Trademarks
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Books, Copyright, Pornography, Sex, Trademarks
Because No One Saw This Coming: A Copyright Suit Over 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Porn
“I’m completely shocked that there’s Fifty Shades of Grey-inspired porn,” said no one ever. Let's get to the bottom of this copyright suit. -
Crime, Deaths, Facebook, Intellectual Property, Kids, Law Schools, Mergers and Acquisitions, Morning Docket, Patents, Trademarks
Morning Docket: 11.27.12
* In case you missed this yesterday during the Cravath bonus-mania-palooza, David Kappos, the director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, announced that he’d be stepping down from his position in January 2013. [Blog of Legal Times]
* And speaking of bonuses, somebody’s not probably getting one this year, because here come the lawsuits: Hewlett-Packard just got slapped with a securities class action suit as a result of the company’s allegedly fraudulent Autonomy acquisition. [Reuters]
* Will Penn State’s former general counsel be able to testify against Gary Schultz and Tim Curley in post-Sandusky criminal proceedings? Considering she’s “a key witness,” she better be. [Corporate Counsel]
* Of course Vermont Law School is considering offering voluntary staff buyouts, the school has a freakin’ $3.3M budget shortfall. In other news, they’ll be upping LL.M. programs to make up the cash. [National Law Journal]
* Paul Ceglia, the man who claims he owns half of Facebook, has been indicted on federal wire and mail fraud charges. He’ll appear in court this Wednesday, but who knows if he’ll have a lawyer by then. [Bloomberg]
* Jay Jaffe, law firm public relations pioneer, RIP. [PRWeek]
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so… -
9/11, Intellectual Property, Sports, Trademarks
Sports Law, Spaw, Lorts: Johnny Football!!!
What is the latest in terms of Johnny Football's™ legal woes? Plus a round-up of other athletes in legal hot water.
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Attorney Misconduct, Biglaw, Copyright, Disasters / Emergencies, Food, Intellectual Property, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Legal Ethics, Morning Docket, Trademarks
Morning Docket: 11.14.12
* “[T]here is only so far you can go when representing clients.” David Tamman, the ex-Nixon Peabody partner who was “thrown under the bus” by the firm, was found guilty of helping a client cover up a $20M Ponzi scheme. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* You surely must remember former UT Law dean Larry Sager and his controversial $500K forgivable loan. Well, as it turns out, the school is now condemning the practice as inappropriate, and calling for its permanent suspension. [Texas Tribune]
* Someone finally sued a power company over its horrendous response to Hurricane Sandy. Long Island Power Authority should’ve seen this lawsuit coming, but was woefully unprepared. Figures. [Bloomberg]
* I can haz copyright infringement? Internet memes are all the rage — we even had our own contest — but you may find yourself wading into dangerous intellectual property waters with improper use. [Corporate Counsel]
* Papa John’s is facing a $250M class-action lawsuit for spamming its customers with text messages advertising deals. With share prices dropping, it must suck to be Peyton Manning right now. [CNNMoney]
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Biglaw, Intellectual Property, Pets, Trademarks
For Want Of A Puppy Picture
A Lockheed Martin lawyer might have been able to settle a dispute simply by emailing a picture of a puppy... -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, California, Department of Justice, Federal Judges, Football, In-House Counsel, Law Schools, LSAT, Money, Morning Docket, Trademarks
Morning Docket: 10.22.12
* “You’re paying a partner $800 to $1,000 an hour and they’re charging you because they ordered sushi.” In-house counsel are paying more attention to their bills, and they’re refusing to pay for things like photocopies and food. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)]
