Features
Court Watch
Highlights of the latest franchising cases from around the country.
Successful Mediation Tactics and Strategies
A session at the International Franchise Association's 45th Annual Legal Symposium on May 20-22 in Washington, DC, addressed the key issues that franchise attorneys should consider prior to and during a mediation.
Managing 'Perfect Storm' Litigation for a Franchise System
A franchise system may find itself in a no-win situation in which all potential solutions or avenues of escape lead to a result that is tantamount to death of the system: bankruptcy, closure of the system, or a dramatic change in the system's business and sources of revenue. This article provides 10 litigation management measures that outside counsel and the system should take to manage perfect storm litigation.
Individual Tax and Estate Planning for Lawyers
President Obama's proposed budget for fiscal year 2013 includes a number of provisions that would impact individual taxpayers, especially partners in law firms and other high'net-worth lawyers.
IP News
Highlights of the latest intellectual property news from around the country.
Intervening Rights Only Arise During Re-examination When a Claim Has Been Amended or Added
In <i>Marine Polymer Tech., Inc. v. HemCon, Inc.</i>, No. 2010-1549, 2012 WL 858700 (Fed. Cir. March 15, 2012), a majority found that intervening rights only arise as a result of re-examination when a claim has been amended or added during the re-examination, even though the issue was not considered below.
Damages Soar from False Advertising About Skydiving
In March 2012, the Ninth Circuit in <i>Skydive Arizona, Inc. v. Quattrocchi, et al.</i> upheld a $6.6 million judgment for trademark infringement, false advertising, and cybersquatting, while overturning the district court's doubling of actual damages. The opinion succinctly outlines appellate review standards while offering insights into how to prove a Lanham Act and cybersquatting case.
Federal Circuit Unravels Aventis' Tangled Web in Affirming Inequitable Conduct Finding
At the time of the <i>Therasense</i> decision there was some question as to just how stringently the Federal Circuit would adhere to the nominal standards for common law fraud. <i>Aventis Pharma S.A. v. Hospira, Inc.</i> appears to answer that question for both patent prosecutors and litigators.
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
- Artist Challenges Copyright Office Refusal to Register Award-Winning AI-Assisted WorkCopyright law has long struggled to keep pace with advances in technology, and the debate around the copyrightability of AI-assisted works is no exception. At issue is the human authorship requirement: the principle that a work must have a human author to be eligible for copyright protection. While the Copyright Office has previously cited this "bedrock requirement of copyright" to reject registrations, recent decisions have focused on the role of human authorship in the context of AI.Read More ›
- Supreme Court Rules Rejection of Trademark License Does Not Rescind Rights of LicenseeMission Product Holdings, Inc. v. Tempnology, LLC The question is whether a debtor's rejection of its agreement granting a license "terminates rights of the licensee that would survive the licensor's breach under applicable nonbankruptcy law."Read More ›
- Recently Introduced Bill Would Limit ITC 'Domestic Industry by Subpoena'Patent infringement disputes in the United States are not only heard in district courts. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) also decides high-stakes intellectual property disputes — with the remedy for the IP rights holder not being damages, but rather an exclusion order that can block a competitor's importation of infringing articles into the U.S. That remedy can be incredibly powerful for companies engaged in stiff competition in the U.S. market.Read More ›
- Beach Boys Songs Written Decades Ago Triggered Current Quarrel With LawyersThere's current litigation in the ongoing Beach Boys litigation saga. A lawsuit filed in 2019 against Nevada residents Mike Love and his wife Jacquelyne in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada that alleges inaccurate payment by the Loves under the retainer agreement and seeks $84.5 million in damages.Read More ›
- Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright LawsThis article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.Read More ›