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That least-read contract — the Terms of Use (ToU) — can be an effective (albeit the last) weapon in the arsenal of a company trying to protect unpatented software technology while providing on-line services. In particular, a Software as a Service (SaaS) company may need to rely on its user license agreement or ToU to protect against theft of its technology by competitors posing as customers. Importantly, as discussed below, the ToU can support injunctive relief just as is available for patent infringement. Furthermore, even where individual components of the SaaS product are otherwise publicly available, or known in the art, a ToU contract protecting the proprietary combination of such components in the product as a whole will be enforced. See, Aronson v. Quick Point Pencil Co., 440 U.S. 257, 99 S. Ct. 1096 (1978) (enforcing contractual obligations freely undertaken at arm’s length to continue to pay royalties on unpatented publicly available product).
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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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