* According to litigators, who are the ten most notable federal district court judges to watch? Three come from S.D.N.Y., but one from N.D. Cal. captured our hearts this summer when she asked counsel for Apple if he was “smoking crack.” [American Lawyer]
* A guide for law students with disabilities says: “If you are thinking that you’re a shoe-in for LSAT accommodations since you had accommodations in undergrad, think again.” But thanks to these suits, LSAC’s policies may soon be changing. [National Law Journal]
* Seeing as there are only nine law schools in Illinois, and given the abysmal job market for new law grads, it’s clear the state needs a tenth school. Say hello to Bradley University College of Law. [Peoria Journal Star]
* Jets backup quarterback Tim Tebow trademarked “Tebowing.” Yes, seriously. But don’t worry, he didn’t do it to make money, he just wants to “control how it’s used, make sure it’s used in the right way.” [Washington Post]
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2nd Circuit, Biglaw, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Fashion, Job Searches, Law Schools, Morning Docket, NALP, National Association for Law Placement (NALP), Partner Issues, Real Estate, Shoes, Trademarks
Morning Docket: 10.17.12
* Oh, by the way Dewey & LeBoeuf partners, the little contribution plan you signed that received court approval last week might not protect you from your former landlord’s claims for back rent. Hope you’ve all got an extra $45 million sitting in the bank. [Am Law Daily]
* Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Bernette Johnson will finally get to claim her seat as chief justice of the state’s high court after official judicial recognition — on both the state and federal level — that the year 1994 does indeed come before 1995. [Bloomberg]
* No matter how hard law school administrators wish it were so, or how much they beg Jim Leipold of NALP, he’s never going to be able to describe the current entry-level legal job market as “good.” [WSJ Law Blog]
* NYU Law School is changing its third-year program in the hopes of making a “good” market materialize. If you ship students to foreign countries for class, maybe they’ll get jobs there. [DealBook / New York Times]
* “[W]e’re determined to do everything we can to help them find jobs and meaningful careers.” We bet Brooklyn Law’s dean is also determined to avoid more litigation about employment statistics. [New York Law Journal]
* Has the other shoe finally dropped? After the Second Circuit ruled that YSL could sell monochromatic shoes, the fashion house decided to drop its trademark counterclaims against Christian Louboutin. [Businessweek]
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Intellectual Property, iPhone, Patents, Richard Posner, Technology
A Closer Look at the 'Chaos' of the American Patent System
The New York Times extensively digs into the patent wars gripping the tech industry. - Sponsored
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ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
Intellectual Property, iPhone, Jury Duty, Patents, Trademarks
Samsung Appeals Billion-Dollar Verdict; Alleges Juror Misconduct
Samsung has appealed the Apple v. Samsung vervdict, and the company is claiming juror misconduct. -
Google / Search Engines, Intellectual Property, Patents, Tax Law, Technology, Trademarks
Thanks to Cool New Crowd-Sourcing Website, Now You Can Help Prevent Bogus Patents
A new collaboration between Google, the USPTO, and Stack Exchange hopes to use crowd-sourcing to end America's patent wars... -
Intellectual Property, iPhone, Patents, Technology, Trademarks, Vicious Infighting
Is Apple's iPhone 5 A Sign of the IP Apocalypse?
The new iPhone was announced today -- but is it a harbinger of a dystopian intellectual property future? -
2nd Circuit, Fashion, Fashion Is Fun, Intellectual Property, Shoes, Trademarks
Christian Louboutin No Longer Seeing Red After This Second Circuit Trademark Ruling
Fashionistas rejoice: Christian Louboutin has won the trademark rights to his signature red soles! -
Intellectual Property, Music, Patents, Rap, Sex, Trademarks, YouTube
These Lawyers 'Patented Sex' and It's Pretty Damn Funny
Three young lawyers make a hilarious music video lampooning the American patent system.
