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3/3/2008 Intellectual Property Bulletin Winter 2008
After unanimous approval by the California Assembly and the California Senate, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed S.B. 771 into law on October 10, 2007, amending California Civil Code section 3344.1. more
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1/17/2008 Patent Law Year in Review: With The Close Of An Active 2007, What Does 2008 Hold? PDF icon
Supreme Court Leaves Its Mark in 2007; Federal Circuit Weighs in on Patent Licensing; What’s Coming up in 2008; Patent Reform and Rule Changes; Reconsidering What Is Patentable Subject Matter; Reexamination Trends; Ethics Issues in Patent Law more
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10/12/2007 Intellectual Property Bulletin Fall 2007
Disclosures to government regulators have always posed risks to trade secrets and other proprietary information. more
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9/19/2007 Six Week Countdown for New Patent Rules: A Comprehensive Approach to Building Your Patent Portfolio Before and After November 1
The United States Patent and Trademark Office [Office] is revising the rules of practice in patent cases relating to continuing applications and requests for continued examination practices, and for the examination of claims in patent applications. more | view video
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8/31/2007 Perspective: Patents, post-MedImmune
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court shook the foundations of patent licensing and technology transfer, altering the balance of power between patent holders and their licensees and creating profound implications for the life-sciences industry. more
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8/21/2007 Patent Alert: New Rules for U.S. Patent Applications
Earlier today, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published new rules for patent prosecution. more
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8/21/2007 Litigation Alert: In re Seagate Technology, LLC—Willful Infringement and the Scope of Waiver of the Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product Doctrine
On August 20, 2007, the Federal Circuit, sitting en banc, articulated a new standard for willful infringement: patentees must show at least objective recklessness. more
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7/31/2007 Injunctions After eBay v. MercExchange
More than a year has passed since the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in eBay, Inc. v. MercExchange, LLC, 126 S. Ct. 1837 (2006). more
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7/16/2007 New Patent Rules Looming: What Do They Mean for Your Portfolio? PDF icon
The United States Patent & Trademark Office has proposed several sweeping new rules that will significantly alter how patent applications are treated. more
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6/26/2007 Intellectual Property Bulletin Summer 2007
On May 23, 2007, Coca-Cola employee Joya Williams was sentenced to eight years in prison for trying to sell Coke's trade secrets to rival Pepsi. more
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6/18/2007 International Patent Strategy: Springboard to Going Global PDF icon
In today's global marketplace, patent protection continues to be an important part of a company's overall business and intellectual property strategy. However, protection provided by any one patent is limited to within the country in which it was granted. more
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5/1/2007 Litigation Alert - Microsoft Corp. v. AT&T Corp. — The Supreme Court Limits the Extraterritorial Effect of 35 U.S.C. § 271(f) PDF icon
On April 30, the Supreme Court issued an important decision affecting liability for patent infringement for computer software developed in the United States and distributed abroad. more
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5/1/2007 Litigation Alert - KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc.—Ordinary Innovation is Obvious PDF icon
On April 30, the Supreme Court in KSR International v. Teleflex, announced that "the results of ordinary innovation are not the subject of exclusive rights under the patent laws." more
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4/17/2007 Legal FAQ: Introduction to Patent Litigation PDF icon
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office grants a patent. Contrary to popular belief, a patent does not give its holder the right to practice the invention, but the right to preclude others from practicing it. more
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4/17/2007 Legal FAQ: Introduction to Patent Law PDF icon
A patent is a legal right to exclude others from practicing the patented invention for a limited period of time in exchange for disclosing the details of the invention to the public. more
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4/2/2007 Intellectual Property Bulletin Spring 2007
The Supreme Court has ruled that patent licensees do not need to breach their license agreements before seeking a declaratory judgment in federal court that the underlying patent is invalid, unenforceable, or not infringed. more
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1/19/2007 IP Law in China: Works for Hire PDF icon
