Intellectual Property Law Commons^™

Is The Federal Circuit Ready To Accept Plenary Authority For Patent Appeals?, 4 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 583 (2005), Meredith Martin Addy

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Congress formed the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in 1982 in part to improve uniformity in the interpretation of patent law and to eliminate forum shopping. However, in 2002, the Federal Circuit’s ability to achieve that goal was reduced when the U.S. Supreme Court, in Holmes Group v. Vornado, held that the Federal Circuit would not have jurisdiction in cases where a federal patent law issue arises only in a responsive pleading. Many commentators have argued that the Holmes decision runs afoul of the congressional mandate in forming the Federal Circuit. With the hope of addressing this …

The Third Door Is Off The Hinges: A Prospective Study On The Effects Of The Create Act Against Federal Patent Policies, 4 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 597 (2005), Shane M. Popp

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The CREATE Act has amended § 103 of the Patent Act to expand the definition of common ownership such that a claimed invention is deemed to be commonly owned with other subject matter when the two arise from the same “joint research agreement.” With the CREATE Act, Congress intended to promote research among inventive entities, but instead, Congress has relaxed the conditions for patentability to the point where a contract can circumvent an obviousness inquiry.

Pondering A “Baffling” Situation: The “Reconstruction” Of Claim Construction, 4 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 623 (2005), Karen C. Mitch

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Through an iterative use of the ordinary dictionary, claim construction would be more simple, cost effective and efficient in serving the public notice function of the claim. Since the decision in Markman, two divergent methods of claim construction have emerged; one referring to dictionary definitions first, the other referring to parts of the patent such as the specification first. Due to the confusion and differing outcomes the two methods bring about, there came a call by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for clarification. The recent en banc decision in Phillips reverted claim interpretation back to …

Is The Cure Worse Than The Disease? An Overview Of The Patent Reform Act Of 2005, 5 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 55 (2005), James G. Mcewen

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

As a result of pressures from various groups and issues surrounding the current patent system, representative Lamar Smith introduced a bill which overhauls multiple aspects of patent practice. The patent reform act is designed to please or compromise between various industry groups while at the same time invigorating the patent system. Specifically, the Patent Reform Act proposes changes to the procedures for filing application, how the applications are filed and even how patents are enforced. In addition to the major publicized changes the Patent Reform Act proposes other alterations that, while receiving less notice, have just as much practical effect. …

Patent Tying Agreements: Presumptively Illegal?, 5 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 94 (2005), Alison K. Hayden

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

On January 25, 2005, the CAFC decided the case of Independent Ink, Inc. v. Illinois Tool Works, Inc., holding that market power will be presumed in a tying agreement whenever a tying product is patented. This rule puts patent holders at a disadvantage, and will increase the amount of antitrust lawsuits brought against patent holders and holders of other exclusive intellectual property rights. Indeed, this rule conflicts with the intended effect of antitrust law. This comment proposes that tying agreements involving a patented product be evaluated the same way as all other tying agreements, and that the presumption of market …

Claim Preambles And The Unassailable Patent Claim, 5 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 121 (2005), Kyle D. Petaja

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

In order to diminish the extensive confusion surrounding claim preambles, one must not consider what a preamble should do; rather, it is helpful to consider what a preamble should not do. Traditionally, a preamble is defined as an introduction to a statute or deed stating the document’s basis, purpose, aim, justification, and objective. However, in patents, a claim preamble does not serve this purpose. While a preamble undeniably functions as an introduction to the rest of the claim, that claim is limited in scope and therefore, so too, is the preamble. The basis, purpose, aim, justification, and objective of the …

To Be Presumed Or Not To Be Presumed . . . That Is The Enablement Question, 5 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 140 (2005), Kristina A. Walker

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

In 2003, the Federal Circuit in Amgen Inc. v. Hoechst Marion Roussel, Inc. placed the burden of proving a prior art patent’s § 112 nonenablement on the patentee instead of the accused infringer. The patentee even bears this burden when the unclaimed subject matter is asserted to anticipate the patent at issue. This comment focuses on three questions that were created by the decision in Amgen. First, is material in a printed publication equivalent to unclaimed material in a patent? Second, is the holding in Amgn based on a false premise because it may accord a presumption of § 112 …

Collateral Damage: The Effect Of The Database Debate On Other Acts Of Congress, 5 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 78 (2005), Christopher A. Mohr

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Under the reasoning in Unied States v. Martingon, declaring the federal bootlegging statute unconstitutional, databases, as “non-writings,” could not be protected under Congress’s copyright power or commerce power. In other words, Congress’s power under Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 serves to limit its ability to act under Article I, Section 8, Clause 3. Marignon’s rationale raises questions about a variety of prospective and existing legislation that protects “non-writings” for an unlimited time, such as the trademark dilution statute. This article examines the merits of this contention, arguing that the manner in which the Supreme Court has handled overlapping Article …

