Digital Commons Network^™

Copyright Protection For An Exact Digital 3d Model Of A Copyrighted Architectural Work, Justin Kurt Helms

Justin Kurt Helms

No abstract provided.

The Game Of Clones, Hyun G. Lee

Hyun G Lee

This paper examines whether expressions closely related to game mechanics should enjoy copyright law protection. In particular, this paper examines two recent cases, Tetris Holdings v. Xio Interactive and Spry Fox v. LOLApps, that seem to support the expansion of copyright protection to this area, particularly in game level design.

Caution — Contains Extremely Offensive Material: David Wojnarowicz V. American Family Association, The Visual Artists Rights Act, And A Proposal To Expand Fair Use To Include Artists' Moral Rights, Sarah Leggin

Sarah Leggin

Although many artists build their careers by offending or challenging mainstream culture and live happily as outsiders, these and all artists still strive to protect their reputations and the integrity of their works. The importance of protecting the moral rights of artists has long been recognized by European law, but the United States has not embraced the value of artists’ rights in the same way. Today, U.S. copyright law recognizes moral rights for visual works that fall within narrow categories due to the enactment of the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (VARA). Even after VARA was enacted and preempted …

Can Incentives To Generic Manufacturers Save The Doha Declaration's Paragraph 6?, Stacey B. Lee

Stacey B. Lee

A primary objective of the DOHA Declaration was to create a process for member countries with insufficient manufacturing capabilities to access generic versions of patented drugs without violating TRIPS intellectual property standards. This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the process. Referred to as the “Paragraph 6 compulsory licenses provisions,” this first and only amendment to TRIPS was intended to ensure developing countries access to affordable medicines. Over the past decade, these provisions have failed to provide the gains initially anticipated. This article explores the reasons for this failure and suggests that an under-examined approach to reaching the DOHA …

It's Only A Day Away: Rethinking Copyright Termination In A New Era, Shane D. Valenzi

Shane D Valenzi

January 1, 2013 will mark the beginning of an important shift in US Copyright Law. On that day, for the first time, authors who signed over their creative rights to a producer, publisher, or other “litigation-savvy” grantee under the current Copyright Act will begin to enter a window of time within which they may terminate those prior grants of rights and reclaim their original copyrights. Of course, such actions are unlikely to go unchallenged, as many of these works generate billions of dollars of revenue for their current owners. This Article will examine the “new-works termination” provision of the Copyright …

Is The Prototypical Small Inventor At Risk Of Inadvertently Eliminating Their Traditional One-Year Grace Period Under The America Invents Act?, Eric A. Kelly

Eric A Kelly

This Comment interprets new statutory language appearing in the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, effective March 16, 2013, regarding what may constitute prior art and how prior art triggers the new one-year grace period. If this interpretation is followed, the vitally necessary grace period will continue to be accessible to inventors, especially small inventors. Specifically, this Comment recommends interpreting “or otherwise available to the public” as a public accessibility condition precedent that must be satisfied in order for public use and on sale events to constitute prior art; which as prior art then triggers the one-year grace period in which to …

Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun! Balancing Patent Law & Trade Secret Law Under The America Invents Act, Stephen J. Elkind

Stephen J Elkind

This Note seeks to understand the tension between trade secrecy law and patent law pointed out by Judge Hand. Further, this Note argues that the recently enacted America Invents Act (“AIA”) overrules the holding from Metallizing Engineering that secret prior commercial use by an inventor before the critical date renders an invention unpatentable. Part I discusses the different incentive structures behind patents and trade secrets. Patent law requires that an invention achieve certain higher standards than trade secret law; and in doing so provides incentivizes for a different sort of invention than trade secret law. For commercial uses that are …

Only Part Of The Picture: A Response To Rebecca Tushnet's Worth A Thousand Words: The Images Of Copyright (125 Harv. L. Rev. 683), Zahr K. Said

Zahr K Said

Only Part of the Picture: A Response to Rebecca Tushnet’s Worth a Thousand Words: The Images of Copyright 125 HARV. L. REV. 683

Zahr K. Said

Professor Rebecca Tushnet’s Article elucidates a number of difficulties in copyright that flow from judicial failures to treat images consistently and rigorously. She argues that courts both assess copyrightability and evaluate potential infringement in ways that rely on a naïve understanding of the way artists create, and indeed, the way viewers receive works of art. The problem is particularly pronounced with respect to what Tushnet calls non-textual works because copyright law’s default to textuality …

Keeping Secrets: An Alternative To The Economic Penalty Enhancement Act, Brittani N. Baldwin

Brittani N. Baldwin

No abstract provided.

