Law Commons^™

Limiting Patentees' Market Power Without Reducing Innovation Incentives: The Perverse Benefits Of Uncertainty And Non-Injunctive Remedies, Ian Ayres, Paul Klemperer

Michigan Law Review

Uncertainty and delay in patent litigation may have unforeseen virtues. The combination of these oft-criticized characteristics might induce a limited amount of infringement that enhances social welfare without reducing (or without substantially reducing) the profitability of the patentee. Patent infringement is generally viewed as socially inefficient because infringement reduces the patentee's ex ante incentive to innovate. Limited amounts of infringement combined with increased patent duration, however, can substantially reduce the distortionary ex post effects of supracompetitive pricing without reducing the patentee's ex ante incentives to innovate. Indeed, this Article derives a legal regime that preserves the incentive to innovate by …

Copyright-Notice Requirements-Pitfalls For The Unwary, Gregor N. Neff

Michigan Law Review

Whether judicial remedy of the situation will be adequate or whether legislative change is necessary to remedy the situation presents another problem; but the need for remedy seems clear. The purpose of this comment is to discuss these pitfalls and to indicate present judicial trends regarding these problems. Proposed remedies, both legislative and judicial, will be listed and evaluated where possible.

The Patent-Antitrust Problem, Bartholomew Diggins

Michigan Law Review

The Patent-Antitrust section of the Report of the Attorney General's National Committee to Study the Antitrust Laws is an excellent analysis of the existing law and is an invaluable handbook for practitioners in this difficult field. The writer's approach to the problem is different from that of the committee and before commenting specifically on the Report it is only fair to state the writer's views of the problem lest differences in viewpoint give the impression of criticism of the Report.

In any approach to the patent-antitrust problem there is a basic question: does a "patent-antitrust problem" exist? The Report …

Patents - Recovery Of Profits In Contempt Proceedings

Michigan Law Review

The facts of this case are stated in the preceding note. The complainant sought to recover in the contempt action the profits of the infringement subsequent to the injunction decree. The circuit court of appeals refused recovery. Held, the decree of the circuit court of appeals should be reversed; profits from the sale of the infringing article are properly an element of the contempt fine. Krentler-Arnold Hinge Last Co. v. Leman (U. S. Feb. 15, 1932) Adv. Op. No. 332. (Reversing the decision in (C. C. A. 1st, 1931) 50 F.(2d) 699).

Patents - Option Of The Court To Permit Contempt Proceedings Or To Require A New Suit

Michigan Law Review

A final injunction was issued by the federal district court of Massachusetts against A, a Michigan corporation. The terms of the injunction were that A should not make, use, or sell lasts, or any colorable imitation thereof, embodying the invention covered by certain enumerated claims belonging to the present complainant. In a subsequent term of court the complainant alleged a violation of the injunction and brought contempt proceedings against A in the district court. The alleged infringement consisted in the manufacture and sale of a device which was slightly changed in form from that which the defendant had made prior …