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Full-Text Articles in Intellectual Property Law
Abstraction In Software Patents (And How To Fix It), 18 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 364 (2019), Athul Acharya
Abstraction In Software Patents (And How To Fix It), 18 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 364 (2019), Athul Acharya
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
Software has long posed a quandary for patent law. As many have observed, software is an abstract technology—but abstract ideas are supposedly ineligible for patenting. This Article explores just what that means, what it doesn’t mean, and what might fix the problem of abstraction in software patents. This Article offers two related ways to understand the abstract nature of software. First, computer science defines itself as a “science of abstraction,” and that self-definition finds real doctrinal purchase. Second, software code is designed to be what the doctrine calls “functional”—to describe abstract results that can be executed on heterogenous hardware without …
Blocking Ad Blockers, 16 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 272 (2017), Tyler Barbacovi
Blocking Ad Blockers, 16 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 272 (2017), Tyler Barbacovi
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
The prevalence of ad blocking software (software that prevents the loading of web based advertisements) is a growing problem for website owners and content creators who rely on advertising revenue to earn money. While the number of ad block users continues to increase, there has thus far been no significant legal challenge to ad blocking in the United States. This comment examines how a website owner, through a combination of technological improvements and the anti-circumvention provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, could successfully raise a legal challenge against the purveyors of ad blocking software.
Commercial Creations: The Role Of End User License Agreements In Controlling The Exploitation Of User Generated Content, 16 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 382 (2017), Neha Ahuja
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
This article considers the current licensing regime used to control the exploitation of copyright protected works within the online interactive entertainment sector—particularly virtual worlds including multiplayer online games—to further author new copyrightable works. This article aims to identify the gaps that have arisen on account of the nature of these subsequently authored works and the potential for their exploitation under the said licensing regime. Users and the proprietors of virtual worlds often end up in conflict over the monetization and commercialization of user generated content on account of contradictory yet overlapping rights created by copyright law when controlled by contract …
Apis And Copyright Protection: The Potential Impact On Software Compatibility In The Programming Industry, 16 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 153 (2016), Daria Vasilescu-Palermo
Apis And Copyright Protection: The Potential Impact On Software Compatibility In The Programming Industry, 16 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 153 (2016), Daria Vasilescu-Palermo
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
In Oracle v. Google, the Federal Circuit set precedent when it decided to grant copyright protection to APIs. This comment examines the potential impact the computer programming industry will face now that APIs are deemed copyrightable. This comment also discusses Google s success in using fair use as an affirmative defense in order to use copyrightable APIs and what that means for the rest of the computer programming industry. Due to the fast-paced and ever-changing world of technology, this comment also proposes that the abstract-filtration-comparison test is the appropriate test to be used in determining API copyrightability if the issue …
The Protection Of Pioneer Innovations – Lessons Learnt From The Semiconductor Chip Industry And Its Ip Law Framework, 32 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 151 (2016), Thomas Hoeren
UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law
In the second half of the 20th century, semiconductor technology as integrated circuits (IC), commonly known as microchips, became more and more dominating in our lives. Microchips are the control center of simple things like toasters as well as of complex high-tech machines for medical use. Of course, they also define the hearts of each computer. With the invention of semiconductor technology, a whole new economic sector began its rise and soon played a major role in the economies of the large industrial countries like the U.S., Japan and the EC. Especially, it stands out for its innovational power and …
Facebook, Twitter, And The Wild West Of Ip Enforcement On Social Media: Weighing The Merits Of A Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy, 49 J. Marshall L. Rev. 959 (2016), Daniel Doft
UIC Law Review
In Part I, this comment will discuss the different types of intellectual property issues that can arise on social media websites. Part II will then discuss the three actions currently available to an infringed owner attempting to protect its intellectual property rights. Part III will discuss the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), a successful mechanism for resolving domain name disputes online. Finally, Part IV will discuss the possible creation of a USRP, which will be modeled after the UDRP, in which a private third-party arbitrator would resolve intellectual property disputes in the social media arena. This section will …
Flo & Eddie, Inc. V. Sirius Xm Radio, Inc.: Will Terrestrial Radio And Pre-1972 Sound Recordings Remain “Happy Together”?, 50 J. Marshall L. Rev. 191 (2016), Kyle Prillaman
UIC Law Review
No abstract provided.
