Case Briefs
December 21, 2011
Highlights of the latest insurance cases from around the country.
Authentication of Social Media Evidence
December 21, 2011
More and more, parties are attempting to introduce social networking communications into evidence. Beyond other admissibility obstacles, such as hearsay or relevance, a piece of evidence must satisfy Fed. R. Evid. 901 (or the state equivalent), which applies in both civil and criminal proceedings, and mandates that the material offered is "authentic," or what the proponent claims it to be.
The Allocated Share Set-Off Rule: New York Enters the Debate
December 21, 2011
Until recently, New York courts — the venue for much of the seminal insurance law developed in the United States — had not directly weighed in on the allocated share set-off rule. Recently, however, a New York trial judge issued a partial summary judgment decision that expressly adopted the rule in the context of long-tail asbestos claims.
IP News
December 21, 2011
Highlights of the latest intellectual property news from around the country.
Robert Bosch LLC v. Pylon Mfg. Corp.
December 21, 2011
<i>Robert Bosch LLC v. Pylon Mfg. Corp.</i>, is an important decision that abolishes the presumption of irreparable harm in the context of injunctive relief for patent infringement. The case is also important because the Federal Circuit instructs that courts must still consider "the fundamental nature of patents as property rights granting the owner the right to exclude" when determining whether to issue an injunction.
Can We Talk?
December 21, 2011
A newly expanded Patent Office program makes it easier to talk to the examiner prior to initial examination. The heart of the program is an "Examiner Interview" that takes place before the examiner issues a first official action, which allows the examiner and patent applicant to discuss the application, identify allowable patent claims, and shave months or years off of the time from filing of an application to receipt of an issued patent.
.XXX General Availability Period: A Green Light to Block Red Light Domain Names
December 21, 2011
Now is the time for trademark, domain name and brand owners to purchase .XXX domains to pro-actively race to stake a claim in their brand ' if only as a defensive measure to prevent other domain owners from registering/using their name in a .XXX context. In the event that yours wasn't the first hand to pull the trigger in the .XXX domain name shoot 'em up, what are the ramifications of having your mark incorporated into an active .XXX domain?
News Briefs
December 20, 2011
Highlights of the latest franchising news from around the country.
Court Watch
December 20, 2011
Highlights of the latest franchising cases from around the country.