Intellectual Property Law Commons^™

Troll Or No Troll? Policing Patent Usage With An Open Post-Grant Review, David G. Barker

Duke Law & Technology Review

In December 2004, a mystery business, JGR Acquisitions Inc., purchased the patent portfolio of bankrupt Commerce One at auction. Commerce One had not previously enforced the acquired patents and many companies were using the patented technologies at the time of the auction. Patent watchdog groups argued that JGR--a potential patent troll formed solely to purchase Commerce One's patents--should not be able to use the patents as a vehicle to extract licensing fees and that the patents should lapse into the public domain. Under current law, however, there is no provision for patents to be invalidated merely because they are used …

Copyright Law, The Production Of Creative Works And Cultural Growth In Cyberspace , Alina Ng

ExpressO

The Internet has affected information flow in copyrighted content in a profound manner. Authors and artists are enabled through the Internet to assert greater control over the flow of information in their works as these new technologies offer new and different distribution channels for content. These new technologies also allow consumers to use content in ways, which had not been anticipated by the copyright industries. This paper presents that copyright law was developed for a specific purpose, which was to encourage learning and growth. As new technologies emerge and as content industries experience changes in information flow in copyrighted works, …

Copyright Law, The Production Of Creative Works And Cultural Growth In Cyberspace , Alina Ng

ExpressO

The Internet has affected information flow in copyrighted content in a profound manner. Authors and artists are enabled through the Internet to assert greater control over the flow of information in their works as these new technologies offer new and different distribution channels for content. These new technologies also allow consumers to use content in ways, which had not been anticipated by the copyright industries. This paper presents that copyright law was developed for a specific purpose, which was to encourage learning and growth. As new technologies emerge and as content industries experience changes in information flow in copyrighted works, …

Supporting Innovation In Targeted Treatments: Licenses Of Right To Nih-Funded Research Tools, Tanuja V. Garde

Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review

Support for new drug development has taken some interesting turns in current patent law jurisprudence. Beginning with the severe curtailment of scope of the common law experimental use doctrine in Madey v. Duke University, and culminating with the recent Supreme Court decision in Merck KGaA v. Integra Lifesciences I, Ltd., broadening the scope of the statutory research exemption, the freedom to conduct experimental research using another's patented inventions becomes dependent in part on the purpose of the research. That the patent at issue in Merck was characterized by the Federal Circuit as being directed to a research tool raised the …

Biotechnology Unglued: Science, Society, And Social Cohesion By Michael D. Mehta, Ed. (Vancouver: Ubc Press, 2005), Chidi Oguamanam

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

In Biotechnology Unglued, Mehta and his thirteen-member interdisciplinary team, comprising mainly of social scientists using a number of ‘‘case studies’’, explore in nine essays ‘‘how advances in agricultural, medical, and forensic biotechnology may threaten the social cohesiveness of different kinds of communities and at different scales’’. In a way, the project is a successful attempt to underscore the theme of (and imperative for) social accountability of science and bio/technological innovations. This 208-page collection of nine essays in a corresponding number of chapters is a remarkable effort. It is a departure from the traditional concerns regarding biotechnology innovations which, hitherto, emphasized …

Who Controls The Controllers? Jon Festinger's Video Game Law (Markham: Lexisnexis Canada Inc., 2005), Steve Coughlan

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

No abstract provided.

Review Of Eloïse Gratton's Internet And Wireless Privacy: A Legal Guide To Global Business Practices (Toronto: Cch Canadian Limited, 2003), David T.S. Fraser

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

No abstract provided.

Virtual Playgrounds And Buddybots: A Data-Minefield For Tweens, Valerie Steeves, Ian R. Kerr

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This article examines the online places where tweens play, chat, and hang out. We argue that the vision behind these places is defined by commercial imperatives that seek to embed surveillance deeper and deeper into children’s playgrounds and social interactions. Online marketers do more than implant branded products into a child’s play; they collect the minute details of a child’s life so they can build a ‘‘relationship’’ of ‘‘trust’’ between the child and brand. Although marketing to children is not new, a networked environment magnifies the effect on a child’s identity because it opens up a child’s private online spaces …

Rising Governmental Use Of Biometric Technology: An Analysis Of The United States Visitor And Immigrant Status Indicator Technology Program, Lisa Madelon Campbell

