Article Archive for September 2011
Madonna hates the title of “Material Girl,” but wants the rights to it regardless. Despite losing her motion for summary judgment, the arguments for senior user status and lack of reverse confusion are convincing.
On October 5th, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for Golan v. Holder, in which the plaintiffs challenge the constitutionality of restoring copyright protection to certain foreign works. Without a circuit split and divisive interpretations of the case’s legal issues, why else would the Court have granted it certiorari?
Apple was recently denied its trademark registration of the term “Multi-Touch.” The TTAB held that evidence suggested that the term was highly descriptive, and that Apple had failed to meet the high burden of proving that the term had acquired distinctiveness in relation to the company’s products and services.
The European Union directive of September 12, 2011 extends the term on copyright from 50 to 70 years, and reduces the difference as to the financial incentive for creation between authors and (American) performers.
In an appeal from a complex lower-court decision finding Amazon.com was infringing with its online checkout system, the Federal Circuit ruled that Amazon infringed but that the challenging patent was invalid, in a ruling that …
On September 22, 2011, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. filed a lawsuit against Santaris Pharmaceuticals in the Southern District of California alleging patent infringement. The complaint alleges that Santaris’s use of antisense technology infringes on the patents …
The new Patent Reform Act was signed into legislation this month. This article aims to shed some light on how some of its proponents and opponents have reacted.
The US Chamber of Commerce recently released an interactive online presentation called “The Innovation Lifecycle” which they hope will help educate Americans about the importance of IP protection.
Edgenet, Inc. v. Home Depot was decided on September 2, 2011. The Seventh Circuit had little trouble with this decision for Home Depot but this case is one of many that act as a good reminder to act carefully when drafting those contracts.
Luxury retailer Chanel, Inc. files trademark suit to stop the sale of counterfeit goods bearing their name and mark not on the streets, but online.
