How long does it take for the USPTO to issue a patent or register a trademark? (2016 edition) At the end of each fiscal year, the USPTO releases a Performance and Accountability Report, with statistics about patent and trademark…
U.S. tech companies welcome Korean antitrust ruling against Qualcomm over FRAND abuse South Korea’s competition watchdog, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), has just imposed a $853 million fine on Qualcomm for “monpolistic” practices involving its…
FRAND Holes FRAND holes. This isn’t a new offering from Dunkin Donuts. They’re the holes in the rules for licensing what are called standard-essential patents (SEPs). Earlier this month, the South Korean Fair… FRAND holes….
Highway-Sign-Based Trademark Troubles North of the Border Entrepreneurs are finding out that governments don’t like it when a private business convert public highway sign into a trademarks. And Canada is no different. Earlier this year, two…
An Exit Interview with the Nation’s Patent Chief The last several years have been dynamic ones in the world of patents, a trend that’s likely to continue as the Patent and Trademark Office comes under…
USPTO Denies Trademark Application for NHL's Newest Team IPNews® – The name of the NHL’s newest team, the Las Vegas Golden Knights, is being questioned by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The USPTO…
A Big Bite of the Apple – Supreme Court Decides the Fate of Design Patents The two titans of technology, Apple and Samsung, have fought long and hard over many aspects of intellectual property law,…
Inventor Kearns’ fight with Ford & other auto cos is 2016’s most read IP CloseUp post; 20,000+ visitors An article summarizing inventor Robert Kearns’ epic battle against the automobile industry is this year’s most read…
Moving Parties Arguments May Not be First Made on Reply Republic Techs. (NA), LLC v. BBK Tobacco & Foods, LLC d/b/a HBI Int’l., No. 16 C 3401, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. Oct. 26, 2016) (Bucklo,…
Trump Jr.’s op-ed reveals a solid understanding of patent licensing Donald J. Trump, Jr.’s editorial in the The Daily Caller in 2012, a conservative leaning publication that generates more than 16 million monthly visits, indicates that…
Who should be listed as inventors in a patent application? 49458832 – inventor This is a question that all patent applicants must answer before filing a patent application. However, applicants often answer the question without fully understanding…
IP Complaints in U.S. Federal Courts Down in November Intellectual property infringement complaints in U.S. federal courts dropped in November, driven by declines in copyright and patent infringement claims, Bloomberg Law data show.Patent infringement… Intellectual…
TC Heartland, LLC v. Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC (No. 16-341) Earlier today, the Supreme Court granted certiorari to determine “[w]hether 28 U.S.C. § 1400(b) is the sole and exclusive provision governing venue in patent infringement…
Negotiated Litigation Reserve Not Protected Work Product Lynk Labs, Inc. v. Juno Lighting LLC, No. 15 C 4833, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. Oct. 21, 2016) (Rowland, Mag. J.). Judge Rowland granted in part defendants’ motion…
Kardashian Sisters File Opposition to Blac Chyna's Kardashian Trademark IPNews® – Blac Chyna this year filed a trademark application for the Kardashian name. It is now being opposed by the attorneys for Kim, Khloe, and…
Gov’t study of economic impact of patent infringement is needed ASAP, experts say There are abundant statistics on the cost of counterfeit goods, copyright infringement and even the negative impact of patent “trolls,” but nothing…
Discovery Mooted by Potential Summary Judgment Decision NuCap Indus., Inc. v. Robert Bosch LLC, NO. 15 C 2207, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. Oct. 19, 2016) (Gottschall, J.). Judge Gottschall overruled plaintiff NuCap’s objections to Magistrate…
Snuggie Maker Sues Amazon for Trademark Infringement IPNews® – Online retailer Amazon is being sued by the maker of the Snuggie blanket and two other companies that sell products on Amazon. The lawsuit claims…
Court Sua Sponte Dismisses Patent Case for Improper Venue Anuwave LLC v. Assoc. Banc-Corp. d/b/a Assoc. Bank, N.A., No. 16 C 9925, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. Oct. 26, 2016) (Shadur, Sen. J.). Judge Shadur sua…
Impulse Tech. Ltd. v. Microsoft Corp. (Fed. Cir. Dec. 7, 2016) (nonprecedential) This case concerned the construction of the term “defined physical space” in a patent directed to the use of three-dimensional motion tracking for interactive…