A recent development in the California legal landscape has seen Tom Girardi’s attorney son-in-law, who is encumbered with two separate ethics complaints in the state, receiving a partial concession from a California bar court. The court has elected to temporarily pause the ethics proceedings, opting to allow a simultaneous criminal case in Illinois federal court…
In a recent ruling, the Fifth Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction, thus preventing a Chinese company from selling their stand mixers. Allegations have been leveled that these products are infringing upon Whirlpool’s trademark KitchenAid stand mixers. The central controversy revolves around the argument that the product’s exterior design, rather than being a mere aesthetic choice,…
On August 28, 2023, the American Bar Association (ABA) launched a new task force dedicated to the investigation of the extensive legal and ethical landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning systems. According to their public statement, the cardinal purpose of this task force would be to analyze the potential transformation that these cutting-edge…
Artificial Intelligence, specifically Generative AI’s impact on intellectual property infringement, especially in relation to trademarks, is a rising topic of interest amongst legal professionals. As the utilisation of AI continues to increase, we find ourselves grappling with an expanding list of questions pertaining to intellectual property rights, most notably, the potential risks generated by trademark-infringement….
For individuals who might not be current with recent legal developments, a trend review of the latest buzz in the profession on Law360 has highlighted the most popular expert analyses, and law firms making waves this past week. Law360 is known for being a resource hub, providing comprehensive coverage across more than 60 subjects from…
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Moderna Inc. have recently agreed to a final judgment of noninfringement in relation to a lawsuit brought forth by Alnylam. The lawsuit accused Moderna of using patented biotechnology for its Spikevax coronavirus vaccine. This judgment follows a ruling on claim construction by a Delaware federal judge, a ruling that Alnylam has…
In a blow to lawyer John Eastman, both requests that aimed to postpone his California disbarment trial or discourage the participation of a legal scholar’s damning testimony were refuted by the presiding judge on Friday. Despite Eastman’s legal compass pointing towards a criminal indictment in Georgia, the disbarment proceedings in California refuse to divert their…
Hip hop artist Future recently emerged victorious in a lawsuit claiming his 2018 song “When I Think About It” had infringed upon a track by a Virginia rapper, titled “When U Think About It”. The dispute was settled by an Illinois federal judge on Friday who determined that despite the similar themes and lyrics of…
Following the recent patent infringement trial, Elysium Health is now obligated to compensate W.R. Grace. The court case, held at a Delaware federal court, was based around the infringement of W.R. Grace’s patents, relating to its Tru Niagen brand of vitamin B3 supplements. The jury, having reached their verdict last Friday, agreed that Elysium Health…
In a recent ruling, a Montana federal judge dismissed a malicious prosecution claim lodged against firearm manufacturer, Proof Research Inc. This claim followed a multi-year trademark dispute concerning a rifle barrel with competitor, McGowen Precision Barrels. Key to the dismissal was an inadvertently disclosed email which was deemed protected under attorney-client privilege. This is a…
In an unfortunate lapse of response, two bar owners in Texas found themselves forfeiting $21,800 following a default judgement last Friday. At the heart of the matter was an allegation against the bar for improperly hosting a broadcast of the 2019 boxing match between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Sergey Kovalev. As they failed to answer…
In a recent development, North Carolina has requested a federal court to dismiss new copyright claims stemming from a lawsuit presented by a photographer. The plaintiff alleges that a state agency violated his rights by unlawfully using his images and videos of Blackbeard’s famed shipwreck. In response, North Carolina has vigorously argued that it has…
In a decisive move from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a decision from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) refusing to reassess a network protection patent belonging to Centripetal Networks has been overruled. The head of the office mandated that the PTAB examine the patent issue anew, offering Centripetal Networks another opportunity to…
Huawei and ADVA, two leading telecommunications companies, have mutually agreed to dismiss a contentious lawsuit pending in the Eastern District of Texas. The litigation had alleged that Huawei, a Chinese firm currently under sanctions, was demanding what was perceived as remarkably high royalty rates to license key international telecommunications patents. The lawsuit had even alluded…
Legal representatives for eight of the ten victims who tragically died in a seaplane crash near Seattle last year have taken legal action, pursuing wrongful death complaints. These lawsuits have been filed in a Washington state court against the plane’s manufacturer, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, and a charter plane company also implicated in the…
As recently reported, a jury from the Western District of Texas has exonerated U.S. Well Services LLC of accusations that they infringed upon three hydraulic fracturing patents. These patents, it should be noted, are owned by Halliburton Energy Services Inc., a competing firm in the oilfield services sector. The ruling follows a heated legal battle…
In a development that could signal critical implications for pharmaceutical licensing in the United States, a D.C. Circuit panel declined to reinvigorate a lawsuit by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that pointed its crosshairs at an opioid medication settlement between Endo Pharmaceuticals and Impax. The dispute originated over the license Endo Pharmaceuticals granted to Impax,…
In a recent ruling, the Fifth Circuit court decided that a Munich Re unit is not liable for coverage to three strip clubs who face more than $1.4 million in damages. The charges stem from the unauthorized use of images of 16 professional models in advertising. The court’s determination centered around two exclusions in the…
In a recent development, Liberty University has requested a Virginia federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit lodged by the estate and son of its founder, Jerry L. Falwell. The lawsuit in question relates to the use of Falwell’s trademark and image. The university has termed this suit as “legally deficient” alleging that it cannot move…
Ballard Spahr LLP and Foley Hoag LLP, two globally recognized law firms, have recently bolstered their intellectual property (IP) departments. Ballard Spahr has added a new partner to its IP litigation group in New York and Foley Hoag has welcomed a fresh IP partner in its Boston office. The addition of these partners is aimed…
A controversial anti-government website operator has been sentenced to a decade in prison in a North Carolina federal court for issuing fraudulent arrest warrants and judgments against numerous public officials through a fabricated court. The announcement of this rigorous sentence was recently made public by the U.S. Department of Justice. The website in question has…
U.S. District Judge Alan Albright has declined Google’s appeal to relocate a patent lawsuit regarding a Google Maps feature from Texas to California. The Judge’s dismissal of the tech giant’s petition was underpinned by his assessment that Google had not presented a convincing case for the transfer. Geographic placement of court proceedings can be a…
In the impending phase of a multibillion-dollar dispute, tech giant Intel and patent licensing firm VLSI Technology are both seeking a favorable summary judgment from a California federal judge. This particular skirmish revolves around a chip patent case that carries potential implications of up to $900 million. The verdict, anticipated in a trial scheduled for…
In a recent announcement, Quarles & Brady LLP disclosed the addition of four attorneys to its Phoenix office. These new team members originally practiced at Jennings Strouss & Salmon PLC. With their inclusion, the firm bolsters its core competencies in the field of commercial litigation and intellectual property. The detailed account can be read here….
The ongoing debate regarding the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) is headlined by Congress and the Office’s approach of focusing solely on reducing multiple PTAB petitions. This strategy, as per Ashraf Fawzy’s argument at United Patents, is leading to an overcorrection resulting in unsound rules and statutes. These, in…