Intellectual Property Law Commons^™

Introduction: Contains Cover, Table Of Contents, Letter From The Editor, And Masthead, Robert Michaux

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology is proud to present the second issue of the 2009–2010 academic year.

Introduction: Contains Cover, Table Of Contents, Letter From The Editor, And Masthead, Bridget Murray

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology is proud to present the fourth issue of the 2008–2009 academic school year. Our authors analyze a variety of controversial legal topics that are at the forefront of debates regarding the intersection of technology and law.

Introduction: Contains Cover, Table Of Contents, Letter From The Editor, And Masthead, Robert Michaux

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology is proud to present the first issue of the 2009–2010 academic year.

Copyright As Censorship - Part I, James Gibson

Law Faculty Publications

2010 marks the 300th anniversary of the Statute of Anne, the English legislation that ushered in the modern era of copyright law. The Statute of Anne is celebrated for a number of reasons, and perhaps foremost among them is its rejection of copyright as an instrument of censorship.

Before Parliament enacted the Statute, the distribution of books was controlled by the government through royal charters, which granted monopolies over printing and empowered the chartered firms to seize unauthorized books and bring their publishers before the courts. The Statute of Anne put an end to this practice and replaced it with …

Information May Want To Be Free, But Information Products Do Not: Protecting And Facilitating Transactions In Information Products, Kristen Jakobsen Osenga

Law Faculty Publications

Information products-products that are used to organize, provide context, and distribute information-have gone largely unprotected by intellectual property regimes. As a result, producers of information products, such as databases and software, have resorted to alternative mechanisms to protect their investments. These mechanisms have resulted in both over-protection and under-protection of the information products. Further, the uncertainty in the boundaries of coverage, coupled with the resort to self-help mechanisms, may well inhibit, rather than facilitate, information flow. What is needed is a sui generis protection scheme for information products that clearly defines the boundaries and protection requirements for these works and …

The Folly Of Early Filing In Patent Law, Christopher A. Cotropia

Law Faculty Publications

This Article questions the conventional wisdom that the patent system should continue to encourage "early filing" of patent applications-filing at the beginning stages of technological development. The current thinking regarding early filing fails to account for the lack of technical and market information available about the invention at the early stages of development. A "file early, file often" mentality is instilled in inventors, exacerbating such systemic patent problems as too many patent applications, too many patents, underdevelopment of patented technology, increased assertion of patent rights, and fuzzy patent boundaries, to name a few. The Article suggests that in response patent …

Describing Patents As Real Options, Christopher A. Cotropia

Law Faculty Publications

This Article continues the use of real options in patent law by taking a step back. The Article proceeds in three parts. Part II describes the concept of real options and catalogs the existing economics and law literature discussing patents as real options. The Article then lays a foundation for previous and future discussions by describing in detail how patents are like real options. Specifically, Part III. identifies the particular patent doctrines that make up the common components of a real option-the option price, the exercise price, the expiration date, and the value of the underlying asset. This descriptive analysis …

The Unreasonableness Of The Patent Office's 'Broadest Reasonable Interpretation' Standard, Christopher A. Cotropia

Law Faculty Publications

This article does what is long overdue: it fully explores the validity of the BRI standard. The previously articulated rationales behind the BRI standard are severely lacking. Not only does the BRI standard fail to provide the advantages touted by the courts that created the standard, the standard is contrary to both the patent statutes and the concept of a unitary patent system. It allows examiners to avoid difficult claim interpretation issues; it leads to improper and uncorrectable denials of patent protection; and it is incurably ambiguous. Given that the BRI standard is severely lacking, the courts and the USPTO …

Modernizing Patent Law's Inequitable Conduct Doctrine, Christopher A. Cotropia

Law Faculty Publications

This Article's main finding is that the inequitable conduct doctrine has the ability to improve patent quality as long as the inherent tendency to overcomply with the doctrine by overloading the USPTO with information is kept in check. The Article reaches this conclusion by proceeding in five parts. Part II describes the current thinking on the inequitable conduct doctrine, with particular focus on the major critiques of the doctrine and proposed legislative and administrative responses. Part III of the Article begins the construction of a fundamental, conceptual framework for the doctrine by explaining how it impacts both patent quality and …