Managing Content In Virtual Environments: From Music To Machinima, Tamiko R. Franklin

Tamiko R Franklin

Developing an effective rights management strategy in virtual environments requires a close review of current case law especially with respect to ongoing clarifications of mentioned statutory provisions under copyright laws. It is also helpful to be aware of the peculiarities that involve copyright protected content created for use in virtual spaces such as issues involving publication and making available across multiple jurisdictions. There are differences in international systems of protection that affect the intellectual property rights in content; particularly so if the content in question is a work of visual art like a photograph or digital representation of a painting, …

Beyond Einstein And Edison: Claiming Space For Non-Faculty Inventors In Technology Transfer, Jennifer Carter-Johnson

Jennifer Carter-Johnson

The Bayh-Dole Act, often credited with the explosion of university technology transfer, requires universities to incentivize invention disclosure by sharing the royalties generated by licensing. Many scholars have debated the effectiveness of university implementation of this requirement, and indeed, the low rate of disclosure of inventions by academic researchers to the university is often a bottleneck in technology transfer process. Unfortunately, most discussions focusing on inventor compliance with Bayh-Dole requirements have explored faculty-inventor motivations. Similarly, many university intellectual property (IP) policies are drafted specifically toward incentivizing faculty-inventors to comply with invention disclosure requirements. However, in most cases, university inventions are …

Patenting Isolated Human Enhancer Elements And The Utility Requirement Problem, William B. Mcconnell

William B. McConnell

No abstract provided.

Intellectual Property Rights Of Nanotechnology (Challenges And Solutions) With Looking At Trade Related Aspects Of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (Trips), Maryam Ahmadi, Leila Ahmadi, Abutaleb Koosha

Maryam Ahmadi

Abstract:

With the emergence of any new technology, nanotechnology creates opportunities as well as challenges in adapting the patent regime to its particular context. There is some consensus that patenting nanotechnology innovations poses more problems than other technologies, owing to their multi-disciplinary character, cross-sectoral applications, broad claims as well as difficulties in fulfilling the patentability criteria. This is aggravated by the lack of a standardized terminology which impedes easy identification of nano-patents and also the fact that patent offices may not be well-equipped to handle nanotechnology. These problems are likely to be compounded for developing and least developed countries, which …

Search, Essential Facilities, And The Antitrust Duty To Deal, Marina Lao

Marina Lao

The core of the gathering antitrust case against Google seems to be that it favors its own or its affiliates’ content over that of its competitors in ancillary markets in the unpaid search results. Seeking the competitive advantages inherent in integration, which is what preferential treatment of one’s own property is about, is usually not unlawful. This paper examines whether “essential facilities” and the duty-to-deal nonetheless provide a basis for prohibiting this practice, as some have suggested, and concludes that they do not.

On the threshold monopoly power issue, most assume, based on Google’s high percentage of general search queries, …

The Flaws Of Stem Cell Legislation: Sherley, Brustle, And Future Policy Challenges Posed By Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, Nicholas J. Diamond

Nicholas J Diamond

In this article, I first contextualize the origins of disagreement over the nature and extent of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research regulation. By analyzing two key pieces of hESC legislation as considered in two landmark court decisions—one from the United States and one from the European Union—I argue that current stem cell policies are deeply flawed. After surfacing the flaws of these policies, I examine novel challenges for policymakers posed by the newest advancement in stem cell science, induced pluripotent stem cells. In view of these novel challenges, I contend that current policies, which are hESC-focused and deeply flawed, …

