‘Generic’ trademark battle set for SCOTUS
Booking.com is facing a not-so-easy legal battle in a lengthy effort to make its name a protectable trademark.
Intellectual Property
Articles
Patent U.: Universities’ investment in patentable research reaps more revenue, litigation
As universities investment more resources in the development of patentable technology, they also run an increased risk of litigation.
Barnes grows IP practice, expands into 3 new markets
Barnes & Thornburg, the largest law firm in the Indianapolis area, has completed a lateral hire that is bringing 17 legal professionals into its life sciences patent group and expanding its operations into three new markets.
Rolls-Royce embroiled in lawsuit over military contract
Indianapolis-based Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., which has spent nearly $50 million developing technology for new laser weaponry over the past decade, says a dispute with a fellow military contractor now threatens that investment.
Justices struggle with copyright case involving Blackbeard’s pirate ship
The Supreme Court is wrestling with a modern-day dispute involving the pirate Blackbeard’s ship that went down off North Carolina’s coast more than 300 years ago. The justices on Tuesday heard arguments in a copyright case over photos and videos that document the recovery of the Queen Anne’s Revenge, discovered in 1996.
NCAA board approves athlete compensation for image, likeness
The Indianapolis-based NCAA took a major step Tuesday toward allowing college athletes to cash in on their fame, voting to permit them to “benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness.”
Excise Police: Lake County retailer caught selling counterfeit vaping pods
Boxes of counterfeit fruit-flavored Juul vaping products discovered during the execution of a search warrant were confiscated from a Lake County store Friday after a customer reported the products were fake.
Jasper homebuilder sued in copyright case wins $518K in attorney fees
A Jasper homebuilder that was sued by a company that has sued more than 100 defendants, including dozens of Indiana homebuilders, has been awarded more than $518,000 in attorney fees after a judge previously cleared the Jasper company of home design copyright infringement.
Lawyer: Jury verdict should end Indianapolis skyline photo lawsuits
A federal jury in Indianapolis ruled against an attorney photographer Tuesday who has sued hundreds of people for using his online photo of the city’s sunny skyline. The verdict raised dark clouds over the presumption that the lawyer owns a legitimate, enforceable copyright of the photo.
NCAA urges California governor not to sign ‘fair pay’ bill
The Indianapolis-based NCAA’s Board of Governors is urging Gov. Gavin Newsom not to sign a California bill that would allow college athletes to receive money for their names, likenesses or images.
Purdue University: School has no connection to Purdue Pharma
Purdue University wants the public to know that it has no connection to a company that’s negotiating a potential multi-billion-dollar settlement after being blamed for helping drive the nation’s opioid crisis.
Attorney ordered to pay nonprofit $76K in fees after losing copyright case
An Indiana-based nonprofit that works to reduce instances of sexual assault has been awarded more than $76,000 in fees and costs as the prevailing party in a copyright case brought by a Hoosier attorney known for copyright litigation.
Not a ‘tattooed guy’: Larry Bird wants mural changed
Larry Bird likes the mural but not the tatts. A lawyer for the former NBA star has asked an artist to remove certain tattoos from a large painting of Bird on an Indianapolis multi-family residence. The tattoos include two rabbits mating on his right arm and a spider web on a shoulder.
Florida IP attorney’s referral agreement results in Indiana suspension
A Florida intellectual property attorney who represented Indiana clients has been suspended from the practice of law for 30 days for failing to disclose to clients that his firm was pursuing patents under an agreement with another company that charged clients to develop, protect and market their inventions.
High court strikes down ‘scandalous’ part of trademark law
The Untied States Supreme Court has struck down a section of federal law that prevented officials from registering trademarks seen as scandalous or immoral, handing a victory Monday to California fashion brand FUCT.
Judgment for IndyCar upheld in Panther Racing suit
The Indiana Court of Appeals on Thursday affirmed that a sponsorship agreement between IndyCar and a now-defunct racing team did not prevent IndyCar from providing another team access to space in the Fan Village at races on the circuit.
High court will hear copyright dispute involving Blackbeard’s ship
A dispute involving the pirate Blackbeard’s ship is on deck for the Supreme Court’s next term.
7th Circuit won’t increase damages award in music trademark suit
A music company has failed to convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to increase its award of damages by millions in a trademark suit against Guitar Center Stores, Inc.
Cole: Congress to the rescue in race to save software patents
When it often takes three to five years to secure a patent, you don’t want to empty your patent application pipeline if you think the law will change in the near term. And now it is looking increasingly likely that Congress will step in and bring order to the current chaos.
Roach & Hiler: Top 10 technology licensing pitfalls
While license agreements are often complex, we have seen many common pitfalls in licenses for patents and know-how (trademark and copyright licenses present similar issues, but are beyond the scope of this article). A “top 10” is a somewhat arbitrary list, but here goes: