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Venue in patent cases lies “in the judicial district where the defendant resides, or where the defendant has committed acts of infringement and has a regular and established place of business.” 28 U.S.C. §1400(b). Since 1990, the Federal Circuit interpreted the term “resides” coextensively with the general venue statute such that patent venue lay where the defendant was subject to personal jurisdiction. See, VE Holding Corp. v Johnson Gas Appliance Co., 917 F2d 1574, 1578 (1990). Minimum contacts required for personal jurisdiction are substantially less than a “regular and established” place of business. So, the court’s broad definition of “resides” essentially made §1400(b)’s alternative phrase unnecessary. But this year, the Supreme Court greatly narrowed that definition. See, TC Heartland v. Kraft Foods Group Brands, 137 S. Ct. 1514, 1517 (2017). The Federal Circuit, in turn, interpreted the newly-relevant alternative phrase. In re Cray, ___ F.3d ___, 2017 WL 4201535 at 4 (Fed. Cir. 2017). After two decades of relaxed patent venue rules, these decisions work a seismic shift in patent litigation.
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Fourth Circuit Weighs In on Fair Use and Copyright Registration Validity
By Thomas Kjellberg and Robert W. Clarida
In Philpot v. Independent Journal Review, the Fourth Circuit found no fair use or copyright validity for a concert photographer's use of a photo of Ted Nugent as part of a collection.
USPTO Issues New Guidance On Rejecting Patent Claims for Obviousness
By Rob Maier
The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently published new guidance explaining the requirements for patent examiners to reject patent claims for obviousness in view of what was already known in the prior art.
“Holy Fair Use, Batman”: Copyright, Fair Use and the Dark Knight
By David G. Kim and Michael K. Friedland
The copyright for the original versions of Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse have expired. Now, members of the public can create — and are busy creating — their own works based on these beloved characters. Suppose, though, we want to tell stories using Batman for which the copyright does not expire until 2035. We’ll review five hypothetical works inspired by the original Batman comic and analyze them under fair use.
Intellectual Property In Legal Tech: Lessons from Recent Cases
By Brian Mack, Kevin Keller and Olga V. Mack
As technology continues to permeate the legal industry, the significance of IP in safeguarding innovations, ensuring fair competition, and fostering a culture of creative legal solutions becomes paramount.
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