Intellectual Property

Microsoft finds a low-cost window to battle those pricey pirates

By Legal Week | November 11, 2009

Microsoft doesn't take piracy lightly. Last year the software giant filed dozens of lawsuits against counterfeit software makers. And with few exceptions, they were, like most piracy cases, similar and predictable. That's why piracy cases are ideally suited for alternative fee arrangements with outside counsel, says Microsoft senior attorney Mary Jo Schrade. So about a year ago, Schrade approached lawyers at Seattle-based firm Perkins Coie about handling the company's piracy cases for a flat fee. "We thought this would be a perfect place to start," Schrade says.

1 minute read

Asda IP dispute hits delay due to Pinsents' Xmas shelf-stacking duties

By Legal Week | November 4, 2009

A High Court dispute involving Specsavers and Asda has been delayed in part due to the requirement that lawyers from Pinsent Masons - the supermarket's main adviser - are available to stack shelves at the supermarket during the Christmas period. The dispute began when Specsavers accused Asda of infringing on its trademarks with an online advertising campaign which used the slogan "Be a real spec saver at Asda". The first round closed yesterday (3 November), with the next trial date originally set for January.

1 minute read

Commentary: J'accuse! The battle over Google books hits Europe

By Legal Week | November 4, 2009

The legal wrangling over Google Books - the internet giant's wildly ambitious project to become one of the largest libraries and booksellers in the world - has taken on an international flavour. In late September a French publisher accused the ubiquitous search engine of breaking French copyright law in its effort to scan millions of books. Debate is now taking off across Europe.

1 minute read

Bird & Bird makes up three partners outside of usual promotions round

By Legal Week | November 2, 2009

Bird & Bird has made up three new partners outside of the firm's regular promotions round. The promotions, which took effect yesterday (1 November), see one new partner made up in each of the firm's Finland, Spain and Sweden offices.

1 minute read

Hammonds partner duo quit to join Eversheds in Munich

By Legal Week | October 20, 2009

The head of Hammonds' Munich office is set to join Eversheds along with one other partner to launch a new practice group. Herbert Kunz will head up a new patent services and prosecution practice at Eversheds in Munich alongside partner Michael Schneider, who also joins from Hammonds.

1 minute read

Protection of IP is essential for clean energy advances

By Legal Week | October 20, 2009

In December, world leaders are meeting in Copenhagen to agree a strategy to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. The success of any strategy will ultimately depend upon the development and dissemination of clean technology throughout the world. As a result, world leaders are coming under intense pressure to relax patent protection to facilitate the transfer of clean technology to the developing world. However, it is questionable whether such a move would really promote the use of clean technology.

1 minute read

'Super injunctions' under scrutiny amid Carter-Ruck media storm

By Legal Week | October 16, 2009

The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that Justice Secretary Jack Straw is conducting a review of 'super injunctions' in the wake of the media frenzy prompted earlier this week by Carter-Ruck's attempts to prevent the press from reporting Parliamentary proceedings. Carter-Ruck attempted to block The Guardian from reporting an MP's question about an injunction obtained by the law firm on behalf of its client Trafigura. The injunction banned coverage of a confidential report on oil company Trafigura - which recently reached a settlement with claimants after being accused of dumping toxic waste off the Ivory Coast - and of the existence of the injunction itself.

1 minute read

Covington makes up 10 to partnership with one in London

By Legal Week | October 2, 2009

Covington & Burling has added 10 new partners in its annual promotions round, with one made up in London. Corporate intellectual property (IP) partner Lucinda Osborne becomes the eighteenth partner in the US firm's City office. Her practice covers all transactional matters for a range of pharmaceutical and biotech clients.

1 minute read

Greenberg hit with $100m malpractice suit

By Legal Week | September 24, 2009

Greenberg Traurig has been hit with a $100m malpractice suit over allegations that it failed to properly prosecute patents for a longstanding electronics manufacturing client and committed discovery abuses in related litigation. Leviton Manufacturing sued Greenberg and three of its former intellectual property (IP) partners after the company itself was sanctioned earlier this year for the conduct of Greenberg lawyers in prosecuting Leviton patents.

