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FTC Proposal Could Dramatically Affect the Patent Landscape
After conducting a study on how the U.S. patent system affects competition and innovation, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has suggested several legislative and judicial reforms to current U.S. patent law that might change the way we litigate patents. If implemented, these reforms could make it easier to challenge the validity of patents and could provide accused infringers with additional defenses to charges of infringement and willful infringement.
The FTC's proposal, contained in an October 2003 report titled “To Promote Innovation: The Proper Balance of Competition and Patent Law and Policy,” seeks to lower the standard of proof for patent validity challenges. For at least the past 70 years, courts have required patent invalidity to be proven by the heightened standard of clear and convincing evidence. The FTC's proposal would lower the bar to a preponderance of the evidence standard. If adopted, such a change in the law would make it easier for patent holders to prove infringement at trial, and to have those infringement findings upheld on appeal.
Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough
There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.
Judge Rules Shaquille O'Neal Will Face Securities Lawsuit for Promotion, Sale of NFTs
A federal district court in Miami, FL, has ruled that former National Basketball Association star Shaquille O'Neal will have to face a lawsuit over his promotion of unregistered securities in the form of cryptocurrency tokens and that he was a "seller" of these unregistered securities.
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It
Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?
Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand Owners
Blockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.
Coverage Issues Stemming from Dry Cleaner Contamination Suits
In recent years, there has been a growing number of dry cleaners claiming to be "organic," "green," or "eco-friendly." While that may be true with respect to some, many dry cleaners continue to use a cleaning method involving the use of a solvent called perchloroethylene, commonly known as perc. And, there seems to be an increasing number of lawsuits stemming from environmental problems associated with historic dry cleaning operations utilizing this chemical.