Italian Company Wins Trademark for "Steve Jobs"
One of the most recognized names in the world is the late Apple Co-founder and CEO, Steve Jobs. He is known around the world for being on the forefront of technology by introducing Mac computers, the…
Fun Intellectual Property Associated with Valentine's Day
Valentine’s Day is here again. To most, Valentine’s Day is the holiday of love and the color red, but for many businesses, Valentine’s Day is the color of green. In fact, Valentine’s Day is one of…
The Army Opposes NHL’s Golden Knights Trademark
Those who follow the National Hockey League (NHL) are familiar with the league’s new expansion team, the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Known for their winning inaugural season and touching tribute paid…
Dogs Use Patent-Pending Technology to Sniff Out Bombs
In the wake of recent tragedies such as the Boston Marathon bombing and the London bombing at the Ariana Grande concert in the Manchester Arena, people are on high alert when attending large events.…
Federal Circuit Decision Signals Significance of Claim Construction in Statutory Subject Matter Analysis
On January 10, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“the Court”) handed down its decision (“the Decision”) in Finjan, Inc. (“Finjan”) v. Blue Coat Systems, Inc. (“Blue Coat”).…
Supreme Court Declined to Hear Case on Google’s Trademark as Generic
On Monday, October 16th, the Supreme Court of the United States denied certiorari of a petition that stated Google has become a generic verb which would make it ineligible for trademark protection.…
Spotify Sued for $1.6 billion over Copyright Infringement
California-based Wixen Music Publishing has sued the streaming music provider, Spotify for $1.6 billion. The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California, Western…
Apple Applies for Patent on Self-Driving Car
While Uber and Waymo have been in the news for their self-driving cars and the patented technology behind them, Apple has been secretly working on their “Autonomous Navigation System.” Apple CEO Tim…
Recent Developments Regarding the Use of Inter Partes Review Proceedings to Challenge Patents
I. Introduction Inter partes review (IPR) is a trial proceeding conducted before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). An alternative to…
How to Select Your Business Name and Trademark
A few months ago, I served as a mentor for Breakthrough Weekend in which groups of students at the University of Nebraska at Omaha competed against each other based upon their presentation of their…
Amazon Patents Self-Destructing Drone
Amazon was recently in the news for one of their patent applications dealing with advances in drone technology. Amazon was granted a patent for its invention on “Directed Fragmentation for Unmanned…
“O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree” a Look at Your Intellectual Property
Christmas trees are an essential element of Christmas and the holiday season. According to the American Christmas Tree Association’s (ACTA) seventh annual Christmas tree survey, nearly 95 million…