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This article explores increased governmental interest in the use of biometric measurements as a means of identifying individuals and tracing their movements. Private industries, of course, are equally interested in biometrics, and often similarly capable of collecting and storing biometric information. For example, merchants in the United Kingdom require customers who pay by cheque to provide a thumbprint as an additional security measure against potential fraud. The issues raised by the use of biometrics in the private sector are somewhat different than those that arise in the public context. This article explores the increased reli- ance upon individual biometric measurements …

I Click, You Click, We All Click - But Do We Have A Contract? A Case Comment On Aspenceri.Com V. Paysystems, Charles Morgan

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

It is trite to say that e-commerce has exploded over the last several years. Canadian individuals and businesses are entering into thousands and thousands of contracts online all the time. Yet, oddly enough, there is surprisingly little legal certainty or consistency regarding an essential legal question: what approach to online contract formation will create a binding legal contract? Such legal uncertainty is unfortunate, since buyers need to know when to ‘‘beware’’, merchants need to be able to manage risk, and courts need to have clear guidelines in order to be able to render informed, coherent decisions.

The issue of online …

L'Affaire Huntsman C. Soderbergh Ou Le Droit D'Expurger Les Films, René Pépin

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Deux éléments nous motivent. D’abord, comme on le devine, la technologie évolue à un rythme rapide en ce domaine. On n’en est plus au temps où les films étaient produits unique- ment sur une véritable pellicule de plastique qu’un censeur pouvait insérer dans une machine qui lui permettait littéralement de couper des parties indésirables et de recoller les embouts. L’informatique a envahi ce domaine. Il y a maintenant des logiciels sophistiqués qui agissent comme interface entre un disque DVD et l’écran, permettant au consommateur de choisir lui-même les séquences qui seront enlevées dans un film. On comprend que ceci pose …

Intelligent Agents: Authors, Makers, And Owners Of Computer-Generated Works In Canadian Copyright Law, Rex M. Shoyama

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

The central objective of this article is to propose a clarification of copyright law as applied to works created by intelligent agents. In Part I, the concepts of artificial intelligence and intelligent agents are introduced. Part II identifies the challenges that are presented to the tests of originality and authorship in the application of copyright to works generated by intelligent agents. It is argued that works created by intelligent agents may meet the tests of originality and authorship. It is also argued that the con- cepts of ‘‘author’’, ‘‘owner’’, and ‘‘maker’’ are distinct from one another in Canadian copyright law. …

Material Vulnerabilities: Data Privacy, Corporate Information Security And Securities Regulation, Andrea M. Matwyshyn

ExpressO

This article undertakes a normative and empirical legal inquiry into the manner information security vulnerabilities are being addressed through law and in the marketplace. Specifically, this article questions the current legislative paradigm for information security regulation by presenting a critique grounded in information security and cryptography theory. Consequently, this article advocates shifting our regulatory approach to a process-based security paradigm that focuses on improving security of our system as a whole. Finally, this article argues that in order to accomplish this shift with least disruption to current legal and economic processes, expanding an existing set of well-functioning legal structures is …

Why "Bad" Patents Survive In The Market And How Should We Change?--The Private And Social Costs Of Patents, Jay P. Kesan

ExpressO

In this paper, we formally demonstrate that incorrectly issued patents can survive in the market without judicial review, even when the invention is neither novel nor non-obvious. We support this contention by presenting a game theoretic model that studies the interaction between the patentee and an alleged infringer/challenger. Using this model, we demonstrate the impact of the transaction costs in the patent system at the administrative stage in the Patent Office and at the enforcement stage in the courts, and highlight the inability in our current system to mount effective challenges to improperly granted patents in the current system. We …

Willful Infringement And The Evidentiary Value Of Opinion Letters After Knorr–Bremse V. Dana, Joshua Stowell

Duke Law & Technology Review

Recently, the Federal Circuit in Knorr-Bremse v. Dana overruled almost twenty years of precedent by striking down the adverse inference doctrine, which had created a negative presumption against any alleged patent infringer for failing to obtain and disclose a patent opinion letter at trial. The decision, while strongly supported by numerous intellectual property and business associations, has created uncertainty for patent attorneys regarding the use of opinion letters in litigation and the acceptable methods for proving willful infringement. This iBrief addresses two specific questions left unanswered by the decision. It concludes that (1) Federal Circuit precedent strongly suggests that the …