The work made for hire (sometimes abbreviated to work for hire or "WFH") doctrine is an exception to the general copyright rule that the person who actually creates a work is the legally-recognized author of that work. more
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1/10/2007 Litigation Alert - Supreme Court Knocks Down Federal Circuit Rule and Allows Licensees to Challenge a Licensed Patent PDF icon
Yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled in MedImmune v. Genentech that a patent licensee does not need to breach its license agreement before seeking a declaratory judgment in federal court that the underlying patent is invalid, unenforceable, or not infringed. more
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10/31/2006 Potential Defenses of Implied Patent License Under the GPL PDF icon
The GNU General Public License v2.0 ("the GPL") governs a majority of open source software. The GPL grants recipients the right to copy, distribute, and modify covered software provided they do so in a manner consistent with the "free" nature of the software. more
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7/11/2006 Litigation Alert - LG Electronics, Inc. v. Bizcom Electronics, Inc. PDF icon
On July 7, 2006, the Federal Circuit ruled in the case of LG Electronics, Inc. v. Bizcom Electronics, Inc., Civ. 05-1261, that a license agreement that disclaimed an implied license may also establish a conditional sale, thus defeating the application of patent exhaustion. more
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6/30/2006 Intellectual Property Bulletin Summer 2006
A patent gives its owner the right to exclude others from making, using and selling the claimed invention. Thus, patent rights give a patentee great control over who uses his or her invention. more
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6/23/2006 Litigation Alert - Supreme Court Dismisses LabCorp Appeal PDF icon
The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday opted to dismiss a case having potentially broad implications for the question of what constitutes patentable subject matter. more
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5/17/2006 Going to the Videotape: An Introduction to the Patent System PDF icon
Patentees enter every jury trial with one distinct advantage: an official, ribboned copy of the patent at issue in the case. This trial exhibit comes embossed with the seal of the Patent and Trademark Office and signed by the director of that office. more
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5/15/2006 Litigation Alert - eBay v. MercExchange: Supreme Court Clarifies Test for Permanent Injunction in Patent Cases PDF icon
A decision today by the United States Supreme Court is likely to impact the dynamic in many patent litigation lawsuits brought by companies that purchase patents in order to sue other companies for infringing them. more
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4/24/2006 Patent Rights and Open Source—Can They Co-exist? PDF icon
A patent gives its owner the right to exclude others from making, using, and selling the claimed invention. Thus, patent rights give a patentee great control over who uses his invention. more
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3/21/2006 Intellectual Property Bulletin Winter 2005/2006
In today's global marketplace, patent protection continues to be an important part of a company's overall business and intellectual property strategy. However, protection provided by any one patent is limited to within the country in which it was granted. more
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1/23/2006 eBay v. MercExchange - Supreme Court to Reconsider Injunction Remedy in Patent Cases PDF icon
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon reconsider the long-lived standards for granting permanent injunctions in patent infringement cases in eBay Inc. v. MercExchange L.L.C., 401 F.3d 1323 (Fed. Cir. 2005). more
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1/19/2006 Patent Law Developments: 2006 PDF icon
The Year Past and the Year Ahead more
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1/3/2006 University Licensing: An Introduction to Licensing Technology from Universities PDF icon
What do Yamaha synthesizers, gene splicing and DSL have in common? They are all based on technology licensed from universities. As these examples show, universities often develop and license new cutting edge technologies. more
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11/22/2005 Intellectual Property Bulletin Fall 2005
On November 7, 2005, the Recording Industry Association of America issued a press release announcing settlement of the longstanding file-sharing dispute with Grokster. more
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11/3/2005 Authorized Generics: Antitrust Issues and the Hatch-Waxman Act PDF icon
An authorized generic (AG) is a pharmaceutical product that was originally marketed and sold by a brand company, but is relabeled and marketed under a generic product name. more
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10/25/2005 Patent Protection for High Technology Companies PDF icon
Intellectual property is the term used to describe the intangible assets associated with a company's technological innovation. more
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10/17/2005 Patent Litigation PDF icon
This booklet is designed for those who wish to enforce their patents or who are accused of infringing another's patent. It provides an outline of patent law in the United States, and an overview of the procedure of patent cases. more
