News

  • Play web ‘Jersey Boys’ Makers Defeat Copyright Claims at Ninth Circuit

    September 9, 2020

    The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on September 8, 2020, held that the musical “Jersey Boys” doesn’t infringe the copyright in a Four Seasons band member’s autobiography because any similarities between the works are based on historical facts.
  • Beauty Enters. v. Gregory web Beauty Sales Rep Misled CVS Vendor Over Trademark, Court Affirms

    September 8, 2020

    The US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on August 31, 2020, held that a beauty and personal care sales rep deceived a CVS Pharmacy distributor about her rights to use Carol’s Express as a trademark. Beauty Enters. v. Gregory, 2020 BL 328390, 7th Cir., No. 19-3491, 8/28/20.
  • Sowinski v. Cal. Air Res. Bd. 400 California Beats Cap-and-Trade Patent Infringement Appeal Again

    September 4, 2020

    The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on August 21, 2020, held that the owner of an emissions trading-related patent can’t sue California for infringement a second time after his first suit was dismissed.
  • Mumbai 400 Tata Wins Trim of $420 Million Judgment in Trade Secrets Case

    September 3, 2020

    The US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on August 20, 2020, held that the $280 million in punitive damages Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., an Indian multinational IT services company, owes electronic health record developer Epic Systems Corp. for stealing trade secrets is “constitutionally excessive.”
  • Hyatt v. U.S. Patent & Trademark Office web Prolific Inventor Loses Suit Against PTO Over Slow Examinations

    September 2, 2020

    The US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on August 19, 2020, held that prolific inventor Gilbert P. Hyatt hadn’t shown that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) deliberately chooses not to process, examine, or issue patents for his “extraordinarily lengthy” applications.