Ninth Circuit reverses court order granting toymaker Mattel ownership of Bratz doll brand By Abby Lauer – Edited by Janet Freilich MGA Entertainment, Inc. v. Mattel, Inc., No. 09-55673 (9th Cir. July 22, 2010) Slip Opinion In a decision making headlines across the nation, the Ninth Circuit reversed the Central District of California, which had given Mattel ownership rights to the Bratz doll brand after a jury found that the designer who created the dolls was working for Mattel when ... Read More...

By Chinh Vo Republican Senators Draft Bill in Opposition to FCC’s Net Neutrality Regulations Plans CNET reports that a group of Republican senators, led by Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, is sponsoring a new bill designed to thwart the FCC’s plans to regulate broadband providers. The bill, dubbed the Freedom for Consumer Choice Act, would allow the FCC to impose requirements on the broadband industry only if marketplace competition is inadequate, giving the agency authority similar to the Department ... Read More...

Ninth Circuit Argues for Less Stringent Test for Protecting Anonymous Online Commercial Speech By Kathryn Freund – Edited by Janet Freilich In re: Anonymous Online Speakers, No. 09-71265 (9th Cir. July 12, 2010) Opinion The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied writs of mandamus appealing the District Court of Nevada’s order to disclose the identities of anonymous online posters. Although the Circuit Court denied the writs of mandamus for procedural reasons, the decision provides a discussion of Free Speech protection ... Read More...

Use of Trademark in Domain Names Found to Be Nominative Fair Use By Harry Zhou – Edited by Anthony Kammer Toyota Motor Sales v. Tabari, No. 07-55344 (9th Cir. Jul. 8, 2010) Slip Opinion On July 8, 2010, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated and remanded an injunction against Farzad and Lisa Tabari by the United States District Court for the Central District of California in a trademark infringement claim brought by Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. (“Toyota”).  The Ninth ... Read More...

Federal Circuit Distinguishes Provisional Applications from Foreign Filings for Prior Art Priority under 102(e) By Ian B. Brooks – Edited by Anthony Kammer In re Giacomini, No. 2009-1400 (Fed. Cir. July 7, 2010) Slip Opinion On July 7, 2010, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences’ (“Board”) rejection of claims of U.S. Patent Application No. 09/725,737 as anticipated under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e), the so-called “secret prior art” provision.  The Federal ... Read More...