STRONGER Patents Act of 2017 Introduced
In June of 2017, Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) introduced the Support Technology & Research for Our Nation’s Growth and Economic Resilience Act (the STRONGER Patents Act), legislation which is…
Has the Term Google Become Generic?
What do escalators, aspirin, thermos, and videotape have in common? They were once trademarked but lost their legally protected status because they became too generic. Fortunately, for Google, their…
The Supreme Court to Determine the Constitutionality of Inter Partes Reviews
In Oil States Energy Services LLC v. Greene’s Energy Group, LLC, the Supreme Court of the United States will consider the constitutionality of post-grant challenges to patents through inter partes…
“Welcome to the Hotel California”?
The Eagles, a rock band known for their many award-winning songs and albums, have filed a trademark lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California against a hotel in Mexico. The…
Nestle Loses Appeal to Trademark KitKat Bar's Shape
Candy bar maker Nestlé has recently lost an appeal to gain trademark protection for the shape of their famous KitKat bar. In many cases, a particular shape can illicit the thought of an associated…
Judge Orders Uber to Return Stolen Files to Waymo
On Monday May 15, U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup granted a partial injunction that ordered Uber Technologies Inc. to return stolen files to Waymo, the Alphabet subsidiary now handling…
Supreme Court Limits Where Patent Infringement Lawsuits can be Filed
On Monday, May 22, 2017, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down a unanimous decision, delivered by Justice Clarence Thomas (minus Justice Gorsuch who took no part in the consideration) in…
Uber and Lyft Sued for Patent Infringement over 18-year-old Patent
Los Angeles based Hailo Technologies LLC, which also operates under the name Bring, has sued both Uber and Lyft separately over alleged patent infringement of U.S. Patent No. 5,973,619, entitled…
Claims to Graphic User Interface Upheld by Court as Relating to Eligible § 101 Subject Matter
On January 18, 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) issued a non-precedential opinion in Trading Technologies International, Inc. v. CQG, Inc. The CAFC affirmed the…
Supreme Court Ruling on Impression Products and Patent Exhaustion
The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued a decision in Impression Prods., Inc. v. Lexmark Int’l, Inc.; a case pertaining to the resale of a patented product. The Federal Circuit had ruled that a US…
Intellectual Property Symbols and Their Uses
Have you ever come across intellectual property symbols such as ®, TM, SM, ©, ℗ and wondered what they meant? These symbols are used to denote various types of intellectual property (IP) protection.…
"Charging Bull" takes on "Fearless Girl"
When walking down the street in the Wall Street district of New York City, it is difficult to miss the famous “Charging Bull” statue. The giant, three-and-a-half-ton, 11-foot bronze statue has been a…