Recent Developments In Patent Law, Kristen Jakobsen Osenga

Law Faculty Publications

In the last year, the landscape of patent law was altered by court opinions from the Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, as well as in opinions rendered by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (hereafter BP AI) at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In addition, patent reform legislation was introduced that could have shaken up patent practice even further. Although none of the reform proposals were passed, revised versions of these legislative initiatives have already been introduced in 2009. This brief write-up summarizes many (but by no means all) of the …

The New Chinese Dynasty: How The United States And International Intellectual Property Laws Are Failing To Protect Consumers And Investors From Counterfeiting, Anna-Liisa Jacobsen

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

As businesses expanded with the rise of globalization, so did the effects of anticompetitive activity and, in turn, the reach of the U.S. antitrust laws. Though Congress addressed the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the U.S. antitrust laws with its implementation of the Foreign Trade Antitrust Improvement Act (“FTAIA”), the statute only created a three-way circuit split that led the Supreme Court to address the issue and determine that the foreign injury must arise from both foreign anticompetitive activity and the activity’s adverse effects on domestic commerce. The D.C. Circuit further clarified the issue on remand by requiring a proximate cause relationship …

Through The Looking Hole Of The Multi-Sensory Trademark Rainbow: Trademark Protection Of Color Per Se Across Jurisdictions: The United States, Spain, And The European Union, Glenda Labadie-Jackson

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

An oft-asserted prediction states that only trademarks that stimulate all five senses with the objective of attracting the consumer’s attention will acquire a firm and durable presence in today’s complex marketplaces. This, in turn, has provoked the broadening of the repertoire of signs and symbols potentially eligible to serve as trademarks for products or services. Vivid examples of these are the sounds, scents, flavors, colors and three-dimensional forms, which collectively, are grouped under the generic category of “non-traditional trademarks.

Introduction: Contains Cover, Table Of Contents, Letter From The Editor, And Masthead, Eileen R. Geller

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology is proud to present its final issue of the 2007–2008 academic school year. Our authors tackle a number of emerging issues in ways we think you’ll find especially interesting.

Patenting Part-Human Chimeras, Transgenics And Stem Cells For Transplantation In The United States, Canada, And Europe, Gregory R. Hagen, Sébastien A. Gittens

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The perceived need for part-human materials – considered to be biological materials containing human genetic material for the purposes of this paper – is at least twofold. First, given the continued shortage of human organs and other human biological materials suitable for transplantation, thousands of persons will suffer illness and death each year.

Mary Doe’S Destiny: How The United States Has Banned Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research In The Absence Of A Direct Prohibition, Yi-Chen Su, Albert Wai-Kit Chan

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Mary Doe is a human embryo preserved in liquid nitrogen, in an unnamed in vitro fertilization clinic. Mary Doe’s name was given by an organization dedicated to advocating for equal humanity and personhood of pre-born children, including “children in vitro.” In response to President Clinton’s policy favoring embryonic stem cell [hereinafter ES- cell] research, the organization filed suit on behalf of Mary Doe, and all other frozen human embryos similarly situated, seeking a permanent injunction against any and all plans to undertake human ES-cell experimentation.

What Is An Invention? A Review Of The Literature On Patentable Subject Matter, Emir Aly Crowne Mohammed

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

This work is a critical review of the literature on patentable subject matter. It examines the central feature of modern patent law—the “invention”—at an international and comparative level. As with most codified terms intended to have wide-ranging, prospective applicability, it is usually left undefined, or if defined, is usually drafted broadly and permissively. Despite the hallmarks of patentability (namely, novelty, inventiveness, and industrial applicability), some courts1 and academic commentators have questioned whether there still needs to be an invention in the first place, before one even considers its patentability.

Introduction: Contains Cover, Table Of Contents, Letter From The Editor, And Masthead, Bridget Murray

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology is proud to present the second issue of the 2008–2009 academic school year. Our authors analyze a variety of controversial legal topics that are at the forefront of debates regarding the intersection of technology and law.

Google's New Monopoly? How The Company Could Gain By Paying Millions In Copyright Fees, James Gibson

Law Faculty Publications

Last week, Google settled a controversial copyright case by agreeing to pay tens of millions in licensing fees to authors and publishers, with more to come. At first glance, it looks like this great champion of the free flow of information has caved to copyright interests. But in fact, Google may be better off with a settlement than an outright win. Before the court approves this agreement, then, it must consider the deal's anti-competitive effects. [..]

