’s largest companies spread their work around to a mix of law firms, according to an analysis of court filings and public documents. Corporate Counsel (sub. req.) did the review and created the list of the top go-to law firms used by Fortune 50 companies in five key areas…

Nov 21, 2016 1:39 PM CST

Dr. Seuss Enterprises sues over crowdfunded comic, ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Boldly Go!’

Dr. Seuss Enterprises has filed a trademark and copyright lawsuit over a crowdfunded book that is said to combine elements of Star Trek and Dr. Seuss. The federal suit (PDF), filed last Friday, says webcomics company ComicMix “unabashedly misappropriates” the intellectual property of Dr. Seuss Enterprises with its illustrated book,…

Nov 17, 2016 8:00 AM CST

ABA brief in disparaging trademarks case says denied registration doesn’t eliminate all protection

The ABA has filed an amicus brief in a U.S. Supreme Court case that considers whether a federal law banning the registration of disparaging trademarks is viewpoint discrimination that violates the First Amendment. The ABA filed the amicus brief (PDF) on Wednesday in Lee v. Tam, a case filed by…

Nov 16, 2016 12:30 PM CST

South Texas College of Law announces its latest new name

The South Texas College of Law has opted for a tweak rather than an entire name change after losing an injunction fight over its plan to change its name to the Houston College of Law. The law school’s new name will be the South Texas College of Law Houston, according…

Nov 7, 2016 2:31 PM CST

Lawsuits aim to put iconic folk songs back in the public domain

Lawyer Paul LiCalsi argues that “This Land Is Your Land” (as it’s dubbed since a 1956 copyright) and “We Shall Overcome” deserve to be protected from commercial exploitation.

Nov 1, 2016 3:00 AM CDT

Law school agrees to second name change after losing injunction fight in trademark suit

The South Texas College of Law has abandoned plans to change its name to the Houston College of Law after a federal judge enjoined use of the new name in a trademark suit filed by the University of Houston Law Center. The law school is devising a new name that…

Oct 27, 2016 10:46 AM CDT

Judge orders law school to stop using its new name

A federal judge in Texas has barred the newly named Houston College of Law from using the name. U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison granted a temporary injunction on Friday in a trademark infringement suit filed by the University of Houston Law Center, the Houston Chronicle (sub. req.) reports in an…

Oct 17, 2016 9:43 AM CDT

In ‘surprise’ ruling, full appeals court reinstates Apple’s $119.6M infringement award

A federal appeals court has reinstated a $119.6 million award to Apple in its infringement battle against Samsung over smartphone technology. In an en banc decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reinstated the award for infringement of Apple technology for sliding to unlock the phone; automatic…

Oct 7, 2016 12:21 PM CDT

Maynard Cooper & Gale opens New York office

Alabama-based firm Maynard Cooper & Gale has opened a new office in the Big Apple. On Monday, the firm announced the hiring of three veteran intellectual property lawyers to help establish the firm’s new office in New York City. Ex-Goodwin Procter partners Kevin Culligan and John Hanish have joined as…

Oct 5, 2016 1:45 PM CDT

Anatomy of an extensive default judgment

A Pennsylvania federal court case was unusual because of the staggering amount of work the judge put into explaining her reasoning in an otherwise routine default judgment. Also see our cover story: "Who's the pirate?"

Oct 1, 2016 12:30 AM CDT

Who’s the pirate? Lawyers join forces to fight allegedly bogus claims of pay-TV theft

Private lawyers pay armies of freelance investigators to go into establishments and document pay-per-view theft. For a small business, a lawsuit could be a death knell.

Oct 1, 2016 12:20 AM CDT

Supreme Court to consider law banning disparaging trademarks

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to decide the constitutionality of a law that bans registration of disparaging trademarks. The court will decide the issue in the case of a “Chinatown dance rock” band that wants to trademark its name, the Slants, SCOTUSblog reports. The case page is here.…

Sep 29, 2016 10:27 AM CDT