Intellectual Property

  • June 12, 2025

    Rising PTAB Filings Follow Surge In Patent Cases

    The number of petitions filed with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board ticked up last year, following a similar increase in federal court litigation and suggesting that activity at the board has somewhat stabilized, according to a new report.

  • June 12, 2025

    Deloitte Consulting Hit With TM Suit Over AI Platform

    A blockchain-focused web platform that offers artificial intelligence tools has launched a lawsuit in New York federal court accusing Deloitte Consulting of infringing its trademark rights with its generative AI services product.

  • June 12, 2025

    Security Co. Drops Trade Secrets Claims Against Contractor

    A Connecticut security monitoring company on Thursday dropped a federal lawsuit alleging that a sales contractor bought a secret list of more than 20,000 clients from a service technician and hatched a plan to sell it to competitors.

  • June 12, 2025

    Judiciary Committee Clears Squires For Full Senate Vote

    The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved former Goldman Sachs intellectual property attorney John Squires to serve as U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director on Thursday, putting his nomination in the hands of the full Senate.

  • June 12, 2025

    NC BBQ Restaurant's Trademark Tiff Lands In Federal Court

    The namesake behind a chain of barbecue restaurants battling over their shared trademark being used on branded sauces has extricated a complaint from the North Carolina Business Court accusing it of Lanham Act violations, saying those claims belong in federal court.

  • June 12, 2025

    Greenberg Traurig Adds IP Atty From Kilpatrick In NY

    Greenberg Traurig LLP has boosted its intellectual property offerings in New York with the addition of an experienced litigator from Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP.

  • June 12, 2025

    Boies Schiller Recruits 3-Partner Patent Litigation Team

    Boies Schiller Flexner LLP announced Thursday that it has added a team of Spencer Fane LLP partners who specialize in high-stakes patent and trade secrets disputes to its patent litigation team in Washington, D.C.

  • June 11, 2025

    Ex-Google Engineer Loses Bid To Toss AI Espionage Counts

    A California federal judge has refused to toss economic espionage charges against an ex-Google engineer accused of stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets to help startups in China, adding that prosecutors' assertion that the man was trying to benefit the People's Republic of China "as opposed to benefiting himself ... seems dubious."

  • June 11, 2025

    Micron's National Security Arguments Fall Flat At PTAB

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has said it will consider patent validity challenges that Micron Technology Inc. and Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. brought against each other, overriding the competing semiconductor companies' efforts to escape scrutiny, including Micron's national security arguments.

  • June 11, 2025

    Stewart Won't Retroactively Apply New PTAB Denial Policy

    Acting U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Coke Morgan Stewart has rejected Efficient Power Conversion's request that she apply her new policies on when Patent Trial and Appeal Board petitions should be denied to a case instituted last year that invalidated the company's patent.

  • June 11, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs Reddit Win In WallStreetBets Creator's TM Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday refused to revive WallStreetBets subreddit founder Jaime Rogozinski's lawsuit accusing Reddit Inc. of hijacking his creation and infringing his right to trademark the brand, saying in an unpublished opinion that Rogozinski failed to adequately plead ownership over the brand mark.

  • June 11, 2025

    PTAB Issues Mixed Group Of Discretionary Denial Decisions

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has invoked its discretion to free Nike Inc. and Cleveland Medical Devices from having their patents scrutinized, but refused to do so for Vermeer Manufacturing Co.

  • June 11, 2025

    NJOY Can't Ax Juul Vape Patent At PTAB After ITC Loss

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has refused to invalidate various claims in a Juul vape patent challenged by Altria's NJOY brand, months after NJOY was found to infringe the same patent in a U.S. International Trade Commission case.

  • June 11, 2025

    IP, Health Law Scholars Object To 23andMe Ch. 11 Data Sale

    A number of university scholars urged a Missouri bankruptcy judge to require that DNA testing company 23andMe Holding Co.'s asset sale be contingent on the final buyer maintaining policies that benefit biomedical researchers.

