News & Publications

The Supreme Court on January 7, 2019, refused to hear Olivia de Havilland’s right-of-publicity suit against FX Networks, the creators and producers of the television docudrama miniseries Feud: Bette and Joan.

The Supreme Court on January 4, 2019, agreed to decide whether Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act’s prohibition on the federal registration of “immoral” or “scandalous” marks is facially invalid under the free speech clause of the First Amendment.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on January 4, 2019, announced newly revised 35 U.S.C. § 101 guidance for use by USPTO personnel in evaluating subject matter eligibility. The USPTO also announced guidance on the application of 35 U.S.C. § 112 to computer-implemented inventions.

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) on December 31, 2018, issued a ruling that prevents light fixture company Tivoli from registering trademarks for its Tivotape and Tivobar electric lighting fixtures.

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Representative Bill Flores (R-TX), on Tuesday, December 11 2018, introduced H.R. 7251, the “Hatch-Waxman Integrity Act of 2018.”

The Federal Circuit on November 27, 2018, ruled that the International Trade Commission wrongly denied DNB Holding LLC’s request to rescind or modify a $6 million penalty in a patent infringement case.

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on November 26, 2018, affirmed a Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) decision against Phyllis and Bruce Schlafly, thereby allowing the Saint Louis Brewery (SLB) to obtain trademark registration for the word mark “SCHLAFLY”.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office published its 2018-2022 Strategic Plan.

The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on November 20, 2018, remanded a breach of contract case brought by software company AirFacts Inc. against one of its former developers the company said misappropriated trade secrets.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office’s 2018 Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) Annual Report is now available online.