UK Intellectual Property Office Publishes Study on Trends in Female Inventorship Posted on October 17, 2019 Intellectual Property Office (U.K.), Gender Profiles in Worldwide Patenting: An Analysis of Female Inventorship (2019). On October 2, 2019, the UK Intellectual Property Office (“IPO”) published Gender profiles in worldwide patenting. The report analyzes trends in worldwide female inventorship over a twenty year period (1998–2017) using data from the European Patent Office Worldwide Patent Statistical Database. The IPO found that...
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Victory Processing v. Fox: Montana Ban on Political Robocalls Violates First Amendment Posted on October 15, 2019 Victory Processing, LLC. v. Fox, 937 F.3d 1218 (9th Cir. 2019). The Ninth Circuit struck down a Montana law prohibiting political robocalls, finding that it violated the First Amendment. While Montana Attorney General Tim Fox argued that the robocall ban protected Montana citizens’ privacy rights, the court found that prohibiting the calls based on their content was unconstitutional. Victory Processing...
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Rovi v. Comcast: Mixed Ruling in Ongoing Patent Infringement Suit Posted on October 15, 2019 Rovi Guides, Inc. v. Comcast Corp., No. 16-CV-9278 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2019), opinion hosted by Justia. On September 30, 2019, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled to grant in part and deny in part a motion for summary judgment of noninfringement by Comcast Corp. (“Comcast”) against Rovi Guides, Inc. (“Rovi”), a subsidiary...
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NRA v. City of San Francisco: Does San Francisco’s Resolution Declaring the NRA a “Terrorist Organization” Violate the First Amendment? Posted on October 15, 2019 Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief, National Rifle Ass’n v. City of San Francisco, et al., No 3:19-cv-5669 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 9, 2019), complaint hosted by CBS SF BayArea. On September 9, 2019, the National Rifle Association of America (“NRA”) brought a lawsuit against the City and County of San Francisco (“San Francisco”) and members of San Francisco’s Board of...
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Kaffaga v. Estate of Steinbeck: Copyright and Damages in the Latest Litigation Round over John Steinbeck’s Works Posted on October 03, 2019 Kaffaga v. Estate of Thomas Steinbeck, No. 18-55336, (9th Cir. Sept. 9, 2019). On September 9, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reviewed a decision regarding copyrights over John Steinbeck’s works. The court affirmed a 2018 verdict awarding plaintiff Waverly Scott Kaffaga—executrix of the Estate of Elaine Steinbeck (the author’s wife)—$5.25 million in compensatory damages...
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United States v. Snowden: DOJ Alleges Snowden Published Classified Information Posted on October 03, 2019 Complaint, United States v. Snowden, No. 1:19-cv-01197 (E.D. Va. Sept. 17, 2019), complaint hosted by DOJ. The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) is suing whistleblower Edward Snowden over his recently published book, Permanent Record. The DOJ alleges that the book may contain classified information and that Snowden failed to submit the book’s manuscript for prepublication review by relevant federal authorities...
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PragerU v. YouTube: Does the First Amendment Apply to the Internet’s Public Square? Posted on October 03, 2019 Brief of Plaintiff, Prager University v. Google, Inc., No. 17-06064-cv (C.D. Cal. Oct. 23, 2017), brief hosted by Browne George Ross LLP. Prager University (“PragerU”) filed a complaint in the US District Court for the Northern District of California claiming that YouTube discriminately censors their content in violation of the First Amendment. PragerU argues that YouTube, despite claiming to...
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California State Legislature Passes Five Amendments to the California Consumer Privacy Act Before Recess Posted on October 02, 2019 A.B. 25, 2019 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Cal. 2019) A.B. 874, 2019 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Cal. 2019) A.B. 1146, 2019 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Cal. 2019) (exemptions: vehicle information) A.B. 1355, 2019 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Cal. 2019) (personal information) A.B. 1564, 2019 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Cal. 2019) (consumer privacy: consumer request for disclosure methods) California’s 2019 legislative session wrapped just over...
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U.S. International Trade Commission Patent Infringement Investigation of Major Filament LED Retailers on Request from the University of California Posted on October 02, 2019 Filament Light-Emitting Diodes and Products Containing Same, USITC Pub. 3401, Inv. No. 337-TA-1172, (Aug. 2019) (pending before the Administrative Law Judge). The United States International Trade Commission (“ITC”) initiated an unfair import (Section 337) investigation pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1337 against Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, IKEA, Target, and Walmart (“the Proposed Respondents”) for alleged Filament LED patent violations...
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Dealing with Profane Trademarks: SCOTUS Considers Hearing Constitutionality of Scandalous Marks Provision Posted on May 02, 2019 Andrei Iancu v. Erik Brunetti, Petitioner’s Brief, hosted by the Supreme Court Andrei Iancu, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”), appealed the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s Ruling in favor of Erik Brunetti to the United States Supreme Court. Petitioner Iancu is represented by United States...
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