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 […]
Mar
20
Easier software patents in the UK
Posted by Dirk Avery at 10:21 pm under Patent.
While the US is considering abandoning software patents, the UK High Court has ruled for the first time that computer programs, per se, can be patented. Symbian appealed a UK-IPO rejection of its patent application, which was based on the invention being software based. The decision brings the UK in line with the European Patent […]
Mar
19
LIVE BLOG - Cleantech Talk
Posted by Keeley Vega at 11:25 am under Events, Innovation, Patent, Technology.
Thomas Knox, 87′, a partner in Morrison and Foerster’s Northern Virginia office will speak about “The Emerging Cleantech Economy”.
Cleantech is the business of environmentally-sustainable technologies, and the practice involves intellectual property, environmental, energy, and corporate law, among other areas. As the price of oil has skyrocketed and awareness has grown about the need for innovative environmentally-friendly […]
Mar
16
Update: PTO Online (sp?) Chat
Posted by Keeley Vega at 9:48 pm under Events, Patent.
A few weeks ago I wrote about the PTO’s Independent Inventor Online Chat. The transcript is now available here. Of the hundreds of questions received, I’m delighted to see that mine was selected for posting because the PTO “believed [it] would be of interest to others besides the author of the question.” Sadly, I’m not […]
Mar
15
Judge Cacheris, Please Hurry
Posted by Keeley Vega at 10:58 pm under Litigation, Patent.
On February 8th, Judge Cacheris heard summary judgment arguments in the Tafas v. Dudas case involving the PTO’s Final Rules (docket available here). A review of the proceedings is available here.
The issues addressed are numerous: what is the extent of the PTO’s rulemaking authority? Are the Final Rules within this authority? Do the Final Rules govern the […]
Mar
13
ZapMedia Sues Apple
Posted by Keeley Vega at 12:48 pm under Litigation, Patent.
Yesterday, ZapMedia filed a suit accusing Apple of “illegally using a patented method for distributing digital media over the Internet.”
“The patents in question cover a way of sending music and other digital content from servers to multiple media players, a broad description that could also apply to a wide swath of other companies selling digital […]
Mar
13
Like many heroes, Guitar Hero in trouble
Posted by Dirk Avery at 11:32 am under Litigation, Patent, Video games.
Gibson Guitar, the famous maker of “real” guitars, is seeking an injunction against Activision which would prevent further sales of the popular Guitar Hero game. Gibson, which holds some 52 utility patents issued since 1976, has a patent (US Pat No. 5,990,405) on a “System and method for generating and controlling a simulated musical […]
Mar
4
Michigan’s strong patent market
Posted by Dirk Avery at 5:37 pm under Innovation, Patent.
I go to the University of Michigan Law School. Ann Arbor, as a university town, is shielded a little from an otherwise awful state economy. However, innovation and patents are helping to bring things back. Sven Gustafson on MLive writes:
The auto industry may be bleeding money throughout Michigan, but it is fueling […]