Law Technology News - Tech Law News

Cloud Storage Company in Spat With Pornographer

sgraham@alm.com (Scott Graham) — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:31:57 EDT

In an appeal that could make law on jurisdiction in international IP cases, Ninth Circuit Judge M. Margaret McKeown wondered if the trial judge went too far, effectively shutting down Hong Kong's Oron.com over its dispute with pornography distributor DataTech Enterprises.

3-D Printing: The Next Big Thing in IP Law?

lshuchman@alm.com (Lisa Shuchman) — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:17:33 EDT

3-D printing technology, which makes it possible to create an item by simply downloading a design file and printing it out as a plastic object, is likely to trigger legal conflicts surrounding copyrights, trademarks, and patents.

FTC Warns Companies of Children's Privacy Violations

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:07:18 EDT

The Federal Trade Commission sent letters to more than 90 businesses, informing them that they could potentially be in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act when changes to the law go into effect on July 1.

Redacted Emails Ordered Released in Aaron Swartz Case

squalters@alm.com (Sheri Qualters) — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:23:25 EDT

A federal judge ruled on Monday that the estate of late entrepreneur and Internet activist Aaron Swartz may release to Congress and the public some of the information gathered by the lawyers preparing his defense in his hacking case.

Patent Pools May Stymie Competition, Study Concludes

squalters@alm.com (Sheri Qualters) — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:26:47 EDT

Patent pools — bundles of patents intended to facilitate cross-licensing and steer technology into the marketplace — have been touted as a way to cut litigation and transaction costs for businesses. A study released by a former Federal Trade Commission official challenges that assumption.

CopyTele Is a 'Patent Troll' With No Apologies

lshuchman@alm.com (Lisa Shuchman) — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:51:44 EDT

Robert Berman makes no bones about it: the company he runs, CopyTele Inc., is a patent monetization and patent assertion entity. In colloquial parlance, that means it's a "patent troll." And Berman is not apologetic about it.

Judge Lashes Out at 'Fraud' in Porn Infringement Claims

abronstad@alm.com (Amanda Bronstad) — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:15:32 EDT

A federal judge, describing a massive fraud involving the enforcement of copyrights to downloaded pornography, has referred four lawyers to licensing authorities for possible misconduct and to federal prosecutors for possible RICO charges.

Microsoft, Sidley Defeat Motorola's Demand for Licensing Fees

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:07:13 EDT

A U.S. district judge in Seattle has forcefully rejected Motorola's request that it be paid billions of dollars in royalty fees for its standards-essential patents by Microsoft, which calls the question: Did Google overpay when it acquired Motorola for $12.5 billion in 2012?

Amid Calls for Reform, a Rare Computer Crime Case Goes to Trial

vblum@alm.com (Vanessa Blum) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:34:45 EDT

In the case that has shaped the scope of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, defendant David Nosal will try to show that logging on to a company computer was just business, not criminal.

Ga. Appeals Panel Rules Facebook Off-Limits in Divorce

ldavidson@alm.com (Lawrence Viele Davidson) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:00:11 EDT

The Georgia Court of Appeals has upheld a judge who pulled the plug on a warring couple's Facebook fights, rejecting the husband's arguments that prohibiting the spouses from communicating via social media violates his free speech rights.

U.S. Takes Swipe at China for Hacking Allegations

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:49:47 EDT

The U.S. has taken its first real swipe at China following accusations that the Beijing government is behind a widespread and systemic hacking campaign targeting U.S. businesses.

The Perils of Brand Abuse on Facebook

sgreen@alm.com (Shannon Green) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 EDT

Facebook can be a great business tool — until someone hijacks your page. Deciding whether to take action depends on whether brand abuse runs afoul of the law, and what effect it's likely to have on consumers.

Next Moves for IP Law After SCOTUS First-Sale Ruling

lshuchman@alm.com (Lisa Shuchman) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:45:01 EDT

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons ruling, industries that rely on copyright protection, such as book publishers, film and television companies, and software publishers, will begin operating differently.

LegalTech in the '100 Most Influential Lawyers in America'

sdoherty@alm.com (Sean Doherty) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:24:34 EDT

The National Law Journal, released today its list of the 100 most influential lawyers in the U.S., determined by their political clout, legal results, media presence, as well as their business and thought leadership.

Drones Will Require New Privacy Laws

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:52:29 EDT

Privacy laws urgently need to be updated to protect the public from information-gathering by the thousands of civilian drones expected to be flying in U.S. skies in the next decade or so, legal experts told a Senate panel Wednesday.

