The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has finalized a new policy regarding the use of the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning Seal (APW Seal or FBI Anti-Piracy Seal). The new policy provides a general authorization allowing all copyright holders to use the APW Seal, subject to specific conditions of use. The APW Seal has been generally helpful Read more about FBI Anti-Piracy Seal[…]
The explosive expansion of social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn have given rise to numerous intellectual property issues, including the ownership and value of a “Friend,” “Like” or “Tweet.” A recent case PhoneDog v. Noah Kravitz may address some of these issues. In PhoneDog, a California Court is being asked to determine Read more about Tweets Aren’t Trade Secrets[…]
The Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in Mayo v. Prometheus was announced yesterday. In the 9-0 unanimous ruling the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that “[L]aws of nature, natural phenomena, and abstract ideas” are not patentable subject matter under §101 of the Patent Act,” citing to Diamond v. Diehr, 450 U. S. 175, 185. “[A]n application of Read more about Unpatentable Natural Phenomena[…]
Summary of Key Provisions and associated Effective Dates On September 16, 2011, President Obama Signed the Patent Reform Act of 2011, (also referred to as AIA or the American Invents Act) into law. The Act made the most significant changes in US patent law since the 1952 Patent Act. The stated purpose was that the Read more about American Invents Act[…]
The recent buzz across the internet yesterday was the equivalent of a 21st century “Sit In” as websites and internet users demonstrated against SOPA and PIPA. SOPA stands for Stop Online Piracy Act, which is related to the recently (October 26, 2011) proposed legislation [H.R. 3261] introduced by the Lamar S. Smith (R-TX) who was Read more about SOPA/PIPA and WIKI – the new “SIT IN”[…]
Hasbro, the famous toy maker, has filed a trademark infringement suit against computer maker, Asus over the use of the “Transformer” mark. Asus, the maker of iPad tablet type of computers, unveiled the new “Eee Pad Transformer,” an Android-based tablet that can convert to a notebook via a docking station. Last month, Asus expanded their Read more about The Next Transformers Battle[…]
Google continues to buy more patents from IBM, in fact it appears that Google has bought another 188 U.S. patents and 29 patent applications from IBM. Some speculate that Google has been buying patents from IBM and others to help it defend its Android software from the challenges involving Apple’s iPhone. Google’s largest deal so Read more about Google continues to acquire patents from IBM[…]
The U.S. House of Representatives introduced new legislation, the Stop Online Piracy Act, today which is supported by the RIAA. The bill is designed to provide the Department of Justice with resources to prevent offshore “rogue” sites from offering access to illicit and counterfeit goods. A a hearing on the Stop Online Piracy Act will Read more about RIAA SUPPORTS NEW ANTI-PIRACY BILL[…]
Late last week the United States Senate voted 89 to 9 to send House Bill H.R. 1249 (titled “the America Invents Act”) to President Obama’s desk. The Senate voted overwhelmingly to approve the same version of the bill that the House of Representatives previously passed. Having received the blessings of both houses of the 112th Read more about 2011 Patent Reform (AIA)[…]
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (“ICANN”) is registering a new top-level domain xxx, despite numerous objections from various groups. Some believe that the creation of the .xxx top-level domain (TLD) will effectively create an official internet ‘red-light district’ while others hope that this will help get the pornographic websites off of the Read more about New Registration for .xxx Domain Names[…]