Lessons from Purdue: Patent Practitioner Tips for Avoiding Inequitable Conduct Claims
October 27, 2006
<i>'It has now been surprisingly discovered ' '</i>With these words in Purdue Pharma's U.S. Patent Nos. 5,656,295, 5,508,042 and 5,549,912, Endo Pharmaceuticals asserted a basis to challenge the enforceability of Purdue's controlled-release oxycodone formulations due to inequitable conduct. <i>Purdue Pharma L.P. v. Endo Pharms., Inc.</i>, 438 F.3d 1123 (Fed. Cir. 2006).
New Jersey Supreme Court Punts Same-Sex Marriage to Legislature
October 25, 2006
On Oct. 25, New Jersey stopped short of becoming the second state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage by judicial fiat. The state's high court, while declaring unconstitutional state laws that deny same-sex couples the financial and social benefits and privileges given to married heterosexuals, held that fixing the problem is a legislative task ' and gave lawmakers 180 days in which to do it.
<b>Online Exclusive:</b> Dewey Ballantine and Orrick Set to Merge
October 25, 2006
New York's Dewey Ballantine and San Francisco's Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe have taken another step toward completing a merger. According to a statement released Wednesday morning, the management and executive committees at both firms announced to their respective partners that they intend to recommend approving the combination. A full partnership vote at both firms is expected before the end of the year.
<b>Online Exclusive:</b> Around the States
October 24, 2006
<b>Maryland.</b> Baltimore is on the cutting edge of cities using surveillance cameras in high-crime areas to aid in spotting crimes and generating information for arrests.<br><b>New Jersey.</b> Legislators are moving toward requiring banks, mortgage companies, credit card issuers, and other financial institutions to obtain an affirmative acceptance by consumers before the institutions can share financial information. <br><b>Ohio.</b> Privacy advocates are informing voters who support a ballot initiative that would raise the state's minimum wage that the same initiative potentially will give employers, unions, government agencies, and others access to individual pay records.
Security Breaches: What You Need to Know About European Legislation
October 19, 2006
Last month's installment discussed corporate security practices, the legislative background in Europe, and mandatory reporting provisions. Part Two addresses additional reporting obligations, prior registration, the possibility of civil actions, and manually held data.
