Intellectual Property

  • June 04, 2026

    USPTO Mulling Certain Patent Apps After 'Atypical' Case

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is asking why it should keep reviewing patent applications that would not end up giving their owners rights to assert against alleged infringers, following a Federal Circuit decision in what the appellate court called an "atypical" appeal.

  • June 04, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Invalidates Spinal Implant Patent Claims

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday invalidated patent claims covering parts used to make expandable implant devices in spinal fusion surgeries that were the basis of a $9.5 million jury verdict against Life Spine Inc. and that had been upheld by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

  • June 04, 2026

    JD Power Claims Chime's Bogus '#1' Banking Ads Rip Off TMs

    J.D. Power has hit Chime Financial Inc. with a lawsuit in New York federal court, accusing the fintech company of willfully infringing J.D. Power's trademarks to support a "widespread, multi-channel" deceptive advertising campaign falsely suggesting that the data analytics firm rated Chime "America's #1 Choice for Banking."

  • June 04, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Solidifies Google, Oath Wins In Arendi Patent Suits

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday upheld Google LLC and Oath Holdings Inc.'s wins over Arendi SARL's lawsuits that accused them of infringing various data system patents, agreeing with a Delaware federal court that the patents weren't valid to begin with.

  • June 04, 2026

    Realty Rival, Directors Barred From Poaching Brokerage Staff

    Two former sales directors for a real estate brokerage must stop recruiting former coworkers for a rival company that hired them, North Carolina's business court has said, finding the new employer should also be barred from meddling with more of the brokerage's employment contracts.

  • June 04, 2026

    Ex-Surgeon Agrees To $7.7M Tax Bill From Offshore Scheme

    A retired plastic surgeon reached a $7.7 million settlement with the federal government to resolve an Internal Revenue Service case alleging that he ran an offshore employee leasing scheme, according to an agreement filed in an Ohio federal court.

  • June 04, 2026

    6th Circ. Rejects Scotts Bid To Block P&G Weed Killer

    The Sixth Circuit on Thursday affirmed a lower court's refusal to block Procter & Gamble from selling its Spruce weed killer, holding that Scotts failed to show its Miracle-Gro packaging is distinctive enough to support trade dress claims or that the products are likely to confuse consumers.

  • June 04, 2026

    Judge Won't Rethink Insurer's Duty To Cover Data Center Row

    A California federal judge refused to allow Navigators Specialty Insurance Co. to file a reconsideration motion for a prior ruling that dismissed the insurer's claims in its coverage suit against a client company taken into arbitration over a California data center project.

  • June 04, 2026

    Ecobee's $11.5M Thermostat IP Trial Loss Erased By Fed. Circ.

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday threw out an $11.5 million award against Ecobee Technologies in a smart thermostat patent infringement suit from Ollnova Technologies, citing problems with the verdict form and how jurors were instructed to look at the patents.

  • June 04, 2026

    Supreme Court Shuts Down 'Skinny Label' Drug Patent Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ended a patent suit over Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.'s generic version of a heart drug that uses a so-called skinny label, saying Amarin Pharma Inc. had not plausibly alleged that Hikma encouraged healthcare providers to infringe its patents.

  • June 04, 2026

    AI Co. Midnight Labs Gets Sony Innovation Fund Investment

    Midnight Labs, a Dublin-based artificial intelligence company focused on intellectual property enforcement, announced Thursday it received an investment from the Sony Innovation Fund to expand its software in the U.S. and Japanese markets.

  • June 03, 2026

    CBP Says Stiiizy's New Vape Cartridges Clear Pax Patents

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection has cleared vape company Stiiizy to import its redesigned oil cartridges, ruling they do not violate patents held by rival Pax Labs Inc., despite the competitor having successfully persuaded the U.S. International Trade Commission to block an earlier version of Stiiizy's products.

  • June 03, 2026

    Squires Institutes 3 Patent Reviews, Denies 3 Others

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires on Tuesday granted three requests for review of patents under the America Invents Act, while turning down three other petitions.

