Commercial Law

Software company Fortres Grand is pressing to revive its trademark infringement claims against Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. for using the name of the real-life "Clean Slate" computer program in the Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises .

Maryland Federal Court Issues Ruling in Dispute over Boxer Roberto Duran's Life Story
New York Federal Court Refuses to Apply First-Filed Exception to Dispute Over "Bette Davis Eyes" Jewelry

These days, it is commonplace for companies to license multiple parties in various distinct geographical areas to use the same trademark. Because different licensees may be competitors of one another in different product lines, the question often arises as to whether one licensee may challenge another's right to use a licensed mark and, if so, where.

The change of federal government in Australia on Sept. 7, 2013 has created some uncertainty in relation to the changes to the Franchising Code of Conduct that were expected to result from a recent comprehensive review of the Code.

The abuse of the chargeback option has resulted in a "friendly fraud" epidemic harming not only merchants, but the very consumers the programs were designed to help.

Covenants Against Competition Find Disfavor In Recent Cases

In September of last year, the America Invents Act introduced a number of powerful tools for challenging the validity of an issued patent at the USPTO ' Inter Partes Review (IPR), Covered Business Method Review (CBMR), and Post-Grant Review (PGR). By a large margin, however, the most popular of these procedures has been the IPR.

Research over the past four years is showing a slow-moving upward trend of law firms hiring professional salespeople. This trend spans all sizes of firms, from small to global. The backgrounds of these professionals varies; primarily, they come to firms from a solid background of success in the sales world, many having worked against assigned quotas and on partial commission.