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9/20/2005 Extraterritorial Expansion of U.S. Patent Law PDF icon
With the advent of the global economy, the design, manufacturing, marketing, and sales activities of businesses are being performed increasingly overseas. Naturally, the owners of U.S. patents are increasingly attempting to enforce their U.S. patents against activities carried out at least in part, if not entirely, outside the U.S. more
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8/25/2005 Strategic Intellectual Property Planning PDF icon
The recognition of intellectual property as an intellectual asset, and an asset generally, is paramount to successful strategic intellectual property planning. Intellectual property should be thought of as having the characteristics of an asset, and should be so managed. more
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7/19/2005 Patent Infringement Under Section 271(f) and the Exportation of Software—Living in a Material World PDF icon
On July 13, 2005, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued an opinion regarding whether the exportation of software code from the United States for distribution and use in foreign markets constitutes an infringement under U.S. patent law. more
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7/13/2005 Phillips v. AWH Corporation—Revisiting the Rules of Claim Construction: Still No Magic Formula PDF icon
Overview / Commentary / Authors of the Opinion / Summary of the Opinion / Dissents more
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6/14/2005 Intellectual Property Bulletin Spring 2005
CoStar Reopens Settled Fixation Issue/Trademark Infringement and the Fair Use Defense/Changes in Store for "Ailing" Patent System/Family Entertainment and Copyright Act Becomes Law. more
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5/23/2005 Correct Inventorship Prevents Patent Application Headaches PDF icon
Although companies race to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to build their patent portfolios, technically, a company is not granted a patent. more
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5/20/2005 Changes in Store for "Ailing" Patent System PDF icon
Just a few years ago, it was unusual for patents to make newspaper headlines—but times have changed. more
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5/1/2005 Watch Out For Statutory Bars—Don't Lose Your Patent Rights Before You Even File The Application PDF icon
Many people are aware of the need to keep patentable inventions secret.  However, few people other than patent lawyers understand the reasons for the secrecy, or know the other actions that might cause an inventor to unintentionally lose the right to obtain a patent. more
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2/17/2005 Patent Law Developments: 2005 PDF icon
The Year Past and the Year Ahead more
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2/15/2005 Software Escrows as Part of an Intellectual Property Strategy PDF icon
For many companies, a key aspect of a comprehensive intellectual property strategy is to identify and enforce mechanisms to protect their investment in software purchased from software developers. more
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12/28/2004 Intellectual Property Bulletin Winter 2004—2005 PDF icon
Trademarks on a Shoestring for Start-Ups/Circuit Courts Narrow the Reach of the DMCA's Anti-Circumvention Provisions/Quick Updates more
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11/2/2004 The Interplay Between Standards Bodies and Patents PDF icon
Technical standards are often used to ensure that products from different companies will interoperate. more
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9/10/2004 Intellectual Property Bulletin Fall 2004 PDF icon
Federal Circuit Whacks the Doctrine of Equivalents Again/The Role of Dictionaries in Patent Claim Construction/ Quick Updates more
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7/21/2004 Strategies for Getting Patents Issued Quickly PDF icon
The competitive value of many Internet, business method, or software patents lies in functional features that are exposed when the invention is made commercially available. more
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6/30/2004 Managing innovation: university-industry partnerships and the licensing of the Harvard mouse PDF icon
DuPont's Oncomouse patent licensing program continues to cause a stir in academia and industry. more
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6/15/2004 Assessing Patent Value PDF icon
Business decisions often depend upon accurately determining an asset's value. more
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6/15/2004 Intellectual Property Bulletin Summer 2004 PDF icon
Lessons in Patent Prosecution Quality Control from the Federal Circuit/The Complex Legal Implications of Modifying Licensed Software/ Quick Updates more
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4/27/2004 Developing a Patent Strategy: A Checklist for Getting Started PDF icon
For many technology companies, developing a patent strategy is an important component of the business plan. more
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4/22/2004 Underutilized Patent Reexaminations Can Improve Business Strategy PDF icon
Patents deployed for strategic business purposes in a licensing or litigation context must be carefully studied to determine the strength of their claims. more