In 'Anonymous' Hacker Case, PayPal Must Hand Over Some Records

jsisco@alm.com (Joshua Sisco) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:31:40 EDT

PayPal has won a partial victory in its effort to keep sensitive business records from the "Anonymous" defendants accused of hacking its servers. But a judge rejected PayPal's bid to keep the material under a strict protective order.

Man Gets Over 3 Years in iPad Data Breach Case

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:28:18 EDT

An admitted online "troll" was sentenced Monday to the maximum prison term under federal guidelines more than three years — for illegally gaining access to AT&T's servers and stealing more than 100,000 email addresses of iPad users.

Will the New Patent Process Bring Hard Days for Inventors?

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:43:59 EDT

The America Invents Act changes the U.S. patent process to a "first-inventor-to-file" system after March 16. The new law has raised concerns among patent attorneys and in-house counsel, as well as those who do the actual inventing. Are hard days ahead for innovators?

Who Owns Your Facebook Data After You Die?

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:51:20 EDT

An Oregon proposal to make it easier for loved ones to access the "digital assets" of the deceased was turned back by the tech industry, arguing that the Stored Communcations Act and terms of service agreements prohibit companies from sharing a person's information — even if such a request were included in a last will and testament.

Music, Movie Industry to Warn Copyright Infringers

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:54:01 EDT

Internet users who illegally share music, movies or TV shows online may soon get warning notices from their service providers that they are violating copyright law. Ignore the notices, and violators could face an internet slow-down for 48 hours. Those who claim they're innocent can protest — for a fee.

Justice Puts Brakes on Cellphone Use at Red Light, Allows 'Siri' Activation

web-editor@nylj.com (John Caher) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 EDT

In a pair of unrelated matters involving a prohibition against the use of cellphones while driving, a New York judge has held that using a phone while stopped at a red light violates the statute, but using the voice-activated "Siri" feature on an iPhone does not.

USPTO Forum Offers Fixes for Software Patent System

lshuchman@alm.com (Lisa Shuchman) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:51:01 EST

It's no secret that the U.S. patent system has come under attack lately, so the United States Patent and Trademark Office is going to the public to figure out what the agency can do to fix it.

5 Key IP Issues in Software Development Agreements

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:26:08 EST

In a technology-rich environment, in-house counsel must necessarily handle a range of agreements that implicate intellectual property issues, including retaining a contractor to develop software for your company.

Controversial 'Six Strikes' to Combat Online Piracy

lshuchman@alm.com (Lisa Shuchman) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:42:23 EST

A controversial "six strikes" program designed to thwart downloading copyright-protected material was launched by the film, television, and music industries to combat online piracy. Critics of the Copyright Alert System include technology and consumer advocacy groups.

Fracking Wastewater Company Demands $300M From Halliburton

apesquera@alm.com (Adolfo Pesquera) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:00 EST

Ecosphere Technologies, a company that created an eco-friendly way to treat fracking wastewater, is seeking $300 million from Halliburton Energy Services for breach of a nondisclosure agreement.

Crowdfunding Site Can't Show Kickstarter Infringes

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:52:52 EST

Kickstarter.com seems to be on the verge of winning its well-publicized declaratory judgment suit against ArtistShare, the crowdfunding website that claims its patent covers Kickstarter's social financing business model.

Heavy Hitters Aim to Revive Oracle-Google Fight

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:22:57 EST

After its stinging defeat last year, Oracle is relying on heavy-hitting appellate lawyers at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and Kirkland & Ellis to take the company's copyright fight with Google to the Federal Circuit.

U.S. Lawmakers Test Waters for Regulating Drones

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:25:37 EST

U.S. lawmakers are considering whether Congress should set up a special court to decide when drones can kill American al-Qaida suspects overseas, much as a secret court now grants permission for surveillance.

Full Federal Circuit to Take New Stab at Defining Patentability

jwolfe@alm.com (Jan Wolfe) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:00:00 EST

A common complaint about the patent system is that inventors are claiming ownership of basic, widely understood ideas. No doubt the reason why the Federal Circuit will revisit its definition of patent-eligible subject matter in an upcoming case.

Apple's Trial Win Over Samsung Remains Intact

vblum@alm.com (Vanessa Blum) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 12:50:34 EST

While U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh rejected Samsung's bid to junk the jury verdict, she overruled the jury's finding that infringement was willful, rebuffing Apple's effort to raise the $1.05 billion damages award.