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Federal Circuit: Collateral Estoppel Can Apply to Patents With Claims Similar To Those in Previously Litigated<br>Federal Circuit Uses 'Rule of Reason' To Determine Patent Owner Had an Early Reduction to Practice
Features

Data Security and Data Breach Response Continue to Be a Hot Issue
<b><i>Lessons from 2017 Enforcement Actions and Guidance</b></i><p>Regulators including the FTC, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (OCR) — the agency responsible for enforcing the HIPAA rules for protected health information (PHI) — and state attorneys general have issued guidance and announced a number of settlements in data security cases that are instructive about measures that organizations can take to reduce the potential for a data breach or, if a breach does occur, provide appropriate notice.
Features

Security First Approach Provides a Significant Advantage to Law Firms
The security industry all too often sells the next shiny object touted as the Holy Grail of security that protects against all cyber threats. And the following year, the next best thing hits the market and becomes the grail until proven fallible.
Features

Equifax Breach Will Fuel Identity Theft Remediation Debate
In the wake of suits filed against Equifax by consumers, businesses and governmental units, courts will have to grapple with the question of what remedies are appropriate. These issues are not unique to the Equifax incident, but the scope of the breach will undoubtedly lead to more debate than ever before.
Features

AIM 1-2-3
There is a patented methodology that follows the same path that the introduction of depreciation followed, with the impact being similar in its influence, power and effect: The AIM (Actuarially Initiated Measurements) Program. An employer using this methodology realizes the ability to uncover and maximize missed opportunities to control fluctuations and variations in earnings per share (EPS).
Features

Discovery Strategies for a Creditor in a Bankruptcy Case
<b><i>Beyond Filing a Proof of Claim</b></i><p>This article explains the rights of a creditor, whether an equipment financier or otherwise, to pursue examinations of a debtor in bankruptcy in order to obtain sworn testimony and information that may be helpful to the creditor.
Features

The State of Lawyer Well-Being Is Not Strong
A 2016 study found that between 21% and 36% of lawyers fall into the category of "problem drinkers." As for other mental illnesses common to the profession, 28% reported struggling with depression, 19% with anxiety, and 23% with stress. What can be done?
Features

Protecting Product Packaging and Product Configuration
Registering and protecting product designs is challenging. Preliminarily, trade dress cannot be registered or protected as a trademark if it is functional — if it is “essential to the use or purpose of the article or it affects the cost or quality of the article.”
Features

Bitcoin Is Fueling the Ransomware Epidemic
Money is a powerful motivator, but it alone wasn't enough to fuel the ransomware epidemic. After all, the first documented ransomware infection was in 1989, but it remained relatively unknown until its resurgence over the past five years. So what changed? In short, bitcoin.
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