Ginny LaRoe
A challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is now the official property of the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. But the constitutional issues are not all the court must tackle.
Features
Jeffrey S. Ginsberg
&
Erik Kane
Highlights of the latest intellectual property news from around the country.
Features
Robert R. Sachs
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Puneet Sarna
The Supreme Court in <i>Bilski v. Kappos</i>, affirmed the long-standing maxim that laws of nature, natural phenomena, and abstract ideas are the only three exceptions to broad categories of patent-eligible subject matter. Two schools of thought in the Federal Circuit, one led by Judge Randall R. Rader and the other by Judge Timothy B. Dyk, have been competing for development and application of a framework to identify an abstract idea.
Timothy Denny Greene
In <i>Research in Motion Ltd. v. Defining Presence Marketing Group, Inc. and Axel Ltd. Co.</i>, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board addressed whether Defining Presence Marketing Group and Axel Ltd. could obtain trademark registrations for CRACKBERRY for various goods and services. Research in Motion, producer of the BlackBerry device, opposed the registrations based on a likelihood of confusion and dilution with its BLACKBERRY group of marks.
Features
Paul L. Feinstein
When Jewish parties who have had a religion wedding civilly divorce, can one party be compelled to grant a religious divorce? A look at recent litigation.
Features
Judith L. Grubner
Although acknowledging that the COACH mark for handbags and other luxury goods was famous enough for that fame to be a strong factor in a likelihood of confusion analysis, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has concluded that there was insufficient proof that the mark was a "household name" that was famous enough to support a claim of dilution against a third party's COACH-branded educational materials.
Features
ALM Staff
&
Law Journal Newsletters
In-depth analysis of a recent key case.
Steven M. Silverberg
Recently, a village's law requiring occupancy applications and inspection of rental units, before a previously occupied unit may be reoccupied, was held to be unconstitutional by the Appellate Division.
Features
Theodore P. Augustinos
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Socheth Sor
Companies with personal information of Massachusetts residents must amend their existing contracts with vendors that handle such information to require the vendors' compliance with the Massachusetts data security regulations.
Features
ALM Staff
&
Law Journal Newsletters
Analysis of key decisions.
