Archive for 2014
Recent Interview of Kristie Prinz for World Trademark Review
I wanted to share with blog readers a recent interview I had with World Trademark Review following up on the media coverage regarding the shutdown of TwitPic. Click here to view the World Trademark Review story.
Read MoreChallenges of Negotiating a Licensing Deal with a Start-Up
I recently gave a webinar on Negotiating License Agreements with Start-Ups, and wanted to follow up on that program with some comments for Silicon Valley IP Licensing Law Blog readers on some of the challenges that companies may face when negotiating an IP licensing deal with a start-up. In the years that I have worked…
Read MoreSuccessfully Managing Intellectual Property Disputes as an Early-Stage Start-up
TechCrunch posted an article this afternoon written by attorney David Soofian, which caught my attention, addressing the issue of what to do as a young start-up if you are sued for patent infringement. In particular, the article addressed the challenges posed by so-called patent trolls, who use “weak patents to go after young tech…
Read MoreTrademark Commissioner Resigns over Allegations of Nepotism Law Violations
Trademark Commissioner Deborah Cohn was reported by The Washington Times to have announced her resignation today after allegations were reportedly made against her that she had violated nepotism laws. A Federal Times article from July provides some additional background on the reported scandal. This particular Washington scandal has received virtually no coverage outside of the…
Read MoreGetty Images Copyright Dispute Against Microsoft to Challenge Legality of Recently Released Widget
Getty Images made news in the copyright world this week by filing a complaint against Microsoft Corporation in the Southern District of New York for “infringing and facilitating the massive infringement of [its] copyrights” through its release of the new Bing Image Widget service. To review the full complaint, click here. The case is significant…
Read MoreTwitpic’s Abrupt Announcement to Shut Down over Trademark Dispute: Convenient Excuse or Full Story?
Twitpic announced in a blog posting today that it will be shutting down on Sept. 25th over a trademark dispute with Twitter regarding the use of the name “twitpic.” Various media outlets have also covered the announcement such as Wall Street Journal and Time. The reporting on this story has thus far not raised many…
Read MoreLandmark Copyright Verdict Against Media Companies Serves as Cautionary Tale to All
In case you missed the headlines late last year, freelance photographer Daniel Morel was awarded a $1.2 million damage verdict against Agence France-Presse (“AFP”) and Getty Images after it was found that they willfully infringed Mr. Morel’s photos of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The verdict caught my attention given the fact so many clients…
Read MoreSupreme Court Rules that Patent Owner Bears Burden of Proving Infringement in Licensing Dispute
The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued a decision in the licensing dispute case of Medtronic Inc. v. Mirowski Family Ventures, LLC, where the Court held that the patent owner had the burden of proving infringement when the licensee files a declaratory judgment action in a patent licensing dispute. What are the facts in this case?…
Read MoreSteering Clear of Marketing Traps Around Milestone Events
If you are in the marketing/advertising business, your success depends largely on coming up with innovative new ways to promote a customer’s product or event offering. Thus, when a milestone event arises in the sports, music, or film worlds, you may be inspired to try to capitalize on those events by tying your marketing efforts…
Read MoreSupreme Court to Hear Streaming TV Over the Internet Case
Like many cable and satellite TV consumers these days, I have been closely following the new options on the market for streaming TV service and hoping that the day will soon come when I can significantly reduce my monthly subscription costs without cutting off my access to live TV. With the cost of living…
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