1 minute read

Field Fisher recruits A&O IP duo for Brussels office

By Legal Week | September 23, 2009

Field Fisher Waterhouse has strengthened its Brussels office with the hire of a two-lawyer intellectual property (IP) team from Allen & Overy (A&O). Stijn Debaene, who was a senior associate in A&O's Brussels office, joined Field Fisher as a partner earlier this month (9 September) and will head the IP practice locally. He is the office's first dedicated IP partner and will be joined by one associate next month.

1 minute read

The Recorder

'Wrong From the Get-Go': Judges Scrutinize Attorney Fee-Shifting in Federal Case

By Scott Graham | December 8, 2022

Judge William Alsup awarded $5.9 million in fees against Finjan last year while criticizing the conduct of its trial counsel. But on Wednesday, Federal Circuit judges suggested Alsup might not have been specific enough in his order to justify the entire fee award.

4 minute read

Corporate Counsel

Growing Your IP? Consider a Secondment

By Dan Ovanezian, Blake L. Holt, Azie Aziz and John Whetzel | December 7, 2022

Secondments provide flexible options for a company, even those with existing IP expertise. Bringing in a secondee provides a dynamic option to handle start-up challenges, spikes in workload, or other unforeseen circumstances at a low risk to the company, while reducing or eliminating the challenges that may be present with a new hire.

9 minute read

Delaware Business Court Insider

New Suit Asserts Patent Claims Against LiveChat, Inc.

By ALM Staff | December 7, 2022

This suit was surfaced by Law.com Radar. Read the complaint here.

1 minute read

The Recorder

Jenner & Block Reps NBCUniversal in Trademark Dispute With DeLorean Motor Co. Over 'Back to the Future' Films

By ALM Staff | December 6, 2022

This suit was surfaced by Law.com Radar. Read the complaint here.

1 minute read

National Law Journal

Moderna Tied Its Own Hands in COVID Patent Suit, Pfizer and BioNTech Claim

By Scott Graham | December 5, 2022

The pharmaceutical companies fired back hard at Moderna's suit Monday with the help of Williams & Connolly; Paul Hastings; McCarter & English and Saul Ewing. They argue that Moderna relinquished its rights by publicly pledging not to enforce its patents during the pandemic.

2 minute read

National Law Journal

Supreme Court Won't Revive $2.75B Judgment Over Judge's Stock Ownership

By Scott Graham | December 5, 2022

The justices let stand a Federal Circuit ruling ordering a retrial before a new judge, notwithstanding Centripetal Networks' and Paul Clement's pleas that the amount involved was trivial and that the judge did the right thing by divesting to a blind trust.

3 minute read

Delaware Business Court Insider

Litigant Challenges Judge Connolly: Your Standing Orders on Disclosure Are Illegal, Misguided

By Scott Graham | December 5, 2022

Irell & Manella partner Morgan Chu and others argue that Colm Connolly's standing order on disclosure, which has led to a huge fuss in the patent bar, should have been subject to more rigorous vetting as a local rule of the entire Delaware court.

4 minute read

The Recorder

Litigant Challenges Judge Connolly: Your Standing Orders on Disclosure Are Illegal, Misguided

By Scott Graham | December 5, 2022

Irell & Manella partner Morgan Chu, representing VLSI Technologies, and others argue that Colm Connolly's standing order on disclosure, which has led to a huge fuss in the patent bar, should have been subject to more rigorous vetting as a local rule of the entire Delaware court.

4 minute read

Delaware Law Weekly

Litigant Challenges Judge Connolly: Your Standing Orders on Disclosure Are Illegal, Misguided

By Scott Graham | December 5, 2022

Irell & Manella partner Morgan Chu and others argue that Colm Connolly's standing order on disclosure, which has led to a huge fuss in the patent bar, should have been subject to more rigorous vetting as a local rule of the entire Delaware court.

4 minute read

The Recorder

Debevoise Injects Tech Expertise Into IP Litigation Practice With Kirkland Hire

By Jessie Yount | December 5, 2022

Barbara Barath joined Debevoise as a leader of its tech litigation practice in Northern California, as the firm looks to bolster its intellectual property capabilities amid high demand.

3 minute read