Spread-Spectrum Method for Sending Data Found Patent-Ineligible

A federal district court held that grouping data together with a single code is an abstract idea and thus not eligible for patent protection. Zyrcuits sued Acuity Brands and Universal Electronics Inc. for infringement of claim 4 of its US Patent No.… Read More
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Categories: Patents
Getting Sued Where Your S…

Getting Sued Where Your Servers Are: A Lesson from Netflix

A federal magistrate judge recently suggested that Netflix could be sued in the Eastern District of Texas because it uses servers there. The case of CA, Inc. v. Netflix, Inc. involves a dispute over whether Netflix is infringing CA’s patents. Among… Read More
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Categories: Litigation
Patents for Getting Your…

Patents for Getting Your Food Fast

“Take out” food is a very old concept. As the BBC reported, the ancient Roman city of Pompeii (and probably most other Roman cities) had a food counter (thermopolium) that served hot food and drinks to go. The idea of a delivery service for ready… Read More
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Categories: Patents
Racing to Control the Fut…

Racing to Control the Future of Technology: The 5G Patent Race

According to some projections, about 50% of the world’s data volume will be created by or between cars, sensors, or other diverse sorts of networked devices in the future. 5G, which has been hailed as a game-changer, has the potential to disrup… Read More
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Categories: Patents
Federal Circuit Makes It…

Federal Circuit Makes It Easier to Get a Design Patent

A recent decision by the Federal Circuit should make it easier for applicants to be granted design patents. The US Patent Office (USPTO) explains design patents in the Design Patent Application Guide, A design consists of the visual ornamental charac… Read More
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Categories: Patents
Jury Awards Optis $300 Mi…

Jury Awards Optis $300 Million in Apple Patent Trial

A federal jury has awarded Optis Wireless Technology LLC and several related companies $300 million in damages after a second patent trial against Apple. A jury previously found that Apple infringed five Optis wireless “standard essential patents… Read More
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Categories: Patents
IP Protection for Technol…

IP Protection for Technology Startups

Intellectual property (IP) is one of the most valuable assets of a tech startup. Through IP, a company can bring innovative products and services to the market. IP can also help protect a startup from the possibility of other companies stealing its c… Read More
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Disney and Creators Fight…

Disney and Creators Fight over Comic Book Copyrights

Disney is engaged in litigation with the owners and estates of creators of iconic comic book characters. The dispute involves a little-known part of US copyright law called “copyright termination.” As the US Copyright Office explains, The Copyrig… Read More
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Categories: Copyright
Ten Years of the America…

Ten Years of the America Invents Act

The America Invents Act (AIA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama ten years ago, on September 16, 2011. The AIA was the most significant change to US patent law since the Patent Act of 1952. Among other things, the AIA switched the US from… Read More
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Categories: Patents
Can AI Be Listed As An In…

Can AI Be Listed As An Inventor? South Africa and Australia say YES!

Last year, the USPTO confirmed that artificial intelligence (AI) cannot be listed as an inventor on a patent application. Now, an Australian court has ruled that AI systems can be legally recognized as inventors in patent applications. The decision i… Read More
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Categories: Patents