  • June 03, 2026

    Samsung Can't Appeal Conflicting Alice Ruling In $78.5M Case

    A Texas federal judge has refused to let Samsung appeal a decision upholding two patents that resulted in a $78.5 million jury verdict against the South Korean tech giant after a different court found one of the patents invalid.

  • June 03, 2026

    Iconic Lamp Design Isn't MillerKnoll's, 6th Circ. Told

    Counsel for the family of the late designer George Nelson told a Sixth Circuit panel Wednesday that a lower court decision awarding intellectual property rights for his iconic bubble lamp to furniture company MillerKnoll was based on a faulty interpretation of a 2015 contract amendment and should be overturned.

  • June 03, 2026

    KeyBank, Investment Advisers Settle Suit Alleging Client Theft

    KeyBank affiliate Key Investment Services LLC has agreed to settle its suit accusing two former investment advisers of stealing trade secrets and violating their employment agreements by soliciting customers.

  • June 03, 2026

    Tech Industry Groups Back Apple High Court Bid In Epic Case

    Several technology industry groups threw their support behind Apple Inc. on Wednesday, telling the U.S. Supreme Court an injunction issued in a case brought by Epic Games Inc. tries to alter the service Apple provides to millions of developers based on complaints from a single company.

  • June 03, 2026

    Top Wireless Cos. Get PTAB To Wipe Out 5G Patent

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has invalidated a 5G technology patent that mobile providers like AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon had been accused of infringing in now-dropped litigation, after finding the claims of the patent were obvious.

  • June 03, 2026

    Patent Suit Puts Drum Carrier Function Over Form, Court Told

    Counsel for a Japanese musical instrument manufacturer asked a Pennsylvania federal judge Wednesday to toss a patent infringement case it's facing from drum-maker Pearl Musical Instrument Co. Ltd. over marching band drum carriers, arguing that Pearl wrongly focused on the functionality of its competitor's carrier rather than its looks.

  • June 03, 2026

    Electronics Co. Sues Rival Over Plasma Patents Used In Chips

    A company that offers plasma systems for manufacturing semiconductors has sued a rival in New Hampshire federal court, saying the competitor was infringing four patents covering atmospheric-pressure plasma systems.

  • June 03, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Affirms PTAB Invalidation Of Railcar Patent Claims

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday refused to revive claims across a pair of Amsted Rail Co. Inc. patents covering a way of monitoring the performance of railcars, backing Patent Trial and Appeal Board decisions that the claims were invalid.

  • June 03, 2026

    Netflix Again Beats NJ Atty's IP Suit Over Boy Scouts Films

    Netflix Inc. fought off an amended complaint in New Jersey federal court Tuesday from an attorney claiming that it infringed on his copyright for a documentary about sexual abuse in the Boy Scouts of America, when the judge ruled the suit relied on uncopyrightable facts.

  • June 03, 2026

    M&A Claim Payouts Hit $1B High In North America, Aon Says

    The frequency and severity of claims made under policies for mergers and acquisitions have risen in recent years, with Aon's North American clients recovering a record-breaking $1 billion across transactional liability lines in 2025, according to a report published Wednesday.

  • June 03, 2026

    UK Requiring Google To Let Publishers Opt Out Of AI

    Google is giving publishers tools to prevent their content from being used to power the artificial intelligence features shown in search results, after Britain's competition enforcer imposed new requirements Wednesday.

  • June 02, 2026

    Google Can't Ditch Software Co.'s Patent Infringement Suit

    Google must face a software company's claim that the tech giant directly infringed one of its patents with its Google Cloud Platform and other products, a California federal judge has ruled, trimming the suit while allowing the patent owner to rework its indirect infringement claims.

Expert Analysis

  • 2nd Circ.'s Embedded Video Ruling May Protect Publishers

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    The Second Circuit's recent decision in Richardson v. Townsquare, dismissing an infringement claim arising from an embedding of a YouTube-hosted interview, reaffirms a potent defense for publishers who regularly use social media platforms' embed functionality, says Amanda Harris at Jassy Vick.