  • June 11, 2025

    Filmmaker Ends Case Against Netflix, LeBron Over 'Rez Ball'

    A California federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a copyright lawsuit with prejudice by a filmmaker who accused Netflix Inc., NBA superstar LeBron James and others of lifting elements from his script to make the movie "Rez Ball" after the parties filed a notice with the court.

  • June 11, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Backs PTAB Invalidation Of Agilent CRISPR Patents

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday affirmed Patent Trial and Appeal Board decisions finding every claim invalid in two Agilent Technologies patents on the gene-editing tool CRISPR, sealing a win for Synthego Corp., which has been accused of infringing them.

  • June 11, 2025

    Epic Games Hits Fortnite Cheat Maker With Copyright Suit

    Fortnite maker Epic Games is suing a German cheat software developer, alongside resellers of the software, in North Carolina federal court for allegedly violating copyright law and interfering with contracts Epic has with its players.

  • June 11, 2025

    Judge Won't Boost $10.5M Patent Verdict Against ASUSTeK

    A Texas federal judge has refused to increase the $10.5 million award that a jury earlier this year said the Taipei-based laptop-maker ASUSTeK Computer Inc. owed after finding it had infringed a pair of Force MOS Technology Co. Ltd. electronic component patents.

  • June 11, 2025

    Local News Site Publisher Faces IP Claims Over Celebrity Pics

    A New York photographer went to Colorado federal court on Wednesday to accuse an online news company of publishing his photos of celebrities Beyoncé Knowles Carter, Jennifer Lopez and actor Justin Theroux without his permission and without paying him to license the copyrights on those pictures.

  • June 11, 2025

    New York Judge Won't Nix Cannabis Co. Logo Block

    A Manhattan federal judge has refused to vacate a three-and-a-half-year-old decision that barred a cannabis-themed apparel brand from using symbols in its wares that New York City alleged were infringements of the city's trademarked logos.

  • June 11, 2025

    Sony Fights Feds' 'Bewildering' Support Of Cox's High Court Bid

    Sony Music Entertainment and other music publishers questioned the federal government's "bewildering" support for Cox Communications Inc.'s challenge at the U.S. Supreme Court to a Fourth Circuit ruling affirming a contributory copyright infringement verdict against the internet service provider, saying only the verdict's vicarious liability finding should be reviewed.

  • June 11, 2025

    These Firms Are Landing The Most Patent Litigation Work

    Rabicoff Law LLC reclaimed its status as the most active firm for patent plaintiffs, having filed more than twice as many cases in 2024 as it did in 2023, according to a new report from Lex Machina.

  • June 11, 2025

    Disney, Universal Team Up For IP Suit Against AI Art Co.

    Disney and Universal have teamed up to sue artificial intelligence company Midjourney in California federal court, calling the startup in their Wednesday lawsuit a "copyright free-rider" for training its AI art generator with their protected works from such iconic franchises as "Star Wars," Marvel's "Iron Man," "Shrek" and "The Simpsons."

  • June 11, 2025

    Houston Atty Says Rival's Client Files Aren't Trade Secrets

    A Houston attorney accused of stealing another lawyer's files in an attempt to recruit clients to file malpractice suits told a Texas appellate court that his rival "misrepresents facts to support his false narrative" that the information constituted trade secrets.

  • June 11, 2025

    New Patent Cases Rebound As EDTX Seals Top Venue Spot

    The number of new patent suits filed in 2024 increased 22.2% over 2023, bouncing back from a historically slow year, and the Eastern District of Texas further cemented its status as the most popular patent venue after a rule change made another Texas district less attractive to plaintiffs.

Expert Analysis

  • A Cold War-Era History Lesson On Due Process

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    The landmark Harry Bridges case from the mid-20th century Red Scare offers important insights on why lawyers must be free of government reprisal, no matter who their client is, says Peter Afrasiabi at One LLP.

