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GENERIC TOP LEVEL DOMAINS MAY NOT BE GENERIC
In a ruling that could have implications for applicants seeking trademark registration for domain names comprised primarily of descriptive or generic wording, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia has overturned a finding by the...
Read ArticleUNITED STATES SUPREME COURT DECISION IN IMPRESSION PRODUCTS INC. V LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL INC.
In 1628, Lord Coke in his “Institutes of the laws of England” summarized the common law on restraints on the alienation of chattels stating that any attempt by a seller to restrict resale or use of the chattel after selling it was “voide,...
Read ArticleResistance is Futile: Axanar Productions settles with CBS and Paramount to end copyright infringement suit over fan film
Axanar will finally beam down to YouTube after CBS and Paramount Pictures (“Paramount”) reached a settlement with Axanar Productions to end all ongoing litigation regarding the Star Trek fan film. After the success of their 21-minute fan film...
Read ArticleTC HEARTLAND LLC v. KRAFT FOODS GROUP BRANDS LLC
Introduction In its decision of May 22, 2017 in Heartland v. Kraft, the United States Supreme Court held that the specific venue provisions applicable to Patent infringement (28 U.S.C. 1400 (b)) limited the courts in which a domestic corporation...
Read ArticleSUPREME COURT RULES IN LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORP. V. PROMEGA CORP.
On February 22, 2017 in Life Technologies Corp. v. Promega Corp, the Supreme Court in a 7-0 judgment (Chief Justice Roberts having recused himself) held that for there to be active inducement of infringement by export of components of a patented...
Read ArticleEVALUATING THE USPTO’s EFFORTS TO CLEAN UP THE U.S. TRADEMARK REGISTER
An ongoing issue for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has been the number of trademark registrations where registrants do not actually use or intend to use their marks on all of the goods and services covered by their...
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