Intellectual Property Law Commons^™

Football's Intellectual Side: The Nfl Versus Super Bowl Parties And The Story Of The Fifty-Five Inch Television, 4 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 125 (2004), Michael M. Fenwick

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The increasing popularity of the National Football League’s Super Bowl Championship has spawned an increasing number of private parties, some that employ projection-screen televisions measuring up to twenty feet diagonally. Only days before the 2004 Super Bowl, the NFL sent cease-and-desist letters to a number of business proprietors claiming display of the broadcast on televisions larger than fifty-five inches diagonally violated the NFL’s rights under 17 U.S.C. § 110(5). This Comment will show that because 17 U.S.C. § 110(5) was written to protect authors within the music industry, its application to broadcast television fails because of television’s fundamentally different business …

Developments In Patent Law 2004, 4 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 1 (2004), Harold C. Wegner

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

There are a great number of patent law doctrines that are currently under reconsideration by the Federal Circuit. These doctrines include patent claim construction under the 2006 Phillips case, the problem of foreign activity being used as patent-defeating prior art as shown in the recent Elsner case, the growing challenge of extraterritorial acts as patent infringement as presented in the 2004 expected cases of Blackberry and Eolas, the “Rule 105” implications for patent office practice in Sta Fruits, the change in willful infringement law set forth in the recent KnorrBremse case, the continuing problem of co-inventorship recurring in Xechem, the …

Reducing The Need For Markman Determinations, 4 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 53 (2004), Robert H. Resis

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The uncertainty as to whether claim interpretation decisions will survive appeal is an ever growing concern as the Federal Circuit’s reversal rate of lower court claim interpretations averages fifty percent. At a minimum, uncertainty in claim construction prolongs patent infringement disputes. Moreover, the reality is that many times it is the uncertainty of a claim’s scope and meaning that leads to litigation in the first place. In order to alleviate this stress on patentees, competitors and the federal court system, most if not all questions regarding the scope and meaning of claim terms should be clarified by the applicant during …

Does David Need A New Sling? Small Entities Face A Costly Barrier To Patent Protection, 4 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 184 (2004), Jeff A. Ronspies

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The cost of enforcing patent rights is discouraging the small-entity inventor from seeking out patent protection. The United States Patent and Trademark Office favors the “small entity” by reducing fees, but the world of infringement litigation offers no such discount. For the small entity, the costs related to asserting or defending its patent rights against a well-funded adversary often exceed the benefits of patent ownership. These inventors, in weighing the high costs of patent protection against the potential profits, may simply choose to not patent their innovations. Such a decision would deprive the public of the invention’s disclosure and ultimately …

The Art And Science Of Genetic Modification: Re-Engineering Patent Law And Constitutional Orthodoxies (The Harry T. Ice Chair Inaugural Lecture), Yvonne Cripps

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies

The Harry T. Ice Chair Inaugural Lecture

Law As Film: Representing Justice In The Age Of Moving Images, Shulamit Almog, Ely Aharonson

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Two main theses are presented here. The first is that there is a conceptual resemblance between the ways in which messages are transmitted in the courtroom and the ways in which they are transmitted in the cinema. The second is that the evolution of legal procedure is being influenced by developments taking place in visual culture generally and film specifically. Taken together, these theses lead to the conclusion that the development of a theory of ‘‘law-as-film’’ can provide insights into the contemporary practice of law that might otherwise be overlooked.

Copyright Protection For Federally Funded Research: Necessary Incentive Or Double Subsidy?, Samuel E. Trosow

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Musical Copyright Law: Past, Present And Future Of Online Music Distribution, Robert J. Delchin

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Adr Of Patent Disputes: A Customized Prescription, Not An Over-The-Counter Remedy, Marion M. Lim

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Eureka! DoubleMe Corporation just discovered "Clone-IT." Believing "Clone-IT" to be the first invention of its kind, DoubleMe invested a great deal of resources into its inventive efforts and kept its research and experiments top secret. After DoubleMe completed the necessary paperwork and paid the requisite fees, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued it a patent for "Clone-IT."