  • Series

    Competing At Poker Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing poker in male-dominated rooms taught me to treat skepticism as background noise when my opponents seem to underestimate me, to apply pressure when it matters and to adapt without losing strategic discipline — skills that are all indispensable in restructuring and insolvency matters, says Alexis Gambale at Pashman Stein.

  • Why IPR Slowdown Has Not Led To More Patent Litigation

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    Despite sustained strength in patent application filings and a decline in inter partes review and post-grant review, 2026 has not seen the anticipated surge in patent litigation in district courts and at the U.S. International Trade Commission, potentially due to four reasons, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.

  • 5 Things Associates Must Ask About Their Firm's Merger Plan

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    The associates who navigate law firm mergers best ask the right questions early, such as inquiring about partners' plans, to assess how the merger could affect their workflow and career path, says Jackie Bokser-LeFebvre at Major Lindsey.

  • Columbia Software IP Ruling Tests Royalty Damages Model

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    The Federal Circuit's recent decision in Columbia University v. Gen Digital, vacating a damages verdict involving foreign software sales, provides guidance on ambiguities surrounding the worldwide royalty damages model established by the court's decision in Brumfield v. IBG two years ago, say attorneys at Munger Tolles.

  • 2 'Rocket Dockets' And The Rules That Propel Them

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    The fastest civil trial courts in the country are currently in the Eastern District of Virginia and the Southern District of Florida, and their chief judges provide insights into the court rules that keep them ahead, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • AI Practices To Protect Trade Secrets Amid Unstable Case Law

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    Amid recent diverging district court approaches to whether inputting proprietary information into artificial intelligence tools could constitute a failure to take reasonable measures to safeguard secrets, trade secret owners must adapt their confidentiality practices to keep trade secrets secure, says Fitz Collings at MoFo.

  • Teva Ruling Offers Patentees New Support For Genus Claims

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    The Federal Circuit's recent decision in Teva v. Eli Lilly, finding that the Teva patents at issue are not invalid, offers an interesting counterexample against the recent trend of courts invalidating patents claiming a broad, functionally defined class of compounds, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Defense Patent Holiday's Real Prize May Be Collab Potential

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    The true value of participating in the ongoing defense patent holiday program might lie not in access to technology developed by the U.S. Department of War, but in developing a working relationship with a federally funded lab and potentially achieving a cooperative research and development agreement, says Lawrence Kass at Steptoe.

  • Your Next Litigation Hold Should Cover AI Chat Logs

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    The Delaware Chancery Court’s recent decision in Fortis Advisors v. Krafton to treat a CEO’s artificial intelligence chats as substantive evidence is being read as a discovery warning to litigators, but there is a second duty-to-preserve lesson that is especially pertinent to in-house counsel, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • Opinion

    International Patent Licensing System Must Be Maintained

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    As foreign approaches to patent enforcement threaten to distort the licensing markets that underpin modern technology, courts and policymakers must take action to ensure that the standard essential patent framework is preserved, says Brian O'Shaughnessy at Dinsmore.

  • Series

    Studying Foreign Languages Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Studying Italian and Japanese has shown me that learning a new language can benefit a legal career in several ways, including by demonstrating the importance of approaching problems from a fresh perspective and the value of practicing patience with colleagues and clients, says Anna King at Genworth Financial.

  • 10 US Patent Pressure Points For EU Life Sciences Cos.

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    U.S.-specific patent issues can be challenging for European life sciences companies because they require decisions at the intersection of legal, scientific, regulatory and commercial functions, necessitating proactive, cross-functional steps from EU patent counsel, says Paul Calvo at Sterne Kessler.

  • And Now A Word From The Panel: An MDL Realignment

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    With seven multidistrict litigation proceedings initiated so far this year, a review of venue locations suggests a shift away from the East Coast, a seeming reversal of last year's swing in that direction, says Alan Rothman at Sidley.

  • NIL Contracts Test Limits On College Football Transfers

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    College football's new legal era of direct payments to players and fewer transfer restrictions has put contractual provisions in play, and stipulations such as termination clauses and repayment obligations require added scrutiny as the name, image and likeness system evolves, says Kevin Paule at Hill Ward Henderson.

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