Nebraska's Upswing in Venture Capital Total a Positive Trend
Recently in a Washington Post opinion essay it was stated that 78 percent of venture capital goes to only three states: California, New York and Massachusetts. But Nebraska has also had a significant…
Today in History: Edison Sues Over New Motion-Picture Technology
May 13, 1898, Thomas Edison sued the American Mutoscope Company claiming the studio infringed on his patent for the Kinetograph Camera. By this time in his career Edison had already invented the…
Obama Signs Federal Trade Secrets Bill Into Law
As an update to our April 28, 2016 article on the passage of the DTSA, Wednesday the 11th of May, President Barak Obama signed into law S.1890 , a bill that provides a new tool in preventing theft of…
Golden State Warriors Trademark ‘Strength in Numbers’
A columnist from the San Francisco Chronicle asked Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, if the team-building mantra “Strength in Numbers” was ideal for a t-shirt. Kerr smiled and said…
Patents in the Workplace - Who Owns Them?
When an individual develops an invention while employed, questions may arise as to who owns the rights to obtain a patent: the employee or the employer? There are many factors that come in to play in…
Star Wars Day - May the 4th be with You
May the 4th, aka Star Wars Day. Some will celebrate by dressing up, others will watch a Star Wars marathon, but we will celebrate by regaling in the various patents and trademarks that were obtained…
Intellectual Property and Fitbit v. Jawbone
On Thursday April 29th, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) invalidated a number of Jawbone patents, which have been the subject of the ongoing legal dispute between Fitbit and Jawbone. The…
House Passes Trade Secrets Act
On April 27, 2016, by a vote of 410-2, the United States House of Representatives passed S. 1890, the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (DTSA). In a general sense, a trade secret is information which…
Yosemite Park Trademark Controversy
Yosemite National Park has gorgeous vistas; the largest waterfall in North America; and landmark destinations known for decades as the Ahwahnee Hotel, Wawona Hotel, Curry Village, Yosemite Lodge at…
Offensive Trademarks and the Supreme Court
On Tuesday April 25th, a federal appeals court ruled that a federal law barring the registration of “offensive” trademarks is an unconstitutional limitation on free speech. This may have a…
Plagiarism Accusations and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Seven months ago the organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics released their logo for the games, but had to quickly revamp it as they were accused of plagiarism. Kenjiro Sano, the original designer, was…
U.S. Supreme Court to Weigh in On Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceedings
Oral arguments for Cuozzo Speed Technologies v. Lee were heard by the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on Monday April 25, 2016. One of the primary questions SCOTUS was faced with was whether the…