Features

What 'Originalist' Viewpoints May Mean for Patent Law
The landscape for patent law has changed more quickly over the last five years than it had in preceding decades. Recent cases have profoundly changed the way courts and the USPTO treat patents and patent applications. The U.S. Supreme Court will have ample opportunity, if it chooses, to revisit the issues that have been raised by these cases over the next few terms.
Columns & Departments
IP News
District Court's Decision Retroactively Excusing Failure to Mark Patented Products Vacated By Federal Circuit<br>Federal Circuit Affirms PTAB's Unpatentability Findings Made In an IPR Proceeding Despite Prior Judicial Opinions Upholding Validity
Features

Supreme Court Rules on Design of a Useful Article
Fashion, furniture, and other design-oriented companies will take note of the Supreme Court's recent decision in <i>Star Athletica, L.L.C. v. Varsity Brands, Inc.</i>, which resolved a division among the federal circuits on the issue of the separability of designs of useful articles under the Copyright Act.
Features

Supreme Court May Preserve EDTX Grip on Patent Cases
The U.S. Supreme Court did not appear eager to upset the patent litigation landscape by drastically limiting where infringement lawsuits can be filed.
Features

Extraterritorial Jurisdiction of IP Laws
Recent U.S. cases have created benchmarks of patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret liability for foreign activity, and businesses should take heed.
Features

Untangling the Mystery of Cybersecurity Insurance
IT security professionals used to warn that only two types of businesses exist: those that have been hacked, and those that will be. Now, many are even more pessimistic, and divide the world's businesses into companies that know that they have been hacked, and those that don't. Law firms are juicy targets with all the personal identifiable information (PII) contained in client files. Intellectual property practices are especially attractive to cyber thieves because of the value of patent, trademark and trade secret information.
Features
Supreme Court Ends Laches Defense in Patent Cases
<b><i>SCA Hygiene Products v. First Quality Baby Products</i></b><p>The U.S. Supreme Court on March 21 ruled laches is not a defense to patent infringement suits that are brought within the Patent Act's limitations period.
Features

Supreme Court Limits Patent Liability for Component Makers in Global Supply Chain
<b><i>Life Technologies v. Promega</b></i><br>In a decision that should please American manufacturers that feed into the global supply chain, the U.S. Supreme Court has narrowly interpreted a 33-year-old law that imposes patent liability on components made in the U.S. for assembly overseas.
Features

The Joke is in the Bag! Parody at the Federal and TTAB Levels
On Feb. 13, 2017, the eve of Valentine's Day, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals extended no love to Louis Vuitton, effectively asserting that it would not rehear the infringement suit against My Other Bag, Inc., denying the en banc request in a brief order.
Features

Where Does Judge Gorsuch Fall on IP?
<b><i>The SCOTUS Nominee's Opinions Don't Appear to Favor Alleged Intellectual Property Infringers or Owners</b></i><br>Over the 10 years that he has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Gorsuch's decisions in intellectual property disputes have reflected a close attention to statutory text and a preference for narrow results that hew closely to precedent.
Need Help?
- Prefer an IP authenticated environment? Request a transition or call 800-756-8993.
- Need other assistance? email Customer Service or call 1-877-256-2472.
MOST POPULAR STORIES
- Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand OwnersBlockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.Read More ›
- Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About ItWhy is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?Read More ›
- The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year LaterThe DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.Read More ›
- 'Insurable Interest' and the Scope of First-Party CoverageThis article reviews the fundamental underpinnings of the concept of insurable interest, and certain recent cases that have grappled with the scope of insurable interest and have articulated a more meaningful application of the concept to claims under first-party property policies.Read More ›
- Ex Parte Trademark Appeals to District Court — Lessons Learned from the Front LinesAlthough pursuit of an appeal to the Federal Circuit may under some circumstances prove to be quicker and less expensive, appeals to district courts are becoming increasingly attractive given recent changes in the law and USPTO practice in defending these actions.Read More ›