Features
Federal Circuit Refuses to Review the PTAB's Decision to Institute IPR
In its first-ever ruling in an appeal from a final decision in an <i>inter partes</i> review (IPR) under the America Invents Act, the Federal Circuit affirmed the PTAB's rulemaking for conducting IPR proceedings. The Federal Circuit's decision leaves in place IPR rules that increase the likelihood of invalidating patents and solidifies IPR as an attractive alternative to district court litigation.
Features
Loss for QVC on Internet Crawling Case
In an opinion that has defined a section of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), a law that has been clouded by decades of amendments, a federal judge in Philadelphia has ruled in favor of an Internet startup company and against retail giant QVC.
Features
House Proposes Tax Reform Plan
In an attempt to raise revenues and simplify the tax code, the House Ways and Means Committee has proposed a draft tax reform plan containing sweeping changes to the Internal Revenue Code (the Code), including a number of major executive compensation and benefits changes. The most significant of those could be the elimination of deferred compensation and nonqualified pensions.
Features
When Will the New European Data Laws Come In?
One of the most frequent questions that we have at the moment is about the timetable for Europe's changes to data protection laws. Needless to say, there is no definite answer. However, the path forward may recently have become just a little clearer.
Features
The New Attorney General and You
Loretta Lynch, formerly United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, likely will be the newly confirmed Attorney General of the United States by the time you read this. As spectacle, a changing of the guard is always worthy of note. But for others who are embroiled in or worried about investigations, the change may matter a great deal.
Features
<b><i>Online Extra:</b></i> New Russian Data Residency Law Will Soon Take Effect
There is a new Russian data residency law that will likely impact many companies, which somehow have business connections with Russia.
Columns & Departments
IP News
Federal Circuit: Application by PTAB of Broadest Reasonable Interpretation Standard in Claim Construction Upheld Under the AIA
Features
When Your Data Goes Viral
As discussed in Part One of this article, a data breach can jeopardize a company's confidential information such as client records, trade secrets, privileged legal information, or employee records. Although many associate data breaches with hackers or cyberattacks, human error, such as a mistake in computer coding or losing a company laptop, also results in significant breaches.
Features
2016 Budget Targets Retirement
Last month, the Obama Administration's Fiscal Year 2016 Budget was published, along with the Department of Treasury's Greenbook, a detailed explanation of the President's proposed budget. Because the proposed legislation must pass a Republican led Congress, the President's budget may be "aspirational." It is a good indicator of the tools the Administration is prepared to use to fund its wish list.
Features
Raising the Stakes
The government has become increasingly aggressive in pursuing criminal claims not only against corporations, but also against in-house counsel and compliance personnel, for conduct once treated almost exclusively as civil.
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