The Software Patent Experiment, Robert M. Hunt, James Bessen

Faculty Scholarship

Over the past two decades, the scope of technologies that can be patented has been expanded to include many items previously thought unsuitable for patenting, for example, computer software. Today, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office grants 20,000 or more software patents a year. Conventional wisdom holds that extending patent protection to computer programs will stimulate research and development and, thus, increase the rate of innovation. In this article, Bob Hunt and Jim Bessen investigate whether this has, in fact, happened. They describe the spectacular growth in software patenting, who obtains patents, and the relationship between a sharp focus on …

"To Clean Or Not To Clean": An Analysis Of The Copyright And Trademark Issues Surrounding The Legal Battle Between Third Party Film Editors And The Film Industry, Michael P. Glasser

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Foreign Investment Restrictions As Industrial Policy: The Case Of Canadian Telecommunications, Robert Crandall, Hal Singer

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

We assess the economic harms that would accrue if Canada were to adopt asymmetric rules of foreign ownership for incumbent carriers and entrants. We explain the current Canadian regulatory climate surrounding foreign investment in Canadian telecommunications. Competition in the telecommunications industry is generally robust, which suggests that rules aimed at favouring entrants are not necessary. Moreover, Canadian entrants are equally capable of attracting foreign capital as Canadian incumbents, which suggests that foreign investment rules aimed at favouring entrants are especially unwise.

Next, we review the U.S. attempt to stimulate competition in local telecommunications markets through an analogous form of asymmetrical …

Turning Worms: Some Thoughts On Liabilities For Spreading Computer Infections, Richard Owens

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Two aspects of the virus/worm liability problem are of particular note. The first is how tightly the Internet binds together many possible defendants; those who build and run it, those who populate it with increasingly complex electronic commerce Web sites, those who provide terminal software, those who send electronic mails, those who design its security algorithms, those who insure it, and those who hack it, amongst others.

The second aspect is how speculative such a review is. Little case law pertains. Even the language of the law(what does it really mean when we assess liability on the basis of a …

Following The Right Lead: Gutnick And The Dance Of Internet Jurisdiction, Mary Paterson

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

As improving methods of travel and communication facilitated the shift from an agrarian to an industrial society, the common law courts increasingly faced interjurisdictional disputes. Although British paternalism dominated early cases in which courts assumed jurisdiction over people, property, and actions in distant lands, these cases and the imperial attitudes informing them were slowly replaced by more modest jurisdictional assertions based on a sense of comity. The shift from an industrial society to an information-based society and the simultaneous growth of a global infrastructure based on satellite, telephone, cable, and cellular technologies have stretched jurisdictional doctrines in new ways, calling …

Les Consommateurs Et Les Clubs Vidéo Ont-Ils Le Droit De Modifier Les Films À Leur Guise?, René Pépin

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Dans un premier temps, nous voulons étudier le litige en cours. Même si aucune décision sur le fond n’est susceptible d’être rendue à court terme, nous pouvons scruter les prétentions des parties et voir l’état du droit aux États-Unis sur ce sujet. Nous examinerons ensuite comment cette problématique serait traitée au Canada.

Et c’est ici que la question soulevée dans le litige revêt tout son intérêt, car elle met en jeu des notions fonda- mentales en matière de droit d’auteur. On devra ainsi se demander si le fait pour une personne ou une entreprise de retrancher des séquences représentant quelques …

Albert Einstein, Esq., Steven Goldberg

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Albert Einstein’s 1905 paper setting forth the special theory of relativity is one of the most famous scientific articles ever written. Peter Galison’s influential book, Einstein’s Clocks, Poincaré’s Maps: Empires of Time (2003), demonstrates that Einstein’s paper was fundamentally shaped by his work as a patent examiner by showing that arguments previously seen as abstract thought experiments were instead derived from Einstein’s work on patent applications for devices that coordinate clocks. Moving beyond Galison’s insights, we can see portions of Einstein’s paper as reflecting the quasi-judicial role of a patent examiner. Like trial judges, patent examiners must apply settled legal …

Biotechnology Law: A Tale Of Peptides And Lasers: Is Integra Lifesciences I, Ltd. V. Kgaa The End Of The Experimental Use Defense For Biomedical Innovation, Or Does § 271(E)(1) Of The Patent Act Save The Day, Melissa J. Alcorn Ph.D.