The Future Of Copyright, Lawrence B. Solum

Faculty Scholarship

Sometimes technological change is so profound that it rocks the foundations of an entire body of law. Peer-to-peer (P2P) filesharing systems - Napster, Gnutella, KaZaA, Grokster, and Freenet3 - are mere symptoms of a set of technological innovations that have set in motion an ongoing process of fundamental changes in the nature of copyright law. The video tape recorder begat the Sony substantial noninfringing use defense. The digital cassette recorder begat the Audio Home Recording Act. The internet begat the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Napster begat Napster. We see the law morph right in front of our eyes, but its …

Patent Damage Strategies And The Enterprise License: Constructive Notice, Actual Notice, No Notice, James W. Soong

Duke Law & Technology Review

For the patent owner, early provision of patent notice can help maximize recoverable infringement damages during subsequent litigation. This iBrief recognizes a growing trend of infringement suits predicated on patented enterprise software technology, and analyzes application of patent notice principles against industry convention. This iBrief examines the licensing paradigm of enterprise software and questions whether mechanical compliance with the marking statute should qualify as constructive notice. Borrowing from analogous Federal Circuit principles, this iBrief concludes by proposing alternate notice theories that would empower patentees to seek increased remedies consistent with industry reality, case law, and fundamental statutory purpose.

Copyright & Privacy - Through The Copyright Lens, 4 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 212 (2005), Sarah B. Deutsch, Roderick G. Dorman, Michael A. Geist, Hugh C. Hansen, Howard P. Knopf, Ralph Oman, Matthew J. Oppenheim, John G. Palfrey

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

This panel examines the recent litigation by the recording industry against peer-to-peer (“P2P”) users in the U.S. and Canada. How are users’ identities being obtained? Is the process working well enough or too well? What are the technical, evidentiary, procedural, privacy and substantive copyright issues in play?

Yours For Keeps: Mgm V. Grokster, 23 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 209 (2005), Max Stul Oppenheimer

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

Millions of people download billions of music files over the Internet, using peer-to-peer ("P2P") services such as Grokster, StreamCast, Morpheus, and Kazaa. This practice has been challenged as violative of copyright and, it has been argued, the magnitude of copyright violations facilitated by P2P services justifies banning the services entirely. This argument has been based on the assumption that most transfers over P2P services violate copyright. The starting point for this discussion is the recent decision of the United States Supreme Court to grant the certiorari petition of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios et al. to review the Ninth Circuit decision in MGM …

"Electronic Voting Rights And The Dmca: Another Blast From The Digital Pirates Or A Final Wake Up Call For Reform?", 23 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 533 (2005), Doris E. Long

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

Electronic voting machines are the new version of pirated music. Like digital music, electronic voting was designed to make voting rights easily available to the masses. However, technology has once again demonstrated how easy it is to circumvent a good idea through better “hacker” technology. In reality, any electronic voting software can be hacked no matter how good the encryption technology protecting it. The issue is not creating a fool-proof anti-circumvention system – an impossible task – but creating the necessary digital safeguards to make circumvention difficult, to make security breaches more readily detectable, and to provide back-up systems to …

Reforming Patent Law Reform, 4 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 336 (2005), Donald S. Chisum

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The current proposals to change the patent laws are described by proponents as patent law “reform.” In the 215 year history of the United States patent system, Congress has rarely purported to “reform” the system. Indeed, I am not sure that it has ever done so since the 1836 Act—or even since the 1793 Act. If we are to have “reform,” Congress should reform the system for the better of all concerned according to neutral principles.

Gonna Wash That Right Of Publicity Right Out Of My Hair –Life After Toney V. L’Oreal, 4 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 349 (2005), Edwin F. Mcpherson

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

There were very few problems with preemption of the state right of publicity by the Copyright Act; that is, until the Seventh Circuit changed everything in Toney v.L’Oreal U.S.A., Inc. This article focuses on the Toney case, the Baltimore Orioles,Inc. v. Major League Basball Players Association case that spawned Toney, and the devastating effect the law from these cases will have on the right of publicity, the entertainment industry as a whole, and many other areas of civil and criminal law, if Toney is allowed to stand.

