In any lawsuit, the collection of information on a party or witness is of paramount importance. What seems to someone like innocuous information ' such as photographs of vacations and daily activities and postings to special interest Web sites ' can materially affect the outcome of a case.

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Highlights of the latest intellectual property news from around the country.

This article explores what patent strategies should be implemented to enable infringement litigation in jurisdictions without discovery.

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Complaint over Oral Agreement for TV-Network Work Is Dismissed<br>Rulings on Song License Termination and on Assignment Recordation<br>Suits Proceed over Use of College Athletes' Indicia

The entertainment industry is awash with the exploitation of merchandise products. Experts use different methodologies to prove or disprove allegations of similarities between goods. In a trademark dispute over merchandise apparel sales, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York excluded a plaintiff's expert's report that relied on a "sequential array" survey method to try to show that the defendants' merchandise created a likelihood of consumer confusion.

The Supreme Court's recent Twombly and Iqbal decisions have placed in question the validity of Form 18 by reinterpreting the mandated minimal pleading standards required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 8. An additional question has arisen as to whether the protection afforded by Form 18 is equally applicable to claims of indirect infringement or infringement under the doctrine of equivalents.

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The proposed merger between Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. and Live Nation Inc. won Justice Department approval in January 2010, following a year of negotiations. Steven Sletten of Gibson, Dunn &amp; Crutcher counseled Ticketmaster. In an interview, Sletten stated that he prepared his client to face a tough audience, both at the Justice Department and in the court of public opinion.