Commercial Law

The successful plaintiff in a design patent infringement case is entitled to recover the greater of the defendant's profits or its own damages, regardless of how the jury desires to apportion the award. Thus, in Nordock, Inc. v. Systems Inc., the Federal Circuit ordered a new damages trial on the grounds that the amount of defendant's profits assessed by the jury was not supported by the evidence or in accordance with the law.

When is a graphic design a "work of authorship" that, when incorporated into the design of a useful article, is "identified separately from, and ' capable of existing independently of, the utilitarian aspects of the article"? In deciding that the designs on cheerleader uniforms were more like copyrightable fabric designs than unprotectable garment designs, the Sixth Circuit undertook a lengthy analysis of "separability.

One of the fundamental principles of U.S. contract law is that a party must have the capacity to enter into a contract in order to be bound. Minors, as a general rule, lack this capacity. As a result, any contract made with a minor might not be enforceable. Yet in certain circumstances, contracts with minors are commonplace. The following identifies some risks, some mitigating solutions and the limitations of those solutions when contracting with a minor.

This article explores some steps counsel can take to protect their organizations from a data breach, and how counsel can proactively help to mitigate any adverse impact in the unfortunate event a data breach occurs.

Cybersecurity is at a crossroads. No longer resigned to the confines of server rooms overseen by information technology, decisions regarding the protection of data have been forced into the boardroom by events that include breaches at main street businesses and revelations of clandestine government hacking activities.

Storing and sharing data "in the cloud" has become, in many instances, a business necessity. The practical and economic advantages of cloud computing are clear ' it eliminates the need to send client data via traditional, costly methods, and is significantly less expensive than building and maintaining the same data storage capacity in-house.

Franchisees and Dealers Should Plead Causation In Actions Against the Government
Michigan Court Transfers Case Brought By 41 Franchisees to Franchisor's Home State

Every company with union workers faces the risk of a labor dispute. Identifying any business risks and then managing them is a priority for executive decision-makers who must ensure that the company delivers its promises to stockholders, customers and employees. The process is well defined in business terms: