Los Angeles – On May 23rd, a federal judge ruled that The Little Sturgis Rally in Sturgis, Kentucky “is immediately, permanently, and perpetually restrained” from using any reference to Sturgis Rally when promoting its motorcycle event held annually to raise money for charity. The ruling was part of a settlement in a trademark
Hershey Drops Trade Dress Infringement Lawsuit Against Mars
San Diego – It looks like there will finally be peace in candy land. Hershey has decided to withdraw a trademark infringement lawsuit it filed last fall against candy competitor Mars. It was reported Tuesday that lawyers for both companies filed a joint stipulated dismissal. No reason was given for the joint dismissals. You
“Hangover II” to Debut Despite Copyright Infringement Claim
Los Angeles – A request to halt this weekend’s opening of Warner Bros. “Hangover: Part II” was denied today by a federal judge. The sequel to the blockbuster hit, “The Hangover” has been embroiled in a copyright infringement dispute over its use of a tribal tattoo. The judge did, however, say that the lawsuit
Rolls-Royce Cools Its Engines in Patent Infringement Case
Los Angeles – A U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia ruled against Rolls-Royce Group in a patent infringement case that it brought against United Technologies Corp.’s Pratt & Whitney over fan technology.
U.S. District Judge Leoni Brinkema rejected the Rolls-Royce infringement claims after determining Pratt’s GP7200 Fan Stage is not in violation of a patent
Buzzfeed Fires Back in Righthaven Copyright Infringement Case
Los Angeles – Buzzfeed, a website that combines a technology platform for detecting viral content with an editorial selection process to provide a snapshot of “the viral web in real time”, filed a class action counterclaim against Righthaven, LLC in an ongoing copyright infringement lawsuit. In the class action suit, Buzzfeed is seeking to
SAP Ordered to Pay $345 Million to Versata in Patent Infringement
San Diego – Global software giant SAP America and its German-based parent company, SAP AG, were ordered by a judge to pay Versata Software and Versata Development Group $345 million in damages for a patent infringement.
In August 2009, Versata, which develops enterprise software applications for automating and streamlining critical business processes, won a judgement
Boston Scientific Awarded $19.5 Million in Stent Patent Case
San Diego – A jury recently awarded Boston Scientific $19.5 million in a patent infringement case over a heart stent. The decision, handed down by the U.S. District Court in Delaware, ruled that Cordis Corp was indeed guilty of patent infringement and owes Boston Scientific $18.5 million for lost profits and $1 million in royalties
NCAA Pays $17.2 Million For March Madness Trademark
Los Angeles – The NCAA is finally the exclusive owner of the now famous March Madness trademark. March Madness refers to the annual college basketball tournament which ultimately crowns college basketball’s national champion.
The March Madness term was first used in a 1939 magazine article by Henry V. Porter, an executive secretary for the Illinois
NFL Cleveland Browns Win the Domain Name Browns.com
San Diego – In a domain name dispute between the Cleveland Browns and an alleged cyber-squatter, the World Intellectual Property Organization (“WIPO”) ordered that the domain name Browns.com be transferred from an Andrea Denise Dinoia to the Cleveland Browns.
The team filed a complaint in March alleging long standing rights to the CLEVELAND BROWNS and
U.S. Copyright Group Goes After 23,000 BitTorrent Users for Copyright Infringement
Los Angeles – In the largest Internet copyright infringement case in United States history, a federal judge is permitting the U.S. Copyright Group (USCG) to subpoena Internet service providers for the identities of 23,000 file sharers who illegally downloaded the film “The Expendables.” The USCG is a plaintiff’s organization which brings together independent film companies