Divided and Conquered? The Precarious Standing of Patent Licensees
This article examines three Federal Circuit rulings that have set important new guidelines for which kinds of licensees will have independent standing to sue infringers, which will be compelled to join their patentees, and which will be left out in the cold.
Features
Intimidation Goes Online
Bullies used to be fairly easy to identify: Bigger than most of us, intimidating and often vicious. While bullies haven't disappeared, they have become more difficult to detect, launching scathing attacks behind the relative anonymity of the Internet. Such acts, known as cyberbullying, are becoming easier to carry out with text-messaging, blogs and interaction through social-networking sites. And they're a growing concern not only for the victims, who can be targeted round-the-clock, but also for educators, parents and lawyers.
Courts Continue to Differ over Timing of Claims Construction: Markman v. Westview Still a Definining Element
In the two courts (the Northern District of California and the Southern District of Texas) that have substantially revised (N.D.Ca.) or adopted (S.D.Tex.) local patent rules effective in 2008, one has opted for an early approach to <i>Markman v. Westview</i> (N.D.Ca.) and the other (S.D.Tex.) has left it largely to the discretion of individual judges. This recent contrast highlights the continuing differences of opinion as to the best approach to <i>Markman</i> hearings and their timing.
Features
In the Marketplace
Highlights of the latest equipment leasing news from around the country.
Recovering the Value of Preferential Transfers of Goods or Equipment: Seller Beware
Imagine you are an equipment manufacturer. You sell $45 million in goods to a reliable customer on credit, shipping them to a third-party warehouse to be held for the customer to pick up when needed. Months later, unable to pay and sliding toward bankruptcy, the customer returns the unused equipment. The next thing you know, the customer, having filed for bankruptcy, sues YOU to recover not only the $45 million value of the returned equipment, but also an additional $55 million in cash payments the customer had made.
Features
Truck Leasing in a Down Economy: How to Prepare
The apparent downturn of the economy is currently most prevalent in the trucking sector, which saw a dramatic increase in repossessions and liquidations in the past year. This article discusses strategic options for lessors.
Features
Business Incentives in the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008: A Welcome Boost for the Leasing Industry
This article explains the terms of the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 that impact the leasing industry, explains how the terms in the act are likely to affect leasing companies, and explains how leasing companies can benefit from them.
News Briefs
Highlights of the latest franchising news from around the country.
Features
Movers & Shakers
News about lawyers and law firms in the franchising industry.
Court Watch
Highlights of the latest franchising cases from around the country.
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
- The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance ProgramsThe parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.Read More ›
- Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult CoinWith each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.Read More ›
- Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar InvestigationsThis article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.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 ›
- When It Comes to Trademark Searches, AI Misses the MarkArtificial intelligence tools powered by large language models have become valuable resources in the trademark process. Despite incredible progress in natural-language reasoning, AI tools still face fundamental limitations when it comes to performing even basic trademark searches. Here are five important reasons why.Read More ›