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4/16/2004 Altering Patent Suit Proof Burden Would Chill Innovation PDF icon
American ingenuity is encouraged by a patent system that provides incentives for inventors to disclose their inventions in exchange for a period of exclusivity. more
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3/11/2004 2004 Update: International Legal Protection for Software PDF icon
This report summarizes the legal protection available for computer software in most significant markets around the world as of January 2004. more
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3/11/2004 2004 Update: International Legal Protection for Software - CHART PDF icon
This chart can be used to determine if subject matter protection is currently available in a particular country for either a U.S. or foreign party's software. more
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3/11/2004 Copyright Infringement Litigation with Some Asides on Software Copyright Litigation PDF icon
Where, What, When, Who and Why more
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2/26/2004 A Powerful Patent Strategy. . . Provisionally PDF icon
A provisional application is part of a powerful patent strategy, but only if the provisional application is prepared properly. more
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2/26/2004 Software Outsourcing Offshore - Business and Legal Issues Checklist PDF icon
Outsourcing particular business functions is not something new. more
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5/8/2003 Patent Litigation PDF icon
This booklet is designed for those who wish to enforce their patents or who are accused of infringing another's patent. It provides an outline of patent law in the United States, and an overview of the procedure of patent cases. more
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5/1/2003 Think Value, Not Cheap for Long-Term Business Success PDF icon
Entrepreneurship today faces some new realities. Different perspectives exist on what are new realities. more
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1/1/2003 Patent Licensing for High Technology and Life Sciences Companies PDF icon
Virtually all high technology companies rely on licenses to achieve their business goals. more
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1/1/2003 Enzo Biochem v. Gen-Probe: Complying with the written description requirement under US patent law PDF icon
Recent court decisions effectively call for researchers and companies to reduce their biotechnology and pharmaceutical inventions to practice before they can apply for patent protection. more
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11/1/2002 A Patent Portfolio Development Strategy for Start-Up Companies PDF icon
Successful high technology companies recognize that a comprehensive intellectual property portfolio can be of substantial value. more
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1/1/2002 The Intellectual Property Audit PDF icon
Intellectual property has an importance today greater than ever before. more
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1/1/2002 Real Life Trial Issues in Software PDF icon
Although it seems hard to believe, the first recognized software copyright infringement case of any note took place almost sixteen years ago. more
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10/1/1999 What the General Intellectual Property Practitioner Should Know about Patenting Business Methods PDF icon
In the last couple of years, companies have been filing a phenomenal volume of patent applications with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO), and the PTO has been issuing a patents in record numbers. more
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3/15/1999 Method Madness: Patenting Financial Inventions After 'State Street Bank' PDF icon
In July 1998, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, in State Street Bank & Trust Co. v. Signature Financial Group Inc., 149 F.3d 1368 (Fed. Cir. 1998), held patentable Signature's mutual-fund system, overturning a legalistic framework for patentable inventions based on whether the invention contained mathematical algorithms. more
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5/15/1998 A Comprehensive Current Analysis of Software "Look and Feel" Protection PDF icon
The United States software industry has experienced phenomenal growth since its inception, and remains one of the few technical industries in which the United States demonstrably leads other countries. more
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1/1/1998 Technology Licensing and Online Commerce - Legal Transactions Guide PDF icon
This Guide covers most typical transactions involving technology and high technology and online products and services. more
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1/1/1998 New Designs: Licenses May Be Evidence of the Non-obviousness of an Invention PDF icon
A license agreement frequently transfers some rights in an invention from a patent owner to a licensee. more
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5/16/1997 Global Warning: The Internet's International Nature Presents Complex Patent Problems PDF icon
Like most other high-technology companies, Internet companies seek to protect their products and ideas from their competitors. more
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