Tractors, Technology, and the Battle for Ownership in the Age of Digital Transformation
Back in 2015, John Deere attracted attention for telling the Copyright Office that farmers don’t own their tractors. Deere was trying to prevent access to the software keys that allow for repairs to the machinery, basing its reasoning on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which governs the copyright protection of software. Essentially, because tractors […]
What is trademark squatting? The story of Beyonce’s babies
While Beyoncé didn’t officially announce the names of her twins until recently, the Beyhive has known for a while, thanks to a couple of trademark applications filed by the same trademark holding company she used to file Blue Ivy’s namesake mark back in 2012. The applications are for the marks SIR CARTER and RUMI CARTER […]
AI vs. IP: Will Improving AI Technology Impact Intellectual Property?
Google’s DeepMind engineers recently published a paper which discusses the creation of a new artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of human-like thought. This new AI represents a breakthrough in the field of artificial intelligence, as most AI systems suffer from a problem called “catastrophic forgetting.” This is a problem similar to amnesia in humans, where […]
The Unconstitutionality of the Disparagement Clause: Matal v. Tam
On June 19, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously affirmed a 2015 en banc decision of the Federal Circuit which had found that 15 U.S.C. § 1052(a) of the Lanham Act was unconstitutional under the First Amendment’s Freedom of Speech Clause. The Court’s decision marks a contemporary application of the First Amendment to […]
Navigating Intellectual Property Deadlines
Deadlines, while sometimes stressful, are the driving force behind progress. And when it comes to your patent application, meeting deadlines means more than just progress”it can be the difference between obtaining or losing protection. That’s why the deadlines at the USPTO are so important. The great news is, with a seasoned IP attorney by your […]
Patent Attorneys and the Importance of Words
Similar to a carpenter’s hammer, words are the tools patent attorneys use to protect your invention. The words selected to claim your invention, sometimes the addition of just one word, can be the difference between infringement and non-infringement.