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
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Drinking, Intellectual Property, Trademarks
Cease And Desist Letter of the Day: Captain Jack Doesn't Need Mean Lawyers
Jack Daniels has some mighty nice lawyers... -
Basketball, Breasts, Intellectual Property, Oral Sex / Blow Jobs, Porn Names, Pornography, Sports, Trademarks
Porn Stars Offer Free BJs to Miami Heat Fans, Cause NBA Lawyers To Stand At Attention
Porn stars offer Miami Heat fans free oral sex. Shockingly the NBA has a problem with it... -
California, Fabulosity, Intellectual Property, Patents, Trademarks
Patent Office Comes to California, Where the Innovators Live
The Patent and Trademark Office is escaping its northern Virginia bubble. Go West, young trademarks! -
Basketball, Football, Gay, Gay Marriage, Google / Search Engines, Intellectual Property, Law Schools, Morning Docket, SCOTUS, Sex, Sex Scandals, Sports, Supreme Court, Technology, Trademarks
Morning Docket: 06.25.12
* It’s official: “law school grads face worst job market in more than 30 years.” Put that in your TTT pipe and smoke it. [Chicago Tribune]
* Not sure how good of a “cyber spy” you can be if you’re getting sued in federal court for things like cybersquatting and trademark infringement. [MarketWatch]
* Jerry Sandusky was convicted — oh Lord, he was convicted — Friday evening, and now his attorneys say they weren’t allowed to resign right before the trial. [CBS News]
* The New York Times has caught Linsanity, or at least it has caught an interest in the trademark case for Jeremy Lin’s popular catchphrase. [New York Times]
* It was Gay Pride weekend across the country. Practically speaking, for most people this meant lots of unexpected traffic jams and random glitter bombings. Evan Wolfson, a prominent attorney, was the Grand Marshal of the Chicago Pride Parade. [Chicago Sun-Times]
* Will today be the day we get the Obamacare decision? Who knows. In the meantime, here’s an interview with the folks behind the wonderful SCOTUSblog. [Forbes]
* The judge accused of elder abuse, in Alameda County, California, is still on the bench, but he has been relegated to handling small claims court. [Mercury News]
* An owner of the Miami Heat has sued Google and a blogger over an “unflattering” photo. I guess once you win an NBA championship, it leaves you with a lot of free time for other important pursuits. [CNN]
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Intellectual Property, Sports, Trademarks
No One Messes with the U.S. Olympic Committee, Not Even Naïve Internet Knitting Enthusiasts
Turn back now, all ye who might dare cross the U.S. Olympic Committee… -
Copyright, Crime, Intellectual Property, Morning Docket, Technology, Trademarks, Twittering
Morning Docket: 06.21.12
* A U.S. congressional panel has voted to charge Attorney General Eric Holder with contempt of Congress. [Thomson Reuters News and Insight]
* Paul Ceglia’s motion to stay discovery, pending the resolution of his motion to disqualify Facebook’s attorneys, was denied. In last night’s ruling, the judge was less than sympathetic to Ceglia. [United States District Court Western District of New York]
* We wrote about Thomas Jefferson Law grad Michael Wallerstein‘s struggles with a quarter million dollars in law school debt last year. But it looks like he may have found an unorthodox, if not somewhat dodgy, escape route. On the other hand, maybe he’s gone out of the frying pan into the fire. [New York Post]
* The McCormick legal recruiting firm sued one of its former account managers for violating a noncompete clause. Fun times were had by all no one. [Blog of the Legal Times]
* The lawyer going after The Oatmeal and the charities benefiting from the “Bear Love Cancer Bad” campaign has now subpoenaed Twitter and ArsTechica. That’s pretty impressive for just about a week of work. [ArsTechica]
* An online knitting community feels the wrath of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s intellectual property enforcement team. [Gawker]
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Attorney Misconduct, Barack Obama, Biglaw, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Facebook, Federal Judges, Football, Health Care / Medicine, Legal Ethics, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Trademarks, Trials
Morning Docket: 06.18.12
* “At the Supreme Court, those who know, don’t talk. And those who talk, don’t know.” If that’s the case, then there must be a lot of people who “don’t know” — it’s rumored that the Court’s decision on Obamacare will be released today. [CNN]
* Dewey know what kind of news this week’s conference call will bring for the failed firm’s former partners? On Tuesday afternoon, we might get some information on the status of a global partner contribution plan. [WSJ Law Blog]
* Guys in my high school ambassadorial nominations pool used to have extramarital affairs with WSJ reporters all the time, it was no big deal. Obama still supports Brett McGurk, despite his racy emails. [Reuters]
* The $64,000 question in the Jerry Sandusky case: will the allegedly histrionic former football coach take the stand to testify in his own defense? He should, because apparently it’s his “only shot.” [Legal Intelligencer]
* Looks like Facebook decided to initiate the use of a proverbial “dislike” button when the company pointed the finger at NASDAQ in defense against dozens of lawsuits over its incredibly glitchy IPO. [New York Daily News]
* It’s actually possible to have an “offensive personality” as a matter of law: former prosecutor Kenneth “I Am the Prize” Kratz will plead no contest to six ethics violations for his sordid sexting scandal. [Associated Press]
* “Careful … that is a Lewis [sic] Vuitton.” It seems that at least one federal judge in Manhattan holds comedic value to a higher standard than our favorite fashion house’s trademark infringement claims. [Chicago Tribune]
* Loose lips may sometimes sink ships, but not all gossip is bad. After all, without gossip, your ATL editors wouldn’t be able to bring you some of the juiciest stories out there in the legal world. [New York Times]