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Category Archives: Intellectual Property

Restatement of Place

Kuykendall, Mae, Restatement of Place (May 2, 2014). Brooklyn Law Review, Vol. 79, 2014; MSU Legal Studies Research Paper No. 12-09. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2432212 “Images and intuitions of place are ubiquitous in human thought. Dominion over place is one of the first anchors of the conception of law, providing a rationale for sovereign control over… Continue Reading

The USPTO Trademark Assignment Dataset: Descriptions, Lessons, and Insights

Graham, Stuart J. H. and Marco, Alan C. and Myers, Amanda F., The USPTO Trademark Assignment Dataset: Descriptions, Lessons, and Insights (April 1, 2014). USPTO Working Paper No. 2014-2. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2430962 “Attention to the asset value of intellectual property (IP) has traditionally concentrated on high-value patent sales and licenses. This narrow focus neglects non-patent… Continue Reading

The Forever Battery – Brainchild of Older Gen Silicon Valley Team

Via Nextgov: “Imergy Power Systems’ headquarters in an office park in one of Silicon Valley’s less glamorous precincts is the type of place where the future used to be invented. There are no Beats headphones-wearing 20-somethings on scooters. No foosball tables, rooftop beer garden or ironically named conference rooms. No birdhouses. Just a sea of drab,… Continue Reading

Commentary – How Copyright Laws Keep E-Books Locked Up

The Digital Paradox: How Copyright Laws Keep E-Books Locked Up By Hilmar Schmundt “…In many cases, it is the readers themselves who, through their taxes, pay the university authors whose studies they are then unable to access. It is also likely that many professors themselves cannot even afford a subscription to the journal in which their work… Continue Reading

New on LLRX – 3D Printing: The Manufactory of Knowledge

Via LLRX.com – 3D Printing: The Manufactory of Knowledge – Ken Strutin’s article addresses the increasing use and impact, social and legal, of the emerging and high visibility technology known as 3D printing. The technology’s use in a wide range of sectors – including education, manufacturing, firearms, robotics and medical devices, as well as in the home – is… Continue Reading

Are Prior User Rights Good for Software?

Vetter, Greg R., Are Prior User Rights Good for Software? (March 17, 2014). U of Houston Law Center No. 2014-W-1. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2410689 “The America Invents Act (“AIA”) gave modern patent law in the United States a general prior user rights defense. The patent right is enforced via infringement litigation, but enterprises sometimes obtain… Continue Reading

Getty Images Makes 35 Million Photos Free to Use Online

Via Open Culture – “Fighting a losing battle against infringers, Getty Images surprised consumers and competitors yesterday when it announced that it would make 35 million images free for publishers to use, with a few strings attached. Publishers, broadly defined, are now allowed to add certain Getty images to their sites, on the condition that… Continue Reading

Canadian Court Decision on Copyright Trolls and P2P Lawsuit

Via Michael Geist: “The federal court has released its much anticipated decision in Voltage Pictures v. Does, a case involving demands that TekSavvy, a leading independent ISP, disclose the identities of roughly 2,000 subscribers alleged to have downloaded movies without authorization. The case attracted significant attention for several reasons: it is the first major “copyright troll”… Continue Reading

Handbook on European data protection law

“This handbook is designed to familiarise legal practitioners who are not specialised in the field of data protection with this area of law. It provides an overview of the EU’s and the CoE’s applicable legal frameworks. The rapid development of information and communication technologies underscores the growing need for the robust protection of personal data –… Continue Reading

Commentary – How Gracenote Became a Big Metadata Player

Vijith Assar via Slashdot: “Last week, Tribune Company completed the $170 million acquisition of Gracenote, a deal originally set in motion in late 2013. The merger is an unusual one: Gracenote owns a massive library of media metadata, and the Tribune Company is best known as the publisher of print newspapers and tabloids, most notably its flagship paper in Chicago. Five… Continue Reading

Cornell University Digital Literacy Resource

The Digital Literacy Project – Cornell University: “Digital literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet. As a Cornell student, activities including writing papers, creating multimedia presentations, and posting information about yourself or others online are all a part of your day-to-day life, and all of… Continue Reading

Microsoft Research adopts Open Access policy for publications

Microsoft Research Connections Blog: “In a recent interview with Scientific American, Peter Lee, head of Microsoft Research, discussed three main motivations for basic research at Microsoft. The first relates to an aspiration to advance human knowledge, the second derives from a culture that relies deeply on the ambitions of individual researchers, and the last concerns “promoting… Continue Reading