Behind the curtain
“Jersey Boys” doesn’t violate copyright on autobiography
Corbello v. Valli, No. 17-1637 (9th Cir. Sept. 8, 2020).

“Method of preparation” involving natural phenomenon is patent-eligible
Illumina, Inc. v. Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc., No. 19-1419 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 3, 2020); Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., 569 U.S. 576 (2013).

Don’t let patent licensing missteps cost you
Packet Intelligence LLC v. Netscout Systems, Inc., No. 19-2041 (Fed. Cir. July 14, 2020).

Who can file for trademark cancellation?
Australian Therapeutic Supplies Pty. Ltd. v. Naked TM, LLC, No. 19-1567 (Fed. Cir. July 27, 2020).

Katherine Tassmer and Todd Garabedian's article, "Determining joint inventorship: antibody paying attention?" was published in The Patent Lawyer Magazine Annual 2021 issue. Their article discusses the tenets of joint inventorship under U.S. law with specific reference to the Dana-Farber decision.

SCOTUS has no reservations about Booking.com trademark
USPTO v. Booking.com, No. 19-46, June 30, 2020, U.S.

There’s no “I” in team
Court adds co-inventors to patents
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute v. Ono Pharm. Co., Ltd., No. 19-2050, July 14, 2020, Fed. Cir.

Cosmetic differences
Mourabit v. Klein, No. 19-2142, June 8, 2020, 2d Cir.

Court affirms PTAB’s common sense obviousness analysis
B/E Aerospace, Inc. v. C&D Zodiac, Inc., No. 19-1935, June 26, 2020, Fed. Cir.; KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., No. 04–1350, Supreme Court (2007).

Federal Circuit cuts the line on patent-ineligible fishing method
In re: Rudy, No. 2019-2301, April 24, 2020, Fed. Cir.

The limits of artificial intelligence - PTO restricts “inventorship” to natural persons
In re Application of Application No.: 16/524,350, No. 50567-3-01-US, April 27, 2020, U.S.P.T.O. 

Supreme Court: Sovereign immunity sinks copyright claims
Allen v. Cooper, No. 18-877, March 23, 2020, U.S.

Stairway to litigation Led Zeppelin prevails in copyright case 

Skidmore v. Led Zeppelin, Nos. 16-56057, -56287, March 9, 2020, 9th Cir.  

Patentee misses the mark on pre-lawsuit infringement damages

Arctic Cat Inc. v. Bombardier Recreational Products Inc., No. 2019-1080, Feb. 19, 2020, Fed. Cir.  

Trademark licensee denied preliminary injunction Court finds license isn’t “perpetual” Mrs. Fields Franchising LLC v. MFGPC, Nos. 19-4046, -4063, Nov. 7, 2019, Fed. Cir.  

Use it or lose it: Protecting IP during a public health crisis 

Look before you leap

Foreign publication leads to patent invalidation

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson v. TCL Corp.

Even after a patent is granted, an owner can find the patent’s validity challenged if it hasn’t thoroughly searched for “prior art.” 

Prescription for copyright protection: Register stat!

Southern Credentialing Support Svcs., LLC v. Hammond Surgical Hosp., LLC

Copyright protection generally takes effect as soon as an original work is created, but it might not be as extensive as some think. 

Attorneys’ fees awards in trademark cases

Appellate court lowers the bar

LHO Chicago River, LLC v. Perillo

When most people think about what it takes to qualify as “exceptional,” they probably imagine a fairly high bar.

Supreme Court slaps down PTO pursuit of attorneys’ fees

Peter v. NantKwest, Inc.

The U.S. Supreme Court has weighed in on a new U.S. Patent and Trademark Office practice when patent applicants appeal adverse decisions in district court.

Food for thought: Court rules banana costume is copyrightable
Silvertop Associates Inc. v. Kangaroo Mfg. Inc., No. 18-2266, Aug. 1, 2019, 3d Cir., Star Athletica, L.L.C. v. Varsity Brands, Inc., 137 S. Ct. 1002 (2017).

Back to the future
Federal Circuit rejects narrow approach to relation back doctrine
Anza Technology, Inc. v. Mushkin, Inc., No. 19-1045, Aug. 16, 2019, Fed. Cir.

No harm, no foul
Fair use defense wins trademark infringement case
SportFuel, Inc., v. PepsiCo, Inc., No. 18-3010, Aug. 2, 2019, 7th Cir. 

Timing matters in inter partes review
Henny Penny Corp. v. Frymaster LLC, No. 18-1596, Sept. 12, 2019, Fed. Cir.