  • Series

    Improv Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Improv keeps me grounded and connected to what matters most, including in my legal career where it has helped me to maintain a balance between being analytical, precise and professional, and creative, authentic and open-minded, says Justine Gottshall at InfoLawGroup.

  • How BigLaw Executive Orders May Affect Smaller Firms

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    Because of the types of cases they take on, solo practitioners, small law firms and public interest attorneys may find themselves more dramatically affected by the collective impact of recent government action involving the legal industry than even the BigLaw firms named in the executive orders, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Opinion

    Lawsuits Shouldn't Be Shadow Assets For Foreign Capital

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    Third-party litigation financing amplifies inefficiencies from litigation and facilitates national exposure to foreign influence in the U.S. justice system, so full disclosure of financing arrangements should be required as a matter of institutional integrity, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • How To Accelerate Your Post-Attorney Career Transition

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    Professionals seeking to transition to nonattorney careers may encounter skepticism as nontraditional candidates, but there are opportunities for thought leadership and to leverage speaking and writing to accelerate a post-attorney career transition, say Janet Falk at Falk Communications and Evgeny Efremkin at Toronto Metropolitan University.

  • 5 Key Licensing Considerations For AI Innovations

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    As businesses increasingly integrate artificial intelligence technology into their operations, they must prepare to address complex intellectual property challenges and questions surrounding licensing AI-based innovations, which require careful consideration of ownership, usage rights and regulatory compliance, says Lestin Kenton at Sterne Kessler.

  • A Higher Bar For Expert Witnesses In Drug Patent Litigation

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    With recent decisions emphasizing courts' growing insistence on robust methodologies in pharmaceutical patent disputes, litigators must be strategic in how they utilize expert testimony and adapt to venue-specific expectations, says Jeremy Scholem at WIT Legal.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Be An Indispensable Associate

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    While law school teaches you to research, write and think critically, it often overlooks the professional skills you will need to make yourself an essential team player when transitioning from a summer to full-time associate, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • Protecting Brand Identity In An AI-Driven Marketplace

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    A lawsuit recently filed in New York federal court marks a critical moment in the intersection of artificial intelligence and trademark law, underscoring the importance of — and challenges surrounding — IP owners' ability to protect their brands as AI-generated content continues to grow, says Wendy Heilbut at Heilbut LLC.

  • Series

    Birding Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Observing and documenting birds in their natural habitats fosters patience, sharpens observational skills and provides moments of pure wonder — qualities that foster personal growth and enrich my legal career, says Allison Raley at Arnall Golden.

  • Justices May Clarify What IP Competitors In Litigation Can Say

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    If the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to weigh in on Atturo Tire v. Toyo Tire, it may be able to provide guidance on the murky questions surrounding what companies enforcing their intellectual property against competitors are allowed to say in public, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • How To Ensure Confidentiality When Using AI In Discovery

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    In light of a recent case in the Southern District of New York involving the dissemination of AI-generated content containing confidential information, there are steps that law firms and lawyers should take to protect client and third-party data during litigation, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • An Update On IPR Issue Preclusion In District Court Litigation

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    Two recent Federal Circuit rulings have resolved a district court split regarding issue preclusion based on Patent Trial and Appeal Board outcomes, potentially counseling petitioners in favor of challenging not only all the claims of an asserted patent, but also related patents that have not yet been raised in district court, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Leadership To BigLaw

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    The move from government service to private practice can feel like changing one’s identity, but as someone who has left the U.S. Department of Justice twice, I’ve learned that a successful transition requires patience, effort and the realization that the rewards of practicing law don’t come from one particular position, says Richard Donoghue at Pillsbury.

  • In-House Expert Testimony Is Tricky, But Worth Considering

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    Litigation counsel often reject the notion of designating in-house personnel to provide expert opinion testimony at trial, but dismissing them outright can result in a significant missed opportunity, say David Ben-Meir at Ben-Meir Law and Martin Pitha at Lillis Pitha.

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