New Federal And Provincial Personal Information Protection Legislation And Its Impact On Physicians And Public Hospitals, Evguania Prokopieva

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

The focus of this article is to examine the implications of the new federal and Ontario personal data protection legislation for physicians and public hospitals. This article also inquires into whether the new legislation will contribute to the protection of patient privacy. By ‘‘physician’’ I mean a doctor in a broad sense – i.e., ‘‘a person who has been educated, trained, and licensed to practice the art and science of medicine’’. This will include family doctors, paediatricians, psychiatrists, surgeons, and other medical doctors covered by the Regulated Health Professions Act. By the term ‘‘public hospitals’’ I will refer to not-for-profit …

A Proposed Quick Fix To The Dmca Overprotection Problem That Even A Content Provider Could Love . . . Or At Least Live With, Devon Thurtle

Seattle University Law Review

This article explains the evolution of the fair use doctrine, which historically prevented copyright holders from having too much control over their works by allowing certain legal and non-infringing fair uses of protected works. Part II explains how the United States Supreme Court developed the Betamax standard to apply the doctrine of fair use to a new technology: home video recorders. Part II also addresses how fair use and the Betamax standard might apply to digital technologies. Part III explains how the DMCA effectively abolished the defense of fair use and its application under the Betamax standard. Finally, Part IV …

Note: Exclusive Licensing Of Dna Diagnostics: Is There A Negative Effect On Quantity And Quality Of Healthcare Delivery That Compels Nih Rulemaking?, Edward Weck

William Mitchell Law Review

This comment surveys the costs of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) diagnostic tests and argues in favor of non-exclusive licensing as a means to provide broad access to affordable DNA diagnostic testing. Part II provides background information on genetic testing, patenting genes as applied to genetic testing, the Bayh-Dole Act, and technology transfer. In addition, Part II summarizes academic commentary regarding the implications of exclusive licensing for biotechnology. Scholars propose a number of solutions, including expanding the experimental use exception. Part III details proposed rulemaking for DNA diagnostics. Part IV reviews anecdotal examples of genetic testing for breast cancer, hereditary hemochromatosis, and …

"Tpms": A Perfect Storm For Consumers: Replies To Professor Geist, Barry Sookman

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This article has its origins in an article written by Professor Michael Geist and published in the Toronto Star entitled ‘‘‘TPMs’: A perfect storm for consumers’’. Following the publication of the article, John Gregory made a posting to the e-commerce listserv he moderates asking if anyone had any comments to the article. I responded on February 13, 2005 with a reply to John’s request. Professor Geist replied to my comments on February 17, 2005. On March 9, 2005 I posted a further reply to Professor Geist. The article set out below is based substantially on my two postings to John …

God In The Machine: A New Structural Analysis Of Copyright's Fair Use Doctrine, Matthew Sag

Faculty Articles

Recognition of the structural role of fair use has the potential to mitigate some of the uncertainty of current fair use jurisprudence. The statutory framework for fair use both mitigates and causes uncertainty. It mitigates uncertainty by providing a consistent framework of analysis the four statutory factors. However, when judges apply the statutory factors without articulating or justifying their own assumptions, they increase uncertainty. The statutory factors mean nothing without certain a priori assumptions as to the scope of the copyright owner's rights. A more stable and predictable fair use jurisprudence would begin to emerge if those assumptions were made …

The Future Of Copyright, Lawrence B. Solum

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Review of Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity by Lawrence Lessig (2004).

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 …

Digital First Sale: Friend Or Foe?, Eurie Hayes Smith Iv

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

A Quick And Inexpensive System For Resolving Peer-To-Peer Copyright Disputes, Mark A. Lemley, R. Anthony Reese

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Leveraging Knowledge Assets: Can Law Reform Help?, Margaret Ann Wilkinson, Mark Perry

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This paper asks whether there is a need for law-makers to aid in the efficient transition to a new knowledge-based economic and social environment through the use of intellectual property devices. The use of such devices was effective in assisting with the transition to an industrial society that, combined with developments in commercial law and secured transactions, further fuelled economic growth in Canada. Can these disparate areas of law be brought together to provide opportunities for the growth of knowledge-based business? The Law Commission of Canada instigated a two-part investigation into these questions. The investigation culminated in the Commission's report …

Whazup With The Whois?, Sheldon Burshtein

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

The WHOIS is a database directory of domain names and relevant contact information maintained by each top-level domain (TLD) registry, which lists all relevant registrant contact information for each domain name registration. Through its contracts, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) requires registries and registrars to collect and display technical information and contact details for all registrants. The WHOIS is an important component of the domain name system (DNS). The WHOIS is used for a wide variety of purposes by registries, registrars, registrants, law enforcement authorities, consumers, and the general public. The WHOIS may enable identification of …

A Review Of Canadian Radiocommunications Law Around "Jammers", Tyson Macauley

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This comment argues that the Radiocommunications Act should be amended to relax the prohibition on specific types of ‘‘smart’’ jamming in the Industry Science Medicine (ISM) bands. Specifically, the legislation requires increased flexibility and granularity to accom- modate new wireless technologies in the ISM bands — particularly wireless LAN (WLAN) technologies like IEEEE 802.11b/IEEE 802.11g (WiFi), and IEEE 802.11a (henceforth collectively know as ‘‘ISM radios’’).

