home-price.jpgIPNews® – The fight over a patent for online home appraisal systems continues between Zillow and Trulia as both spar in federal court.

Zillow originally filed its lawsuit against Trulia for patent infringement, claiming Trulia’s home valuation service resembled its own program too closely.  Trulia countered, arguing Zillow’s patent is merely for an abstract idea and therefore it should not be eligible for patent protection.  To continue reading, click: Home Valuation Services Face Off Over Fight for Patent

birthday.jpgIPNews® – The copyright for “Happy Birthday to You” has come into contention recently, as a filmmaker filed a lawsuit in New York seeking to cancel the song’s copyright protection.

The debate stems over the copyright held by Warner/Chappell Music, originally obtained in 1935 for the piano composition still in use.  Opponents claim that the song is, in fact, much older, and therefore that the song belongs in the public domain.  To continue reading, click: Filmmaker Files Lawsuit to Cancel Copyright for “Happy Birthday” Song

dna-strand.jpgIPNews® – All patents held for naturally occurring genes were struck down by the Supreme Court Thursday, as they ruled that objects found in nature are not patentable.

The court struck down arguments made by Myriad Genetics, which argued that it spent millions of dollars isolating these genes, which should be eligible for patent protection.  The court defined the scope of patent protection for genetics research, establishing the difference in patentability for synthetic genes versus naturally occurring genes.  To continue reading, click: Natural Genes Not Patentable, Says Supreme Court

Cheese.jpgIPNews® – A lawsuit was brought against Kraft Foods in Illinois Federal Court, alleging the company’s use of ‘Toppers’ is in violation of a trademark held by Saputo Cheese.

Kraft introduced its Velveeta Toppers cheese product in late 2012, which Saputo claims is in direct competition to its Stella Toppers cheese brand, which it has used since 2006.  After Kraft refused to stop use of the trademark, Saputo filed a lawsuit against Kraft Foods on June 7th.  To continue reading, click: Kraft’s Use of TOPPERS Alleged to be Trademark Infringement

books-stack.jpgIPNews® – A jury ruled in Eastern Texas federal court that Barnes & Noble did not infringe on the patent for gift card activation technology held by Alexsam Inc.

Barnes & Noble is just one of seven big retailers Alexsam has brought lawsuits against for patent infringement, and was the first case to be decided in court.  The jury rejected Alexsam’s claims of infringement and its request for $72 million in damages in this case, but what that means for the other retailer defendants remains to be seen.  To continue reading, click: Jury Rules No Gift Card Patent Infringement by Barnes & Noble

tv_remote_control.jpgIPNews® – A major settlement was struck over TiVo’s patent infringement claims with three major competitors agreeing to pay $490 million.

TiVo brought separate lawsuits against Motorola, Time Warner Cable, and Cisco Systems, claiming that their TV recording devices violated TiVo’s original patent for such a device.  This collective settlement reinforces the strength of TiVo’s patent for its set-top cable boxes, and adds to its winnings from previous patent infringement cases, now totaling $1.6 billion.  To continue reading, click: TiVo Maintains Dominance in Patent Lawsuits over Digital Video Recorders

shoes-redsoles.jpgIPNews® – Luxury shoe brand Louboutin recently sued Charles Jourdan Fashion Footwear for infringement of its red-soled shoe trademark.

The lawsuit in New York Federal Court alleges that Charles Jourdan knowingly manufactured and distributed counterfeit Louboutin shoes to retailers like DSW.  Louboutin is seeking $2 million in damages for each trademark that was infringed. To continue reading, click: Louboutin Sees Red over Trademark Infringement

concert-2.jpgIPNews® – The fallout between Stone Temple Pilots band members and their lead singer, Scott Weiland, has reached Los Angeles Superior Court with both sides trading lawsuits claiming trademark infringement against the other.

STP bandmates brought a lawsuit against their former lead singer after firing him from the band, alleging breach of contract and improper use of trademarks for using STP songs and album names while on tour by himself.  Weiland fired back, filing his own countersuit. To continue reading, click: Accusations of Trademark Infringement Fly Among Stone Temple Pilots Band Mates

groupon.jpgIPNews® – Blue Calypso’s newest patent has inspired another round of lawsuits related to electronic coupon technology.  Groupon and Yelp, among others, are the targets of the accusations.

Blue Calypso previously filed a patent lawsuit against Yelp in a related action.  To continue reading, click: Groupon, Yelp Sued for Patent Infringement in Electronic Couponing Wars

coffee_beans.jpgIPNews® – A District Court Judge in Massachusetts ruled that Keurig’s patent for single-serve coffee canisters was not violated by Rogers Family Co., producers of the OneCup line of coffee pods.

The issue stemmed from Rogers’ manufacture of a coffee cartridge for use in Keurig brand coffee makers. The lawsuit brought by Keurig alleged that Rogers violated its patents by selling a product with the same use and similar design to Keurig coffee cartridges, but the judge disagreed. To continue reading, click: Loss for Keurig in Coffee Pod Patent Lawsuit