Intellectual Property Law Update Patent Congress released a draft of proposed patent legislation to address the ongoing problem with Subject Matter Rejections, namely, 101 Rejections. The proposed new patent law proposes that patents should be awarded to: Whoever invents or discovers any useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any useful improvement thereof, may Read more about Intellectual Property Updates[…]
Robots as Artists and Inventors Traditional Intellectual Property relies on the notion that humans are the source of innovation and artwork. What happens when a computerized robot becomes an inventor, an author or an artist? What happens when a human uses a computer with artificial intelligence to develop an invention or work of art? Is Read more about Will Artificial Intelligence Impact Inventors and Artists?[…]
In today’s intellectual property law update, the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) announced that their electronic system will again be down for maintenance for the entire weekend. Strike 3 Holdings, a prolific adult movie producer, who filed almost 2,000 copyright infringement lawsuits last year, has seen more of its copyright lawsuits dismissed for Read more about Intellectual Property Law Update[…]
One of my favorite quotes goes something like this, “always be yourself, unless you can be Batman, then be Batman.” Well, when it comes to copyrighting weeds, I would rather be Batman. Copyright Lawsuit In a recent Copyright Case, an artist sued the Batman actor, Val Kilmer, for stealing his golden weeds. Specifically, tumbleweeds. The Read more about Who wins, Batman or Copyright?[…]
Stuffed miniature mascots in cheerleading uniforms. Monthly calendars featuring cheerleaders. Clothing designed to mimic cheerleading uniforms. What do all of these have in common? They are sold in university gift shops and, under the Supreme Court’s latest decision on cheerleading uniforms, they are likely infringing works. The US Supreme Court recently ruled that fashionable 2-D and 3-D Read more about Go, Fight, Win: SCOTUS Says Cheerleading Uniforms Are Functional AND Creative[…]
The Metropolitan Museum announced access to nearly 400,000 images – for free. The Museum provides these images under an Open Access license for all public-domain works in the Met collection. The Creative Commons Zero (“CC0”) license allows use of the images without restriction. Entrepreneurs, artists, and business owners can now use and share these images Read more about Free Use Images[…]
It seems like Christmas is getting earlier and earlier, with Santa holiday advertisements appearing even before Halloween or Thanksgiving. With Santa appearing so often and so long, overpowering almost every other holiday, one has to wonder who owns Santa. I don’t mean the spiritual visitor, but the name and image Santa Claus which we see Read more about In the name of Santa Claus[…]
As an Intellectual Property Law firm, we are constantly being asked about the types of intellectual property. Many people know that they want their intellectual property (ie., inventions, ideas, art, writing, etc.) protected, but they are unsure as to what type of intellectual property protection they need. The Intellectual Property Center is here to help. Read more about Your Intellectual Property Questions Answered[…]
In the modern world, intellectual property protection is becoming ever more important. We are constantly seeing headlines about billion dollar intellectual property disputes between tech giants like Google, Samsung and Apple. Most often, these articles jump right into the details that grab our attention and fail to explain what intellectual property is and how something Read more about Intellectual Property: the Types, the Benefits, and How We Can Help[…]
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[…]