Mar
31
Dudas on the state of patent system
Posted by Dirk Avery at 10:51 am under Legislation, Patent.
Patent Commissioner Jon Dudas spoke with CNET about the patent system over the weekend at the Tech Policy Summit in Hollywood, California. Here are some interesting excerpts from Anne Broache’s report:
“Software, biotechnology, business methods–In the United States, the Supreme Court has consistently held that those are areas where there should be patents, and those […]
Mar
29
A Superman Custody Dispute
Posted by Irene Soto at 11:12 am under Copyright, Litigation.
The New York Times shares a story today about an important lesson on copyright termination rights. The point: “to have and hold forever” does not always really mean forever.
“Time Warner is no longer the sole proprietor of Superman. A federal judge here on Wednesday ruled that the heirs of Jerome Siegel — who 70 years […]
Mar
28
MBA Students to Solve the PTO’s Backlog Problem?
Posted by Irene Soto at 1:58 pm under Events, Litigation, Patent.
Earlier this week, the USPTO announced that it would be partnering with the George Washington University School of Business in a competition to find solutions to “the pressing issues of patent pendency and backlog at the USPTO.”
According to the press release, Margaret Peterlin, Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of […]
Mar
28
YouTube Japanese cover song deal
Posted by Dirk Avery at 8:01 am under Copyright, Technology.
Closet pop idols [in Japan] breathed a little easier Thursday after the announcement of a deal between video site YouTube and a large [Japanese] recording rights body, allowing punters to record and post their own versions of songs… without fear of legal reprisal.
Japan Rights Clearance Inc. (JRC) announced that it had made a comprehensive contract […]
Mar
28
Berman says PRO-IP Act is going to pass
Posted by Dirk Avery at 7:56 am under Copyright, Legislation.
“Hollywood” Berman (D-CA), new chairman of the House IP subcommittee, says of the PRO-IP Act, “‘I think this is going to pass’, this year,” according to Ars Technica’s Nate Anderson. Chairman Berman also gives lip service to copyright’s greater purpose, noting concerns about the new act’s effect on fair use and claiming a belief […]
Mar
27
Happy, uh, Spring? (Part 2)
Posted by Dirk Avery at 11:19 pm under Uncategorized.
As a follow-up on Irene’s prior post, current conditions in Ann Arbor, MI:
Mar
27
The messy Rambus affair
Posted by Dirk Avery at 9:55 am under Litigation, Patent, Technology.
While the Gibson/Guitar Hero/Rock Band war rages on, chip designer Rambus has won a major battle in its war against chip makers.
Rambus, which designs memory chips and chips for Sony’s Playstation, won a jury verdict in the Northern District of California in a suit brought by Hynix, the world’s second largest chip maker, Micron and […]
Mar
26
Patently new: MSFT, Apple and ADI
Posted by Dirk Avery at 10:06 am under Litigation, Patent.
Microsoft changes its tone relative to Open Source
Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith spoke at the Open Source Business Conference attempting to reconcile differences between the software giant and the open source community. CNET’s Charles Cooper reports:
“We believe in the importance of building a bridge that makes it possible for different parts of the industry […]
Mar
26
Blu-ray, Razr under ITC investigation
Posted by Dirk Avery at 9:51 am under Litigation, Patent, Technology.
Thirty companies, including Hitachi, LG, Motorola, Pioneer, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba, have been targeted by an ITC investigation. The investigation is the result of a complaint by Professor Emeritus at Columbia University, Gertrude Rothschild, which alleges her patent is infringed by such popular products as Sony Blu-ray players, Motorola Razr phones and Hitachi […]
Mar
25
Patents news: Guitar Hero and Rock Band
Posted by Dirk Avery at 2:35 pm under Litigation, Patent, Video games.
Gibson goes on suing spree
Hoping, perhaps, to dip into lucrative video game revenue, Gibson Guitar, maker of “real” guitars, is on a serious lawsuit binge. There are cease and desist letters, cross suits, failed negotiations, acquisitions and declaratory judgment actions.
Sometimes, maybe, moderate success is better than wild popularity. Activision’s Guitar Hero has […]