Mattel Ordered to Pay $225M in Punitives, Attorney’s Fees and Costs in Bratz Doll Case

A federal judge in Santa Ana, Calif., today nearly trebled the $88 million that Mattel Inc. was earlier ordered to pay a competitor in a hard-fought case over the rights to the popular Bratz doll line. Mattel must pay MGA Entertainment Inc. $85 million in punitive damages and $2.5 million…

Aug 5, 2011 12:55 AM CDT

Federal Judge Says Zediva’s Rent-a-DVD-and-Player Online Business Infringes, OKs Injunction

A creative concept for providing instant access to movies as soon as they are available on DVD, by renting both a DVD and a player to a single customer via the Internet, arguably complied with copyright law. But a federal judge in central California agreed with movie studios that it…

Aug 3, 2011 6:02 PM CDT

With Law Firm’s Aid, Studio Strikes Back by IDing Alleged Culprit in Hacking of ‘Twilight’ Images

Heartbroken to see images on the Internet earlier this year from its latest, as-yet-unreleased film in the Twilight Saga vampire romance series, a movie studio went the extra mile. Summit Entertainment put the Kroll Inc. private investigator and law firm Keats McFarland & Wilson on the case to try to…

Aug 1, 2011 6:20 PM CDT

Federal Circuit Rules Isolated Genes Can Be Patented

A federal appeals court has ruled that companies can patent isolated human genes, overturning a lower court ruling that had surprised some observers. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled on Friday for Myriad Genetics Inc. and its patents on genes associated with increased risk of breast…

Aug 1, 2011 1:19 PM CDT

Bottoms Up, Litigation Down: Microbrewers Forsake Litigation, Opt for Collaborative Blend

Aug 1, 2011 8:00 AM CDT

Free for All: Urban Homestead Service Mark Spurs Trademark Scuffle

Aug 1, 2011 7:50 AM CDT

Fast-Forward: Federal Circuit Makes It Easier to Enforce Injunctions in Patent Cases

Aug 1, 2011 7:30 AM CDT

Marvel, Not Comic Artist’s Heirs, Owns Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four and More

Heirs of a comic-book artist who claimed a legal right to Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four and other superheroes today lost a round before a federal judge in New York. The Walt Disney Co., which paid $4 billion in 2009 to acquire Marvel Worldwide Inc., owns the rights…

Jul 28, 2011 10:29 PM CDT

Fulbright & Jaworski Acquires IP Boutique

Fulbright & Jaworski has acquired the Houston intellectual property boutique Slusser Wilson & Partridge. Slusser Wilson’s name partners—William Slusser, Michael Wilson, and Jayme Partridge—had previously worked at Baker Botts, report the Am Law Daily and a press release. Slusser founded the boutique, previously known as Slusser & Frost, in 1999.…

Jul 28, 2011 1:25 PM CDT

Lawyer for YSL Points to Oz’s Dorothy in Red-Soled Shoe Case; Louboutin Injunction Unresolved

Can designer Christian Louboutin trademark a color? That essentially is the question in a hard-fought federal case over competing red-soled women’s shoes made by Louboutin and Yves St. Laurent. Argued Friday in the Southern District of New York, it hasn’t yet resulted in a ruling on the preliminary injunction sought…

Jul 25, 2011 10:44 PM CDT

Kim Kardashian Sues Old Navy, Says Store Used Lookalike Model in Ads

Reality television temptress Kim Kardashian filed a federal district court lawsuit against Old Navy and the clothing retailer’s parent company yesterday, contending that the store infringed on her right of publicity by using a lookalike model in its advertising. Filed yesterday in the Central District of California, the suit, which…

Jul 21, 2011 5:23 PM CDT

Ex Harvard Ethics Fellow Accused of Hacking Into MIT Network, Stealing 4M Docs with Intent to Share

An activist programmer and former fellow at Harvard University’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics is facing federal criminal charges for allegedly hacking into the computer network at Massachusetts Institute of Technology between September of 2010 and January 2011 to access a subscription service that provides published academic articles. Aaron…

Jul 19, 2011 9:56 PM CDT

Viatical Company Drops Suit Against ‘Twittersquatter’

A company that sued a so-called Twittersquatter for using its name to post sarcastic tweets has dropped its legal effort. Coventry First dropped the suit late Tuesday, according to Public Citizen’s Consumer Law & Policy Blog. Public Citizen had defended the anonymous person who used the @coventryfirst handle. (The author…

Jul 14, 2011 10:29 AM CDT

Europe’s Top Court Says eBay Could Be Liable in Sales of Counterfeit Goods

Europe’s top court has ruled that online auction sites such as eBay could be liable for trademark infringement if they actively promote counterfeit goods. The court ruled after L’Oreal alleged in a series of suits that eBay was liable for selling counterfeit goods and imported L’Oreal products not intended for…

Jul 12, 2011 11:31 AM CDT

Some Designers Say Their Work Deserves Copyright Protection; Others Say It Would Harm the Industry

Jul 1, 2011 9:30 AM CDT