The availability of cheap, mass-produced ISM radios hardware and the proliferation of applications using the ISM spectrum bands of 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz present a variety of security and privacy concerns that cannot be effectively addressed …

Fundamentals Of Information Technology By Sunny Handa (Markham: Lexisnexis Canada Inc., 2004), Barbara Darby

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

In the early 1990s, I purchased my first stereo with a CD player. I found myself trapped in a conversation with someone who tried to convince me that it was utter folly not to buy a turntable, because CD technology simply couldn’t replicate the ‘‘warmth’’ of vinyl. Had I only Handa’s book to hand, I could have provided a straight- forward and understandable explanation for why my records were well enough left in my parents’ basement; although ‘‘digitization . . . fails to record all characteristics of analog data, even at the highest finite sampling rate . . . Complete …

Rewriting Fair Use And The Future Of Copyright Reform, Michael J. Madison

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

A Comment: Riaa V. Verizon And How The Dmca Subpoena Power Became Powerless, Katherine Raynolds

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

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 …

Trademark Law And The Social Construction Of Trust: Creating The Legal Framework For On-Line Identity, Beth Simone Noveck

Articles & Chapters

Trust is the foundation of society for without trust, we cannot cooperate. Trust, in turn, depends upon secure, reliable, and persistent identity. Cyberspace is thought to challenge our ability to build trust because the medium undermines the connection between online pseudonym and offline identity. We have no assurances of who stands behind an online avatar; it may be one person, it may be more, it may be a computer. The legal debate to date has focused exclusively on the question of how to maintain real world identity in cyberspace. But new "social software" technology that enables communities from eBay to …

When Will We Have Cross-Border Licensing Of Copyright And Related Rights In Europe?, Lucie Guibault

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

In Europe, much has been written recently about the collective management of copyright and related rights. April 2004 saw the publication of the European Commission’s Communication to the Council and the European Parliament on the Management of Copyright and Related Rights in the Internal Market. This communication confirms the Commission’s intention to adopt, in the not too distant future, a directive on the governance of the societies for collective management of copyright and related rights (collecting societies) in Europe. In addition to describing the current situation in the area of collective management of copyright and related rights in the European …

Proprietary Rights And Collective Action: The Case Of Biotechnology Research With Low Commercial Value, Arti K. Rai

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Thinking Outside The Pandora's Box: Why The Dmca Is Unconstitutional Under Article I §8 Of The U.S. Constitution, Joshua L. Schwartz

ExpressO

No abstract provided.

Re-Reifying Data, James Gibson

Law Faculty Publications

There's a war on between those who view digital technology as a reason to expand intellectual property law and those who oppose this expansion. One front in the war is technological: the pro-expansionists enclose their products in restrictive code, which the anti-expansionists circumvent and hack. A second is legislative: the pro-expansionists seek extended copyright duration, favorable changes to contract law, and other new legal entitlements, while the anti-expansionists lobby for the opposite. And a third front is a combination of the first two: it is technological. On this battlefield, the pro-expansionists use the law to fortify their technological protections. But …

Better, Faster, Cheaper - Later: What Happens When Technologies Are Suppressed, Kurt M. Saunders, Linda Levine

Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review

Some inventions never see the light of day. Others enter the spotlight after long delays and the factors that slowed the arrival of that innovation are ignored. Technology suppression is a real occurrence involving well known and widely used products. In this Article, we examine the topic of technology suppression, seeking to reveal the tactics of suppression and the patterns and conditions under which it occurs. Current examples of US technologies are used to highlight the significance of this phenomenon. We consider related factors, including market and innovation forces, and we identify suppressive tactics, using illustrative cases where patent nonuse …

The Experimental Purpose Doctrine And Biomedical Research, Tao Huang

Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review

The experimental use doctrine is a common law rule in patent law that until a few years ago excused accused infringers who made and used patented products or processes on the basis of an experimental, educational, or nonprofit purpose when there was de minimis economic injury to the patent owner and de minimis economic gain to the infringer. While the application of the experimental purpose doctrine was always narrow, two recent Federal Circuit decisions indicate that there is not much left under its aegis. In Madey v. Duke University, the Federal Circuit strictly limited the application of the experimental purpose …