In the coming week, Samsung intends to seek a Texas court’s intervention in an increasingly controversial intellectual property matter. The tech heavyweight aims for a patent litigation company to disclose its interactions with litigation funders in the run-up to a trial in the following month. The trial seeks to determine whether Samsung’s previous in-house legal counsel was involved in theft of trade secrets. It forms part of a constellation of other major intellectual property matters that are anticipated to come to the fore within the week.
With the scheduled trial date approaching, Samsung’s attempt to compel the revealing of communications could play a key role in the case. Key areas of focus likely include the nature and frequency of discussions between the patent litigation company and potential funders, in addition to the contents of their exchange. This approach by Samsung forms part of a larger push within the industry to increase transparency around litigation funding, with the implications of the trial results sure to be watched closely by legal professionals worldwide.
For more detailed insight into this case, you can read an overview from Law360’s coverage.
Apart from Samsung’s current legal struggle, other major intellectual property matters to be expected in this week broaden the spectrum of the industry’s ongoing and upcoming challenges. In this dynamic environment, legal professionals would be well-advised to keep a finger on the pulse of these emerging trends in patent litigation and intellectual property regulation.