Oklahoma Law Review

No abstract provided.

The “Commercial Offer For Sale” Standard After Minnesota Mining V. Chemque, Campbell Chiang

Duke Law & Technology Review

The Supreme Court established a two-part test for determining when an invention is "on sale" under 35 U.S.C. §102(b) in Pfaff v. Wells Electronics, Inc. For the on-sale bar to be triggered, the invention must be "ready for patenting" and subject of a "commercial offer for sale." In Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing v. Chemque, Inc., the Federal Circuit expounded on what constitutes a commercial offer for sale. This iBrief explores what is considered a "commercial offer for sale."

Patenting Computer Data Structures: The Ghost, The Machine And The Federal Circuit, Andrew Joseph Hollander

Duke Law & Technology Review

Courts view "data structures," the mechanism by which computers store data in meaningful relationships, differently than do computer scientists. While computer scientists recognize that data structures have aspects that are both physical (how they are stored in memory) and logical (the relationships among the stored information), the Federal Circuit, in its attempts to set clear standards of the scope of patentability of data structures, has not fully appreciated their dualistic nature. This i-brief explains what data structures are, explores how courts have wrestled with setting a limiting principle to determine their patentability, and discusses the resultant impact on claim drafting.

U.S. Infringement Liability For Foreign Sellers Of Infringing Products, Troy Petersen

Duke Law & Technology Review

With the ever-increasing international flavor of business comes an important question for United States patent holders and foreign manufacturers alike: Can a company be held liable for patent infringement in the United States for selling an infringing product abroad that is later imported into the United States?

Pfaff Revisited: How The Federal Circuit Has Elaborated On The “Ready For Patenting” Standard, Jennifer F. Miller

Duke Law & Technology Review

In Pfaff v. Wells Electronics, Inc., the Supreme Court established a two-part test to determine when an invention is "on sale" for purposes of Title 35 U.S.C. §102(b). In addition to being the subject of a commercial offer for sale, an invention must be "ready for patenting" in order to be considered "on sale." Since Pfaff, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has had numerous opportunities to expound upon how inventors can fulfill the latter condition. This iBrief will discuss the factors the Federal Circuit has determined are indicative of an invention's "ready for patenting" status.

3d Molecular Structures: Patentable Subject Matter Under 35 U.S.C. §101?, Ben Quarmby

Duke Law & Technology Review

With the advent of protein engineering, the determination of a protein’s 3D structure has taken on a whole new importance. This has prompted some to call for the United States Patent and Trademark Office [USPTO] to break with tradition and allow patents on the three-dimensional structural information of proteins. This iBrief will discuss whether such information would constitute patentable subject matter under 35 U.S.C. §101, and how much protection patents on this information could actually confer.

Fairplay Or Greed: Mandating University Responsibility Toward Student Inventors, Carmen J. Mccutcheon

Duke Law & Technology Review

Over twenty years have passed since the enactment of The Patent and Trademark Law Amendments Act (Bayh-Dole Act) and universities continue to struggle with their technology transfer infrastructures. Lost in that struggle are those who could be considered the backbone of university research: the students. Graduate and undergraduate students remain baffled by the patent assignment and technology transfer processes within their various institutions. Efforts should be undertaken by universities to clarify the student's position in the creative process.

