Features
The Use of Market and Industry Data in Patent Damages: The Two Approaches under Federal Rule of Evidence 703
Whether calculating lost profits or performing a 'reasonable royalty' analysis under the <i>Georgia-Pacific</i> factors, a damages expert in a patent case is required to consider a large variety of data ' not just data from the plaintiff or the defendant, but also data from third-party sources, such as trade industry publications or market analyst reports. The admissibility of an opinion based on third-party information, however, has been a source of conflict since 1993, when the U.S. Supreme Court decided <i>Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharms., Inc.</i>
Features
Court Watch
Highlights of the latest franchising cases from around the country.
Features
Litigating Reduction to Practice: Traps for the Unwary
Part One of this series discussed the two types of reduction to practice: constructive and actual. This installment continues the discussion of satisfying the second prong of the actual reduction to practice test.
Features
Patent Licenses: The Devil Is in the Details
When entering into a patent license, the most time is often spent on two issues: 1) how much money, and 2) what am I getting or granting for the money. Several recent appellate court decisions remind us that attention also needs to be paid to other provisions, as they can drastically affect one's rights. This article discusses three such decisions that address declaratory judgment actions, arbitration, and termination, that collectively remind us that the devil is in the details.
Features
Case Briefs
Highlights of the latest insurance cases from around the country.
Features
Multi-Year and Stub Policies: The Expectations and Economics of Providing Full Limits of Liability
When an insurance policy is written for a single year, little controversy exists regarding the limits of liability. Multi-year policies, those written for more than one annual period, and stub policies, those in effect for less than a year, are, however, becoming a source of disagreement. Particularly with long-tail claims such as asbestos, chemical exposures, and welding rod litigation triggering historic policies from the 1960s and 1970s, litigation on these issues is becoming ever more important. There is no established general rule regarding the available limits for these types of policies. Rather, courts apply a case-specific analysis of the evidence and policy language to determine the parties' intent regarding the policy's limits. Based on the policy language, or lack thereof, courts have, with limited exceptions, found full aggregate limits during each annual period for multi-year policies and an additional set of limits for stub policies. Such findings are supported by policy language, general legal principles, the economics of the parties' transactions, and industry practice.
Features
IT Leasing on the Rise
A recent study commissioned by the Equipment Leasing and Financing Association of America ('ELFA') and produced by The Alta Group examines how U.S. businesses and other organizations acquire critical information technology ('IT') equipment and what factors influence the decision-making processes.
Features
In the Marketplace
Highlights of the latest equipment leasing news from around the country.
Features
Motor Vehicle Leasing in Canada: A Guide for U.S. Leasing Professionals
In the past, I have written a number of articles directed at U.S. leasing professionals on what they should know about doing business in Canada. These past articles have focused on the leasing business in general as opposed to any particular sector. They discussed broad issues, such as withholding tax and regulatory concerns, but did not examine the specifics of any particular class of collateral or industry sector. During the past several months, I have received a number of inquiries from U.S. lessors in regard to the financing of motor vehicles in Canada. It became readily apparent that not only are there significant differences in law and practice affecting Canadian and U.S. lessors, there also exists a general misunderstanding of the laws of Canada. While generally, Canadian and U.S. law and practice are similar, one area in which they are divergent is motor vehicles. This article, while far from being a complete guide, provides certain guidance as to the most significant concerns.
Features
The Enforceability of Prepayment Premium Provisions
Lessors and lenders need to be aware of a recently issued U.S. District Court decision addressing the enforceability of a prepayment premium in a mortgage loan context. The decision in <i>River East Plaza, LLC v. The Variable Annuity Life Company</i> (Slip Copy, 2006 WL 2787483 (N. D. Ill.)) was rendered on Sept. 22, 2006, by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Eastern Division), construing Illinois law.
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