Indirect Infringement From A Tort Law Perspective, Charles W. Adams

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Introduction: Contains Cover, Table Of Contents, Letter From The Editor, And Masthead, Bridget Murray

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology is proud to present its first issue of the 2008–2009 academic school year. Our authors assess a variety of controversial legal topics that embrace the intersection of technology and law.

Un Arco Iris De Lentes Con Los Que Mirar: La Protección Del Color Único Como Marca En Los Estados Unidos, En España, Y En La Unión Europea, Glenda Labadie-Jackson

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

Se vaticina que imicamente tendrdn una s6lida y duradera presencia en los complejos mercados contempordneos las marcas que se sirvan de estimulos multisensoriales con el objetivo de acaparar la atenci6n de los consumidores. En diversos ordenamientos juridicos, este ha sido el motor que ha propulsado la ampliaci6n del repertorio de signos o simbolos potencialmente elegibles para fungir como marcas de productos o servicios. De aqu6l1os, vale destacar los que tipicamente suelen agruparse bajo la riibrica de “no tradicionales”, a saber: los sonidos, los aromas, los sabores, las formas tridimensionales y los colores.

Introduction: Contains Cover, Table Of Contents, Letter From The Editor, And Masthead, Yuka Ito

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

On behalf of the Richmond Journal of Law and Technology, it is my pleasure to welcome you to our third issue for the 2007-2008 year, our Annual Survey of Electronic Discovery. This year’s Survey concentrates on the recent Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and its various implications on Electronic Discovery.

Emerging Biotechnologies Demand Defeat Of Proposed Legislation That Attempts To Ban Gene Patents, Gregory C. Ellis

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

In October 2006, Andrew Fire and Craig Mello won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering a process known as RNA interference in the soil nematode Caenorhaditis elegans. More commonly known as RNAi, this process has great therapeutic significance for humans because of its ability to specifically and efficiently regulate gene expression. The capacity to easily regulate gene expression will tremendously impact our ability to combat a wide variety of disorders ranging from cancer to infectious diseases. While the mechanism of RNAi was first published within the last decade, three RNAi-based human therapies are already in clinical trails.

Help! My Intellectual Property Is Trapped: Second Life, Conflicting Ownership Claims And The Problem Of Access, Megan B. Caramore

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The controversy over ownership of virtual “real” property and intellectual property rights within online games has existed for nearly as long as the technology to create such games. Previously, the owners of virtual worlds possessed sole control over everything within the world as a result of rather strict terms contained in their user licensing agreements. Lately, this controversy has acquired a new dimension in a rapidly expanding game called Second Life. Second Life is different from most online games because it expressly guarantees its users the rights to content they create within the game. To the extent that Second Life …

New Research Uses For Patent And Trademark Data, Roger V. Skalbeck

Law Faculty Publications

In this article, I examine alternative uses for information found in patent and trademark filing databases, suggesting ways to locate a law firm's clients, perform competitive intelligence, and locate or investigate expert witnesses. Finally, I talk about an interesting non-law use of patent data, i.e., historical research.

The Safe Harbor Of 35 U.S.C. § 271(E)(1): The End Of Enforceable Biotechnology Patents In Drug Discovery?, Paul T. Nyffeler

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Anti-Competitive Abuse Of Ip Rights And Compulsory Licensing Through The International Dimension Of The Trips Agreement And The Stockholm Proposal For Its Amendment, Haris Apostolopoulos

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

Introduction: Contains Cover, Table Of Contents, Letter From The Editor, And Masthead, Eileen R. Geller

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology is proud to present its first issue of the 2007–2008 academic school year. To start off the new academic year, our authors present new ideas on the age old topic of Patent Law.

When Offshore Activities Become Infringing: Applying § 271 To Technologies That “Straddle” Territorial Borders, Eric W. Guttag

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Patents have traditionally been territorial creatures. The territorial nature of U.S. patents is reflected by the main infringement statute, § 271 of Title 35. For example, § 271(a) says that “whoever without authority makes, uses, offers to sell, or sells any patented invention, within the United States or imports into the United States any patented invention during the term of the patent therefore, infringes the patent.”

Introduction: Contains Cover, Table Of Contents, Letter From The Editor, And Masthead, Eileen R. Geller

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology is proud to present its second issue of the 2007–2008 academic school year. Our authors tackle a number of emerging issues in ways we think you’ll find especially interesting.