Did Copyright Kill The Radio Star? Why The Recorded Music Industry And Copyright Act Should Welcome Webcasters Into The Fold, 14 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 292 (2015), Patrick Koncel
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
The Copyright Act has not kept pace with the times, and the next revolution is going full stream ahead. Rather than adapt, entrenched interests at the Copyright table push for more protection, while new technologies are demonized and underrepresented. The resulting Copyright Act’s provisions relating to internet-based radio, ranging from passive over-the-air broadcasts to fully interactive music hosting sites, are a patchwork of accommodations and concessions to these interests. For all non-interactive services, licensing music typically occurs within the Copyright Act’s compulsory licensing system. For interactive webcasters, licensing negotiations take place with the copyright holders directly. These negotiations have proven …
The Great Decentralization: How Web 3.0 Will Weaken Copyrights, 15 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 136 (2015), Nick Vogel
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
Bitcoin’s popularity increased as its value increased and people became excited about the prospect of a trustless, decentralized currency that could be used on the Internet. Within the last two years, however, people and organizations began exploiting the potential of the block chain that powers the bitcoin network. These people realized that the block chain—a transparent public ledger that cannot be altered—can be used for more than digital currency. One such organization calls itself Ethereum and its developers plan to use block chains to allow decentralized autonomous applications to operate free of government censorship or corruption. While such a network …
Inventing A New Way Of Dealing With Circumvention: A Patent-Based Alternative To The Dmca, 15 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 91 (2015), Priya Desai
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
Over time, it has become easier for consumers to steal music. Some technologies, like ReDigi, have been specifically designed to allow copyright infringement by giving consumers the ability to sell digitally purchased music files. While copyright laws have been updated to deal with changing technologies, the laws have not been sufficient to keep up. This comment highlights the failings of modern copyright law and questions whether patent laws are a viable way to ensure that technologies that induce copyright infringement do not find marketplace success.
The Conflict Between An Athlete’S Right Of Publicity And The First Amendment, 15 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 117 (2015), Edward Kuester
The Conflict Between An Athlete’S Right Of Publicity And The First Amendment, 15 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 117 (2015), Edward Kuester
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
The recent rise of fantasy sports has created a conflict between an athlete’s right of publicity and the First Amendment of the Constitution. The legal question being discussed is whether athletes have a right of publicity in their identity, specifically their performance statistics and biographical information. If a right of publicity violation does exist, courts will have to determine whether a fantasy provider’s First Amendment privilege can prevail against an athlete’s publicity rights. This comment examines recent litigation surrounding athletes’ identities and the problems courts have in balancing the conflict between an athlete’s right of publicity and the First Amendment. …
Professional Video Gaming: Piracy That Pays, 49 J. Marshall L. Rev. 217 (2015), Elizabeth Brusa
Professional Video Gaming: Piracy That Pays, 49 J. Marshall L. Rev. 217 (2015), Elizabeth Brusa
UIC Law Review
This Comment will focus on the legal implications of end user gamers who profit from the infringing use of copyrighted video gameplay content.
Toward A Patent Exhaustion Regime For Sustainable Development, 32 Berkeley J. Int'l Law. 330 (2014), Benjamin Liu
Toward A Patent Exhaustion Regime For Sustainable Development, 32 Berkeley J. Int'l Law. 330 (2014), Benjamin Liu
UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship
This Article argues that the current exhaustion doctrine, when applied to the refurbishing industry, fails to balance its mandate of promoting technological progress with the broader program of sustainable development and is therefore unsuitable for countries on the modernization path. First, what constitutes an infringing “making” remains underdetermined. Second, the evidentiary hurdle for proving legal refurbishment is too onerous for the low margin and under-resourced refurbishing industry. Finally, the all-or-nothing approach to judging infringement fails to account for the nuanced cost-benefit nexus that exists between patentees, refurbishers, and society at large and discourages private ordering. To recalibrate the balance between …
Navigating Cybersquatting Enforcement In The Expanding Internet, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 321 (2014), Jordan A. Arnot
Navigating Cybersquatting Enforcement In The Expanding Internet, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 321 (2014), Jordan A. Arnot
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
It has always been a considerable task to police something as vast at the Internet for trademark violations and abuse. As the Internet develops with the ongoing launch of hundreds of new generic Top-Level Domains, so does the host of enforcement options available to those seeking to protect the value of trademarks and other intellectual property. This article outlines seven criteria to consider when selecting a remedy, or combination of remedies. The traditional cease and desist letter is still a viable and effective option, and so, of course, is litigation. These tools were greatly enhanced in 1999 when the Internet …
Review And Reflection: Copyright Hearings And Related Discourse In The Nation’S Capital, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 487 (2014), Maria A. Pallante
Review And Reflection: Copyright Hearings And Related Discourse In The Nation’S Capital, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 487 (2014), Maria A. Pallante
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
On February 28, 2014, the Register of Copyrights of the United States and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office Maria A. Pallante delivered a keynote speech on the copyright hearings and related discourse in the nation’s capital. The speech was given at The John Marshall Law School’s 58th Annual Intellectual Property Conference. This article is based on her speech at the Conference.