Employee And Inventor Witnesses In Patent Trials: The Blurry Line Between Expert And Lay Testimony, Alex Reese

Alex Reese

Parties in patent lawsuits that are going to trial face a crucial choice: who is the best witness to explain the often complex or scientific technology behind an invention or an accused product? Often, the parties will select an employee witness such as an engineer, scientist, or a named inventor of the patent-in-suit to offer this key testimony rather than a hired expert. Many litigants have found that there are benefits to choosing an employee witness who can testify based on first-hand experience with the technology in question rather than a hired expert, who must prepare an expert report and …

Patent Infringement In The Context Of Follow-On Biologics, Janet Freilich

Janet Freilich

This article fills a gap in the literature by conducting a comprehensive analysis of patent infringement in the context of follow-on biologics. Patent infringement is an important topic because, like small molecule generic drugs, follow-on biologics are likely to begin their life facing infringement suits. Because it is tremendously expensive to develop a follow-on biologic, it is vital that there be consistency in how they are treated in the courts once the inevitable patent infringement suits arrive. If follow-on biologics companies cannot predict how their product will be received in court, they may decide it is not worth the risk …

The Paradox Of Legal Equivalents And Scientific Equivalence: Reconciling Patent Law’S Doctrine Of Equivalents With The Fda’S Bioequivalence Requirement, Janet Freilich

Janet Freilich

Contrary to popular perception, generic drugs often enter the market before the patents covering their brand-name counterparts have expired by making slight changes the drug to avoid the brand-name patent. These generics face a paradox: the FDA requires that the generic “not show a significant difference” from the reference product while patent law requires that the generic have “substantial differences” as compared to the reference product. The generic must be bioequivalent but not legally equivalent to the brand-name drug. This paradox occurs frequently in the courts but has never been discussed in the literature. This article analyzes every case involving …

Forging Towards Coexistence, Laurie J. Beyranevand

Laurie J Beyranevand

Abstract: For better or worse, the United States has demonstrated a long history of support for agricultural biotechnology. Justified as necessary to meet the growing demands of our nation’s food demand, federal policies addressing genetic engineering have attempted to balance of set of competing interests to ensure health and safety while also encouraging further innovation and development of technology. The unfortunate effects of these policies are suffered disproportionately by organic and non-GE farmers, as there has been little consideration of how the products of genetic engineering impact this sector. In the midst of regulating biotechnology, the federal government has lost …

Search, Essential Facilities, And The Antitrust Duty To Deal, Marina Lao

Marina Lao

The core of the gathering antitrust case against Google seems to be that it favors its own or its affiliates’ content over that of its competitors in ancillary markets in the unpaid search results. Seeking the competitive advantages inherent in integration, which is what preferential treatment of one’s own property is about, is usually not unlawful. This paper examines whether “essential facilities” and the duty-to-deal nonetheless provide a basis for prohibiting this practice, as some have suggested, and concludes that they do not.

On the threshold monopoly power issue, most assume, based on Google’s high percentage of general search queries, …

Search, Essential Facilities, And The Antitrust Duty To Deal, Marina Lao

Marina Lao

The core of the gathering antitrust case against Google seems to be that it favors its own or its affiliates’ content over that of its competitors in ancillary markets in the unpaid search results. Seeking the competitive advantages inherent in integration, which is what preferential treatment of one’s own property is about, is usually not unlawful. This paper examines whether “essential facilities” and the duty-to-deal nonetheless provide a basis for prohibiting this practice, as some have suggested, and concludes that they do not.

