In June the US Supreme Court held in Association for Molecular Pathology, et al. v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., that isolated segments of naturally occurring DNA are not eligible for patent. Although human intervention is required to isolate naturally occurring DNA, that DNA segment is still naturally occurring and therefore ineligible for protection under US patentContinue reading “Supreme Court Holds Synthetic DNA Patentable”
Author Archives: hjsumner
Predictive Policing and Potential Constitutional Concerns
Some police departments are implementing a crime mapping program that uses criminal data to predict future areas of specific crimes. A report generated by this software coupled with an officer’s observations may be sufficient to stop and search a suspected criminal. With the advent of real time advertising and now predictive policing, the movie theContinue reading “Predictive Policing and Potential Constitutional Concerns”
Can A Copyright Be Validly Transferred by Simply Accepting On-line Terms?
A recent 4th Circuit case considered whether a copyright can be validly transferred by simply clicking “yes” to a website’s terms of use. In this case an online real estate site required users to accept the site’s terms of use (TOU) prior to uploading photos. The TOU noted that all images become the “exclusive property”Continue reading “Can A Copyright Be Validly Transferred by Simply Accepting On-line Terms?”
Meme Use in Advertisement
Memes can be a great way to ad humor to an ad campaign but you should always seek the permission of the copyright owner before using them commercially. Click here for full article
Town in Oregon Files Copyright Suit Over Public Toilet Design
The town of Portland recently filed suit against Romtec Inc. for its public standalone restroom design, “The Sidewalk Restroom.” The suit claims that Romtec is infringing the “Portland Loos” design used throughout the city. Click here for full article
Quick and Effective Way to Determine Battery Strength
Low tech “drop test” is a great way to quickly determine if an alkaline battery is still good. Click here for YouTube Video
Bad Faith Infringement Suits Can Be Costly to Plaintiffs
A $1.6 Million dollar award for attorney fees was recently confirmed against a plaintiff held to have pursued a bad faith infringement action. Click here for full article
NYC Introduces Bill to Punish Buyers of Counterfeit Goods
The New York City Council has introduced a bill that would punish BUYERS of counterfeit goods. If convicted the purchaser could face a $1000 fine and a year in jail. Click here for full article
Stiff Penalties for Downloading and Distributing Copyrighted Music
The US Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit recently upheld a $375,000 damage award for illegally downloading and distributing copyrighted music. Other jurisdiction have recently awarded similarly large damages. Click here for full article
Craigslist Prevented from Trademark Peace Symbol
Craigslist’s application to trademark the international peace symbol was recently rejected. The Trademark Trials and Appeal Board held that the symbol failed to distinguish its products and services, even when given the color purple. A well known symbol must be clearly identify the source of goods if it is to be registerable. For this reasonContinue reading “Craigslist Prevented from Trademark Peace Symbol”