Aerevolution: Why We Should, Briefly, Embrace Unlicensed Online Streaming Of Retransmitted Broadcast Television Content, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 577 (2014), Bradley Ryba
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
The United States has long recognized broadcast television programming’s importance to the public’s information and entertainment needs. Accordingly, Congress has historically offered strong copyright protections for broadcast television networks. Those strong protections allowed broadcast networks to withstand business threats from innovations like cable television and VCRs. However, Congress’ recent silence on DVRs and cloud computing technology has allowed an entrepreneur to create the networks’ next biggest threat, Aereo. The creators of Aereo and similar businesses designed their services specifically around ambiguities within copyright law that could allow them to transmit networks’ content without paying the otherwise necessary consent fees. These …
Shutting Down The Ex Parte Party: How To Keep Bittorrent Copyright Trolls From Abusing The Federal Court’S Discovery System, 31 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 105 (2014), Jennifer L. Hunter
Shutting Down The Ex Parte Party: How To Keep Bittorrent Copyright Trolls From Abusing The Federal Court’S Discovery System, 31 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 105 (2014), Jennifer L. Hunter
UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law
No abstract provided.
The Right To Be Forgotten: Forced Amnesia In A Technological Age, 31 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 133 (2014), Robert Bolton
The Right To Be Forgotten: Forced Amnesia In A Technological Age, 31 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 133 (2014), Robert Bolton
UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law
In the modern era, the connection between technology and one’s personal life has increased the number of moments recorded for posterity. While in many circumstances this is an ideal opportunity for fond recollection, it has the downside of displaying for others our less flattering moments. Because the Internet has such a wide scope, once something has entered its domain, it is virtually impossible to permanently remove. With a public increasingly perceiving this winnowing of privacy as a negative tendency, legislators both at home and abroad have made proposals that attempt to place restrictions on what content social media is allowed …
Mad Men Posing As Ordinary Consumers: The Essential Role Of Self-Regulation And Industry Ethics On Decreasing Deceptive Online Consumer Ratings And Reviews, 12 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 462 (2013), Lucille M. Ponte
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
Technology provides consumers with new ways to avoid advertisements, such as fast forwarding through TV commercials and using filtering software to block pop-up ads. Accordingly brand sponsors and their advertising marketing firms have sought alternative methods to pierce through consumer resistance to ads. Social media offers an optimal platform to reach millions of consumers on a nearly daily basis who interact and often rely heavily on the reviews and rankings of fellow consumers. However, many of today’s branding campaigns now mask sponsored ads as ordinary consumer reviews or “Like” and “Don’t Like” responses to a service or product. Unbeknownst to …
The Emerging Reality Of Social Media: Erosion Of Individual Privacy Through Cyber-Vetting And Law’S Inability To Catch Up, 12 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 551 (2013), Saby Ghoshray
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
The rise of social media means that data about a large number of people is available in public and quasi-public digital locations. Employers, keen on taking advantage of this additional data to decrease the risk associated with an offer of employment, are engaging in “cyber-vetting”—non-consenting social media searches conducted by third parties or the employers themselves. To the extent that current law applies to this practice, the regulation it provides is weak and attacks only part of the problem. Left unchecked, cyber-vetting has the potential to fundamentally alter the scope of prospective employees’ rights. This article surveys the legal and …
How The Internet Has Removed The Historical Rationale For "Non-Analogous Arts", 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 68 (2013), Hal Milton
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
The growth of the Internet has affected countless aspects of daily life, including the patent system. Internet-based legal research has grown considerably, given the convenience of general search agents such as Google, legally-focused search agents such as Westlaw and Lexis, and patent-focused search agents such as the PAIR system of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. These legal research tools have not only made it easier to find prior art, they have also expanded the volume of information that is available to one of ordinary skill in the art. Consequently, the traditional rules of so-called “analogous arts” are changing. …
Copyright Trolls, Defining The Line Between Legal Ransom Letters And Defending Digital Rights: Turning Piracy Into A Business Model Or Protecting Creative From Internet Lawlessness?, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 170 (2013), Luke S. Curran
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
The scarlet letter of the term “troll” has long been affixed to the lapel of businesses within the patent context. This pejorative term, however, has had little relevance or widespread public recognition within the domain of copyright law until 2010. Since the awakening of the “copyright troll,” several non-author rights holders have recently adopted and propagated a substantially modified version of this sue-to-settle paradigm within the context of copyright law while introducing it to the scale of mass-litigation. Further, the amorphous term “copyright troll” traditionally characterizes a business practice of acquiring unenforced copyrights that are being infringed upon through various …
Putting A Price On Friendship: Examining The Ownership Battle Between A Business' Social Media Networks, And The Humans That Operate Them, 47 J. Marshall L. Rev. 745 (2013), Michael Furlong
UIC Law Review
No abstract provided.
