Expert Analysis

• Notable 2024 Trademark Cases And What To Watch In 2025

  

  Emerging disputes between established tech giants and smaller trademark holders promise to test the boundaries of trademark protection in 2025, following a 2024 marked with disputes in areas ranging from cybersquatting to geographic marks, says Danner Kline at Bradley Arant.

• How A 9th Circ. Identicality Ruling Could Affect AI Cos.

  

  If the Ninth Circuit agrees to settle a district court split over whether the Digital Millennium Copyright Act requires a copy to be identical to an original to support an actionable claim for removing copyright management information, the decision could have important ramifications for artificial intelligence businesses, says Maria Sinatra at Venable.

• The State Of USPTO Rulemaking At The End Of Vidal's Term

  

  As U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director, Kathi Vidal placed a particular emphasis on formal rulemaking — so as she returns to private practice this week, attorneys at Irell take stock of which of her proposals made it across the finish line, and where the rest stand on the cusp of a new administration.

• Examining Vidal's Guidance On PTAB Section 315 Time Bar

  

  Last month's decision by outgoing U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Kathi Vidal in Luminex v. Signify addresses the Section 315 statutes that preclude institution of inter partes review proceedings after certain civil actions are filed, and is instructive as PTAB panels are likely to follow this approach going forward, says Amanda Wieker at McGuireWoods.

• What A Motorcycle IP Case Says About Parallel Int'l Litigation

  

  A Texas federal court recently rejected an electric motorcycle manufacturer's attempt to dismiss a design patent suit in the U.S. and limit the litigation to China, illustrating the challenges in trying to counter a parallel litigation strategy, say attorneys at King & Wood.

• What 2024 Trends In Marketing, Comms Hiring Mean For 2025

  

  The state of hiring in legal industry marketing, business development and communications over the past 12 months was marked by a number of trends — from changes in the C-suite to lateral move challenges — providing clues for what’s to come in the year ahead, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

• Navigating The Minefield Of Patenting AI-Generated Inventions

  

  For businesses and individuals trying to patent inventions partially developed with assistance from artificial intelligence — like software that's been coded by AI — recordkeeping and diligent documentation are of paramount importance when seeking patent protection, says Robert Plotkin at Blueshift IP.

• How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of Eye Contact At Trial

  

  As a growing body of research confirms that eye contact facilitates communication and influences others, attorneys should follow a few pointers to maximize the power of eye contact during voir dire, witness preparation, direct examination and cross-examination, says trial consultant Noelle Nelson.

• Series

  Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.

• 7th Circ. Ruling Muddies Split On Trade Secret Damages

  

  The Seventh Circuit's recent endorsement in Motorola v. Hytera of a Second Circuit limit on avoided-cost damages under the Defend Trade Secrets Act contradicts even its own precedents, and will further confuse the scope of a developing circuit conflict that the U.S. Supreme Court has already twice declined to resolve, says Jordan Rice at MoloLamken.

• Opinion

  6 Changes I Would Make If I Ran A Law School

  

  Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner identifies several key issues plaguing law schools and discusses potential solutions, such as opting out of the rankings game and mandating courses in basic writing skills.

• Nutraceutical Patent Insights As Market Heats Up

  

  Companies entering the expanding nutraceutical market and seeking patents to protect their innovations should evaluate successful nutraceutical claim language and common patent challenges in this field, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.

• Firms Still Have The Edge In Lateral Hiring, But Buyer Beware

  

  Partner mobility data suggests that the third quarter of this year continued to be a buyer’s market, with the average candidate demanding less compensation for a larger book of business — but moving into the fourth quarter, firms should slow down their hiring process to minimize risks, say officers at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

• Nintendo Suit May Have Major Impact On Video Game Patents

  

  If Nintendo and The Pokémon Co. win their patent infringement case in Japan against Pocketpair, the game developer behind Palworld, it could pose new challenges for independent game creators — but it could also encourage innovation, says Charles Morris at Marshall Gerstein.

• Teaching Your Witness To Beat The Freeze/Appease Response

  

  In addition to fight-or-flight, witnesses may experience the freeze/appease response at trial or deposition — where they become a deer in headlights, agreeing with opposing counsel’s questions and damaging their credibility in the process — but certain strategies can help, says Bill Kanasky at Courtroom Sciences.