On the threshold monopoly power issue, most assume, based on Google’s high percentage of general search queries, …

First Amendment, Fourth Estate & Hot News: Misappropriation Is Not A Solution To The Journalism Crisis, Joseph A. Tomain

Joseph A Tomain

Journalism is a public good. The Framers understood the importance of a free press in a self-governing society and embedded a structural right for freedom of the press in the First Amendment. There is a journalism crisis. Symptoms of the crisis include layoffs of journalists, diminishing content in newspapers and shuttering of newspapers. The rise of online technologies has exacerbated the crisis, mainly by siphoning advertising revenue away from traditional news organizations to free classified advertisement websites such as Craigslist, search engines and myriad other non-journalistic online endeavors. The internet, however, is not the main cause of the journalism crisis. …

Will Fda Data Exclusivity Make Biologic Patents Passé?, Vincent J. Roth Esq

Vincent J Roth Esq

Much controversy has ensued over the current 12 year data exclusivity period afforded biosimilars pursuant to the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 (the “BPCI”) that was recently enacted in March 2010, as part of President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “PPACA”), to create a biosimilar market in the US. In fact, the BPCI, itself, has been controversial and just barely survived judicial scrutiny when the US Supreme Court upheld the PPACA on June 28, 2012 in a 5-4 vote. Many commentators speculate whether data exclusivity will overtake patents as the preferred method of intellectual …

Valuation & Assessment Of Intangible Assets, And How The America Invents Act Will Affect Patent Valuations, Andrew J. Maas

Andrew J. Maas

Intangible assets have created value for hundreds of years. Valuation of intangible assets regularly applies to patents, copyrights, trademarks, and tradesecrets. A few current case studies included in the article cover current patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. In 2011 the America Invents Act was signed into law by President Obama and will have a significant affect on patent valuation. The America Invents Act will require some adjustments to how current patent valuation analysts approach early stage patent valuation. Specifically, analysts will need to understand: 1)inventorship, 2) potential undermining of patent value because of the prior commercial user defense, 3) …

Will Fda Data Exclusivity Make Biologic Patents Passé?, Vincent J. Roth Esq

Vincent J Roth Esq

Much controversy has ensued over the current 12 year data exclusivity period afforded biosimilars pursuant to the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 (the “BPCI”) that was recently enacted in March 2010, as part of President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “PPACA”), to create a biosimilar market in the US. In fact, the BPCI, itself, has been controversial and just barely survived judicial scrutiny when the US Supreme Court upheld the PPACA on June 28, 2012 in a 5-4 vote. Many commentators speculate whether data exclusivity will overtake patents as the preferred method of intellectual …

Beyond Patents: The Supreme Court’S Evolving Relationship With The Federal Circuit, Daniel Kazhdan

Daniel Kazhdan

Federal Circuit scholars have begun to notice a shift in the way the Supreme Court interacts with the Federal Circuit when it comes to patent questions. Scholars point to the fact that in recent years the Supreme Court reviews the Federal Circuit more frequently and more harshly. The Court also criticizes the Federal Circuit for being too formalistic and too eager to expand its jurisdiction. What scholars have failed to note is that these trends are occurring across the entirety of the Federal Circuit’s decisions, and not just with regards to patent questions. This suggests that there is something about …

Uncertainty As Enforcement Mechanism: The New Expansion Of Secondary Copyright Liability To Internet Platforms, John Blevins

John F. Blevins

This article examines the role that legal uncertainty plays as a copyright enforcement mechanism against Internet platforms. In recent years, Internet platforms have faced a new wave of copyright enforcement actions arising from their users’ activity. These actions include both civil secondary liability claims and public enforcement actions such as domain name seizures and criminal prosecution. Critically, copyright owners and the government do not necessarily need to prevail in these actions. Instead, the proceedings can be effective so long as they impose sufficient costs upon Internet platforms. In this respect, prevailing is less important than obtaining statutory and doctrinal constructions …

The Troubling Role Of Federal Registration In Proving Intellectual Property Crimes, Susan M. Richey

Susan M Richey

No abstract provided.

The Troubling Role Of Federal Registration In Proving Intellectual Property Crimes, Susan M. Richey

Susan M Richey

No abstract provided.

Avoid Japanization, Nahoko Ono

Nahoko Ono

USPTO and academia are both recently keen to encourage further transparency of patent assignment recordation system. This article contends that excessive regulatory framework is likely to deter exploitation of patents as Japan fails to do so despite of its top-ranked patent producer in the world.