Copy Game For High Score: The First Video Game Lawsuit, 20 J. Intell. Prop. L. 1 (2012), William K. Ford
Copy Game For High Score: The First Video Game Lawsuit, 20 J. Intell. Prop. L. 1 (2012), William K. Ford
UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship
Commentators and industry historians generally agree that the multi-billion dollar video game industry began forty years ago in November 1972 with Atari's release of Pong. Pong is among the simplest of video games: a version of ping pong or tennis requiring little more to play than a ball, two paddles, a scoring indicator, and a couple of memorable sounds. While it was not the first video game, Pong was the first video game hit. With unauthorized copying of a successful product occurring, it is not surprising that a lawsuit resulted in the fall of 1973, one that predates the more …
Fostering Web 2.0 Innovation: The Role Of The Judicial Interpretation Of The Dmca Safe Harbor, Secondary Liability And Fair Use, 12 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 70 (2012), Susanna Monseau
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
Web 2.0 has generated a surplus of creativity, encouraging innovation of new technologies and further creative expansion of the internet. Social media platforms have demonstrated a significant growth during this time and have been used to create and disseminate a wealth of information and cultural material. While it is important that copyright owners receive legal protection of the content they create, it is necessary not to simultaneously stifle the creativity of end-users. Copyright owners have more power in bargaining for their rights, and their rights are well established through statutory protections. However, internet innovators and end-users, who may have a …
Hotfile, Megaupload, And The Future Of Copyright On The Internet: What Can Cyberlockers Tell Us About Dmca Reform?, 12 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 205 (2012), Ross Drath
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
More than a decade ago, Napster brought the issue of copyright infringement by file-sharing to the center of the public stage. How would a body of copyright law built to regulate tangible objects apply in the digital realm? The safe harbor provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, intended as a compromise between the interests of copyright owners and webhosts, have instead introduced legal uncertainty and allocated the costs of online enforcement both inefficiently and disproportionately. While Napster and several other major peer-to-peer services have been shuttered in the intervening period, the scope of online copyright infringement continues to grow …
Exploring Apple’S Ipad Trademark Blunder: Chinese Trademark Approval Procedure Is A Trademark Protection Safeguard Or Another National Protectionism?, 11 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 777 (2012), Arthur Tan-Chi Yuan
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
It is well-reported that Apple’s iPad® product embodies technological advances that are protected by U.S. and foreign patents. One would also assume that it is protected by trademarks in various jurisdictions, including China. However, to this day, Apple struggles to prefect its iPad trademark rights in China, the second largest economy in the world. While the Chinese trademark registration approval process is different from that in the U.S. practice, such approval step is essential to every international corporation doing business in China. This article explains where Apple may have overlooked this step in the overall trademark registration process in China …
Cybersex: Protecting Sexual Content In The Digital Age, 11 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 815 (2012), Nicole Chaney
Cybersex: Protecting Sexual Content In The Digital Age, 11 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 815 (2012), Nicole Chaney
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
Advertisers employ bare-skinned models and sex appeal to seduce American consumers with every magazine, billboard, and television advertisement. The ubiquity of sexual gratification has reached a tangible quality in American culture, but sex is still somehow taboo in our legal system. Despite the vast market for online adult entertainment, obscenity laws have been used to strike down claims for adult content copyright owners. These content owners are producing creative sexual expression for the public benefit, but they are being denied the same economic incentives granted to their mainstream counterparts. Ironically, Playboy Co. is an outlier in the adult entertainment industry …
Games Are Not Coffee Mugs: Games And The Right Of Publicity, 29 Santa Clara Computer & High Tech. L.J. 1 (2012), William K. Ford, Raizel Liebler
Games Are Not Coffee Mugs: Games And The Right Of Publicity, 29 Santa Clara Computer & High Tech. L.J. 1 (2012), William K. Ford, Raizel Liebler
UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship
Are games more like coffee mugs, posters, and T-shirts, or are they more like books, magazines, and films? For purposes of the right of publicity, the answer matters. The critical question is whether games should be treated as merchandise or as expression. Three classic judicial decisions, decided in 1967, 1970, and 1973, held that the defendants needed permission to use the plaintiffs' names in their board games. These decisions judicially confirmed that games are merchandise, not something equivalent to more traditional media of expression. As merchandise, games are not like books; instead, they are akin to celebrity-embossed coffee mugs. To …
Session Iv: Technology And The Future Of Privacy, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 379 (2012), David E. Sorkin, Ann Bartow, Robert S. Gurwin, Doris E. Long
Session Iv: Technology And The Future Of Privacy, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 379 (2012), David E. Sorkin, Ann Bartow, Robert S. Gurwin, Doris E. Long
UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law
No abstract provided.