Whose Music Is It Anyway?: How We Came To View Musical Expression As A Form Of Property -- Part I, Michael W. Carroll

Working Paper Series

Many participants in the music industry consider unauthorized downloading of music files over the Internet to be “theft” of their “property.” Many Internet users who exchange music files reject that characterization. Prompted by this dispute, this Article explores how those who create and distribute music first came to look upon music as their property and when in Western history the law first supported this view. By analyzing the economic and legal structures governing musicmaking in Western Europe from the classical period in Greece through the Renaissance, the Article shows that the law first granted some exclusive rights in the Middle …

A Putative Inventor’S Remedies To Correct Inventorship On A Patent, Campbell Chiang

Duke Law & Technology Review

Inventorship is a required component of patents issued in the United States, and the penalty for filing a patent with incorrect inventorship is harsh: possible invalidation of the entire patent. This iBrief explores the background on inventorship in the United States patent system, and various remedies such as 35 U.S.C. §116, 35 U.S.C. §256, and interference proceedings in correcting errors in inventorship. This iBrief will then discuss the usefulness of these various remedies to a putative inventor who was left off the inventorship of a patent.

Technological Protection Measures In The United States, The European Union And Germany - How Much Fair Use Do We Need In The "Digital World"?, Wencke Baesler

ExpressO

This article analyzes the different approaches of the United States and the European Union in the EU Copyright Directive towards the protection of technological protection measures against circumvention. The European and German laws have a radically different approach to fair use that heretofore has not been satisfactorily examined. It is a basic principle of copyright law in the European countries not to provide for a broad fair use exception, but to enumerate specific uses that are excluded from the copyright owner’s right to intervene. However, mostly payment of a reasonable compensation is required. This system is preserved in the recently …

Anonymity And The Supreme Court's Model Of Expression: How Should Anonymity Be Analysed Under Section 2(B) Of The Charter?, Peter Carmichael Keen

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

The first part of this article will discuss what anonymity is, and the costs and benefits that anonymity confers on expressive activity. I will demonstrate that anonymity is a double-edged sword in that it can both promote and harm free expression. In the second part, I will suggest that there is no doubt that anonymity can be protected under section 2(b) of the Charter. When I first began this article, I intended to examine ‘‘whether’’ anonymity can be constitutionally protected under section 2(b). As my research progressed, I quickly realised that I was asking the wrong question. I discovered that …

Banning Bans On New Reproductive And Novel Genetic Technologies, Matthew Herder

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Commentators argue that statutory prohibitions with the force of the criminal law should not be used to regulate new reproductive technologies (NRTs) and novel genetic technologies (NGTs). Bill C-13, the Assisted Human Reproduction Act, however, codifies 10 criminal bans. This paper considers the merits of the various arguments levied against Bill C-13, and the corollary claim that only a "non-prohibitive" model of legislation befits NRTs and NGTs. Three types of arguments are used to critique criminal bans: (1) "Structural" arguments hinge on the constraints of the Canadian legal system - legislation complete with prohibitions runs afoul of the Constitution Act …

Student Protector, Internet Provider, Or Contractual Party? An Examination Of The Legal Relationship Between A University And Its Students, Anna Christine Milot

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

The legal relationship between a university and its students is becoming increasingly complex as the use of technology spreads. Accordingly, it is important to define a university’s responsibilities and legal boundaries in order to understand the liability universities can potentially incur when dealing with students. Each Canadian university is unique in its founding and enacting legislation, as will be discussed further later. The individuality of Canada’s universities means that the questions raised in this paper cannot be given answers that can necessarily be generalized across universities. The approach to analysis in this paper, however, is applicable to any of the …

Intellectual Property Laws In Harmony With Nafta: The Courts As Mediators Between The Global And The Local, Myra J. Tawfik

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This paper will argue that domestic courts can pro- vide a forum within which to mediate between these two extremes, to reconcile the ‘‘global’’ and the ‘‘local’’ — but that the courts themselves must adapt to meet the challenges that globalization places upon them. More specifically, the paper begins by setting out a framework for understanding harmonization of laws under NAFTA as one that encourages rather than eliminates diversity of law. The paper then studies the prevailing approaches to statutory interpretation that Canadian courts, most especially the Supreme Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal, have been employing …