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Claim Preclusion Requires Analysis that Claims in Newly Asserted Patents are Patently Indistinct from Claims in Previously Adjudicated Patents<br>Claim Elements Taught by Prior Art for Purposes of Novelty and Obviousness are not Necessarily 'Well-Understood, Routine, and Conventional' Under §101
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How Ticket Software Lost Trade Secret Protection
According to a recent case from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York involving live-event ticket sales, a purported holder of a trade secret cannot omit a confidentiality provision from its terms of use and then claim trade secret status afterward.
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Will the Supreme Court Seismically Shift the Patent Damages Landscape in <i>WesternGeco v. ION</i>?
The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to consider whether a patentee may recover foreign lost profits resulting from infringement of a United States patent.
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Even the Value of the Smallest Salable Unit Must Be Apportioned
<i><b>Finjan, Inc. v. Blue Coat Sys., Inc.</b></i><p>The Federal Circuit ruled that basing a reasonable royalty calculation on the “smallest salable unit” does not obviate the need to apportion damages to the patented contribution within that unit.
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Takeaways from the Swift End to <i>Waymo v. Uber</i>
The details might not be quite as dramatic as they were in <i>Waymo v. Uber</i>, but lawyers expect trade secrets to continue to be a fertile source for litigation.
Columns & Departments
IP News
Federal Circuit Vacates Noninfringement Decision Finding a Genuine Dispute as to Divided Infringement<br>Patent Trial and Appeal Board Holds Sovereign Immunity No Defense to IPR Petition Brought by Accused Infringer
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Federal Circuit Holds That PTAB's Determination on Whether the One Year Time-Bar Is Triggered in <i>Inter Partes</i> Review Is Reviewable on Appeal
On Jan. 8, 2018, the Federal Circuit issued its significant <i>en banc</i> decision in <i>Wi-Fi One, LLC v. Broadcom.</i> In that decision, the Federal Circuit held that the time-bar of 35 U.S.C. §315(b) is reviewable on appeal, thus overturning a prior panel decision and opening the door for parties to challenge how the USPTO has interpreted and applied that statutory provision.
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Trademark Board's Precedential Ruling on Use in Commerce
In a nearly 50-page precedential opinion in a ruling of great significance to the entertainment industry, a TTAB panel of judges recently underscored the need to prove actual use in commerce in order to register a trademark, regardless of how low the standard for use under the Lanham Act has recently become.
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Federal Circuit Holds Scandalous or Immoral Marks Entitled to Registration
<b><i>Refusal Is an Unconstitutional Violation of Free Speech</b></i><p>On Dec. 15, 2017, a unanimous Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held that despite Appellant's mark comprising “immoral or scandalous” matter, the PTO could no longer refuse federal registration of such marks on the grounds that this refusal violated the free speech clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
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An IP Protection Primer for Entertainment Tech Startups
The tech-heavy entertainment industry is an active field for tech startup companies developing potential patents and trade secrets. But many cash conscious startups are forced to initially neglect protection planning for these intellectual property assets, instead allocating scarce resources to set up and initial operation costs. This article suggests some practical and economical steps for startups, especially those with tight finances, to protect what may become valuable patents and trade secrets.
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