Patent Law

Patently-O Bits & Bytes by Lawrence Higgins

By Dennis Crouch

False Marking Statute Found Unconstitutional

• The Northern District of Ohio has found that the false marking statute (35 USC 292) is unconstitutional. [Link] Judge Polster applied the Morrison sufficient control analysis, and held the false marking statute invalid because the government lacks sufficient control to enable the President to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed. This case will surely be appealed to the CAFC and maybe even the Supreme Court. [Link] Already on appeal to the Federal Circuit is FLFMC, LLC v. Wham-O. In that case, Wham-O has argued that the statute is unconstitutional.

Motorola sues TiVo for patent infringement

• Motorola contends that TiVo is infringing on patents that they acquired when they bought Imedia Corporation that are related to digital video recorders (DVR's). Motorola claims that the Imdeia Patents were filed in 1995 while; TiVo filed Patents were filed in 1998. The patents that Motorola obtained from Imedia are patent #'s 5,949,948, 6,304,714, and 6,356,708. Motorola asserts that the TiVo patent #'s 6,233,389 and 7,529,465 claim the same technology as their patents. [Link]

Is the patent backlog decreasing?

• USPTO Commissioner for Patents Bob Stoll recently reported that the total backlog awaiting first office action by examiners decreased in February to 718,857 from 721,831 in January. Stoll also noted that there is a decline in the first action pendency time to an average of 24.2 months for January 2011 from 24.6 months in December 2010. Currently the USPTO has received over 11,000 more patents as compared to this time last year. [Link]

Sony Playstation 3 consoles seized after patent infringement suit

• LG has won a preliminary injunction in Europe against Sony in a patent infringement suit. [Link]The injunction states that no shipments of the Playstation 3 can be shipped into Europe for at least 10 days. Also LG has filed a similar request with the US International Trade Commission, seeking to bar import of the Playstation 3. The complaint to the USITC alleges that Sony infringed at least one or more claims in US patent #'s 7,701,835, 7,577,080, 7,619,961 and 7,756,398 relating to the playback of Blue-ray Discs. [Link]

Patent Jobs:

• Halcyon Molecular is seeking an IP strategist for their Silicon Valley location. [Link]
• Life Technologies is looking for a Patent Attorney with 4-8 years experience and an EE or physics background. [Link]
• McGinn IP Law Group is seeking a Patent Attorney with a BSEE. [Link]
• ST-Ericsson is looking for an IP Attorney with more than 7 years experience to work at their Santa Clara location. [Link]

Upcoming Events:

• Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property will hold its 6^th annual Symposium on Friday March 4^th from 9am-5pm. The Symposium will discuss "The Economics of Intellectual Property and Technology," the keynote speaker will be Michael Fricklas. [Link] (Free Event, however CLE credit available for $200)
• Berkeley Center for Law and Technology will hold an event on March 10^th entitled, "Beyond Piracy: Managing Patent Risks in the New China." Presenters include Sharon Barner, Robert Merges, and Robert Barr to name a few. [Link]
• The USPTO and USWCC will hold a Women's Entrepreneurship Symposium on March 11^th. The event will be held at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Va. The keynote speaker will be U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu will be the keynote speaker. [Link]
• The George Washington University Law School will host an Intellectual Property Panel Symposium on March 18^th. Guest panelists are Bruce Sewell, Mike Jacobson, John Whealan and Chief Judge Radar will be the keynote speaker. [Link]

Full post as published by Patently Obvious on March 03, 2011 (boomark / email).