First Circuit Finds Infringement in TV Sitcom
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit decided that actor Emmanuel "Sunshine" Logro'o and a TV production in which he was a principal infringed on the copyright for the plaintiff production company's TV situation comedy.
Features
Parsing the Copyright Preemption Issue in Claims for Breach of Implied-in-Fact Contracts
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently reconfirmed the long-established principle that, under California law, an implied-in-fact contract claim over an alleged promise to pay for use of an idea or concept isn't preempted by federal copyright law.
Taxing Online Sales
Illinois Gov. Patrick Quinn signed the Main Street Fairness Act into law to collect sales tax revenues from a retail market traditionally beyond the states' reach ' the world of online commerce ' by focusing on the role of local online marketing affiliates. But the measure has been harshly criticized by online merchants who contend it is an unconstitutional intrusion on interstate commerce, and by policy analysts who question its ability to raise tax revenues.
Features
Internet Crime and the Elderly
The same technology that provides the means for customers in various market sectors to truly interact with merchants also allows a similar force multiplication for Internet criminals, including charlatans and other rogues who prey on some of the most vulnerable among us ' the elderly.
Open Source Commands Allure
The prospect of "free" software, through the open source movement, seems like a CFO's dream come true. After all, why shouldn't a firm get a critical asset at no cost? In other words, why pay a monthly licensing or maintenance fee when something that appears to work well can possibly be had at no cost online? Unfortunately, the real world has taught us all that "free" can be very expensive.
IP News
Highlights of the latest intellectual property news from around the country.
Features
Cuban Embargo Prevents Renewal Of Trademark Registration
The Cuban trade embargo has been at issue for more than a decade in the long-running case between Bacardi and Pernod Ricard over the U.S. rights to the HAVANA CLUB trademark for rum.
TiVo v. EchoStar
On April 20, 2011, the Federal Circuit issued its opinion in the <i>TiVo Inc. v. EchoStar Corp.</i> case. No. 2009-1374 (Fed. Cir. Apr. 20, 2011). The decision marks a sea change for evaluating contempt of an injunction in a patent case, significantly limiting an infringer's ability to challenge an injunction on the grounds that it is vague or overbroad.
Features
Reining in the Inequitable Conduct Defense
Responding to views from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and elsewhere about the unintended consequences of the current inequitable conduct doctrine, a divided <i>en banc</i> Federal Circuit decision issued on May 25, 2011 adjusted the standard of the materiality element to make this defense harder to establish.
Real Property Law
A look at recent key rulings of importance to you and your practice.
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