Investigations into the mental and physical competency of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman by the Federal Circuit came into the public eye, a year back. Despite the court’s orders, the nonagenarian continues to defy the mandated medical testing. Determined as ever, she remains unwavering in her intent to reclaim her seat on the bench. The…
It has been a year since details emerged of an internal investigation concerning the mental competency of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman by her fellow judges on the Federal Circuit. According to a story first reported on Law360, the patent community has rallied behind Judge Newman, lending her their widespread support throughout the course of…
In a notable development this week, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP and Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP have made it to the Law360 Legal Lions list after a significant legal victory. The recognition came following a courtroom win where an Illinois federal jury ruled that Amazon had infringed upon three patents associated with cloud…
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has initiated policy discourse with his recent legislative proposal that will likely place a heavy focus on the venue choices of patent owner litigations and bankrupt companies. This turn of events intensifies scrutiny on strategic forum shopping, a practice now potentially endangered by this bill. Certain patent owners and bankruptcy-bound…
In a significant legal decision, Amazon.com Inc has been ordered to pay $525 million in damages to software firm Kove IO Inc. This verdict, passed by a federal jury in Illinois, concluded that Amazon had infringed upon three patents owned by Kove, all of which are central to distributed cloud storage technology. The crux of…
In a detailed briefing, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) outlined potential risks for attorneys utilising artificial intelligence. Among these outlined concerns, the office emphasised the need for practicing legal professionals to ensure the accuracy of their filings and additionally stressed that humans must play a role in creations and discoveries. This briefing has…
Known for its lack of transparency, the litigation financing industry has been under the radar for a while in the United States of America. Due to the absence of laws necessitating elucidation regarding who or what is funding the litigation, this has allowed entities involved in the industry to take advantage of the situation and…
In an interesting shift in IP law, a patent docketing contractor, utilized by major remote law firm FisherBroyles, has evaded liability for a ‘clerical error’. This particular error led to a missed patent application deadline which then spawned a lawsuit initiated by a neurosurgeon, potentially for nearly $102 million. A lower court’s decision has been…
The ongoing dispute over the legitimacy of the marketing phrase “The Education Lawyers” by Jacobson & John LLP appears to be far from resolved. A rival legal company has voiced concerns claiming that Jacobson & John’s assertion of the phrase going unchallenged for half a decade as a trademark is a clear misrepresentation to a…
In 2018, the US saw a significant shift in legislation surrounding cannabis, as Congress passed the Agricultural Improvement Act, commonly referred to as the “2018 Farm Bill”. The Act led to the reclassification of hemp — described as Cannabis sativa L. and its derivatives exhibiting delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration levels not exceeding 0.3% on a dry…
In a recent lawsuit against Morgan Lewis, one of the largest law firms in the US, a Black patent prosecution specialist born in 1962 alleges that she was treated unfairly compared to her younger, white colleagues. This claim includes alleged retaliation when she raised concerns regarding this disparity. The plaintiff alleges that the firm openly…
A recent patent-case appeal case involves a defendant refusing to attend court in person, causing a stir in the legal community. A federal circuit panel signaled a general consensus, deeming it improbable the sanctions imposed by a district judge against a patent-infringement offender would be overturned. The plaintiff in question, Lori LaPray, refused to travel…
AI startup Kili Technology Inc., known for its AI-empowered tool ‘davinci’, which aids in drafting patents and responding to office actions, is now facing legal hurdles. A lawsuit for trademark infringement and unfair competition has been registered against them by Swiss law firm Da Vinci Partners LLC and John Brent Moetteli, its founder. The suit,…
Charter Communications Inc. has sought a federal judge’s intervention to obstruct the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) from becoming a participant in an ongoing patent lawsuit in East Texas. The EFF put forward the claim that the practice of sealing records excessively has been a major issue in this case. The process of sealing records is…
In a fast-evolving pharma space, artificial intelligence (AI) has proven to be a two-pronged tool. The technology is aiding drug discovery at an accelerated pace but is also complicating patent acquisition, something that could deter billions in investments. One of the key issues is that AI’s capacity to generate ‘prior art’ or pre-existing evidence that…
In an interesting recent development, Meta Platforms Inc. has reportedly transferred a collection of patents related to Artificial Intelligence technology to a research laboratory. This move was confirmed by none other than Jeremiah Chan, the head of patents, licensing, and open source at Meta. Chan illuminated the rationale behind this decision, explaining, “Sharing these assets…
Controversy continues to surround the $3.9 million attorneys’ fees award granted to Dish Network LLC against patent-assertion entity, Realtime Adaptive Streaming LLC. A Federal Circuit oral argument held on Tuesday probed questions about a district judge’s justifications for such a substantial award. The three-judge panel at the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit…
In a recent article, published on Above The Law, a review was undertaken of all patent complaints filed on a particular day. The purpose of this exercise was to help active litigators and counselors understand what type of lawsuits are being recently filed, so that they can provide relevant and beneficial advice to their clients….
Nixon Peabody, one of the prominent global law firms, is expanding its Intellectual Property (IP) Practice in Chicago by adding Tim Maloney to their Partner, the firm reported on Tuesday. Maloney, with his extensive experience as a trial lawyer focusing on intellectual property enforcement and defense, will bring significant expertise to Nixon Peabody’s IP Practice….
Verizon Wireless has sought intervention from a Texas federal judge in a case it alleges involves Traxcell Technologies LLC engaging in deceptive asset-transfer practices to circumvent the payment of over $500,000 in legal fees. The legal fees were previously awarded to Verizon following an attorney misconduct incident during an extensive patent disagreement. The Cellco Partnership,…
In the ongoing evolution of technology and artificial intelligence (AI), a significant upheaval is seen in various sectors, including the legal realm. The capacity of AI to step onto the terrene formerly exclusive to human intellect, such as art, literature, and music, calls for a reassessment of the role of human creativity in the age…
When the Judicial Conference announced its new rules to curb forum shopping last month, there was a strong implication that Chief Justice Roberts had a significant hand in creating these recommendations. The rules seemed to coincide with Roberts’s ongoing effort to restore faith in the federal courts. The newly proposed regulations seek to clarify the…
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. has enlisted Kirkland & Ellis in their legal battle against Amarin Pharma, an Irish based pharmaceutical firm. Teva’s antitrust suit accuses Amarin of dangerously monopolising the market for the principal ingredient in its cardiovascular health drug, Vascepa, thus thwarting competition from generic brands. The specific accusation is that the company has…
Controversy has struck Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, one of the world’s leading law firms specializing in global-scale patents. Allegations filed in the federal court of Washington, D.C. make claims of age and racial bias within the firm. As per the complaint, the firm is accused of giving preferential treatment to younger, white co-workers of…
Merck’s newly approved drug for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), known as Winrevair or sotatercept during its development phase, marks a significant step forward in treating this potentially life-threatening lung and heart disorder. Unlike the current roster of PAH treatments which primarily alleviate symptoms, Winrevair targets the underlying cause behind the malfunctioning signaling pathway that precipitates…