China's Struggle To Maintain Economic Viability While Enforcing International And Domestic Intellectual Property Rights, 4 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 608 (2005), Randal S. Alexander

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The development of global intellectual property rights (“IPRs”) can lead to complex issues regarding conformity with international standards of IP protection and enforcement. Although each country willing to become a WTO signatory is tasked with the development of such a regime, each country’s domestic affairs and economic survival competes with the burden of adhering to those international standards. This struggle provides the potential for many countries to confuse the boundaries of protection and create a fog of marginal infringement. In China, this fog is heavier because of local protectionism and judicial disincentives to enforce IPRs.

How We Lost Our Moral Rights And The Door Closed On Non-Economic Values In Copyright, 5 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 1 (2005), Susan P. Liemer

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The Visual Artists Rights Act (“VARA”) is a piece of modern legislation preceded by a rich history, with a significant gap. As early as the 1400’s, patents were offered as economic incentive to develop new processes in the trades and applied arts. By the 1700’s, the Statute of Anne became the first statute to protect the literary work of individual creators. The Engravers’ Act of 1735 soon followed, expanding this protection to include the first works of visual art and providing the precursor to the modern right of integrity. Millar v. Taylor was the landmark case that alluded to moral …

Fifth Avenue And The Patent Lawyer: Strategies For Using Design Patents To Increase The Value Of Fashion And Luxury Goods Companies, 5 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 40 (2005), Scott D. Locke

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Design patents occupy a peculiar niche in intellectual property law. For instance, they are different from copyrights in that an accused infringer has no defense of independent creation, different from utility patents in that there is no prerequisite of a useful function, and different from trade dress in that there is no issue of secondary meaning. Design patents also contain only one claim, which makes the applicant’s drafting task particularly challenging—she must strike a delicate balance between claiming broad protection and establishing novelty. Furthermore, in litigation, the design patent plaintiff must satisfy two tests of infringement: the ordinary observer and …

American Courts Are Drowning In The "Gene Pool": Excavating The Slippery Slope Mechanisms Behind Judicial Endorsement Of Dna Databases, 39 J. Marshall L. Rev. 115 (2005), Meghan Riley

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Public Use Or Experimental Use: Are Clinical Trials Susceptible To Another Attack Similar To That In Smithkline Beecham Corp. V. Apotex Corp., 39 J. Marshall L. Rev. 149 (2005), Nimalka Wickramasekera

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Legal Protection Of Technological Measures Protecting Works Of Authorship: International Obligations And The Us Experience, Jane C. Ginsburg

Faculty Scholarship

The ongoing transposition of the EU Information Society Directive's requirement that member States adopt of legal prohibitions of the circumvention of technological protections of works of authorship occasions this review of international obligations and their implementation in the US. This article addresses the scope of international obligations the WIPO Copyright Treaties impose on member States to protect against circumvention, as well as the US experience with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's prohibitions on circumvention of access and copy controls. It examines the text of the statute, codified at sec. 1201 of the 1976 Copyright Act, the five years of judicial …

Copyright & Privacy - Through The Legislative Lens, 4 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 266 (2005), Marybeth Peters

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The Honorable Marybeth Peters, who has served since 1994 as the Register of Copyrights for the United States Copyright Office of the Library of Congress, presented a post-election report on the legislative agenda in Washington, D.C. regarding rejected, pending and future amendments to the copyright law of the United States. Register Peters also discussed the current policy role of the United States Copyright Office and several court actions that contest the constitutionality of various provisions of the copyright law.

Copyright & Privacy - Through The Technology Lens, 4 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 242 (2005), Michael A. Geist, Doris E. Long, Leslie Ann Reis, David E. Sorkin, Fred Von Lohmann

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

How is new technology impacting on the more general question of privacy in cyberspace? Is the original notion of an expectation of anonymity on the internet still viable? Can technology pierce through the expectation of privacy even without judicial interference? Do individuals need protection from such technology? Is there technology available to protect the individual? Should these technological tools be regulated? Should the law differentiate between various types of alleged “illegal” behavior; e.g., IP infringement, defamation, possession of pornography and terrorism? Are there international standards that can assist in regulating the intersection between technology and privacy in cyberspace?