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Home • 2016 03 09 Yosemite

Loss of Yosemite Trademarks Proves to be Expensive Concession

Last week, a trademark dispute between the National Park Service and DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc. resulted in the name change of many beloved landmarks in Yosemite National Park. So, how did it happen? The Concession Contracts DNC is a concessionaire that provides lodging, food and beverage, and

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Home • 2016 03 04 Apple vs FBI update 1

Apple vs FBI, Part 2

The dispute between Apple and the FBI continued this week, with opposition filings in California, a court order in New York, and congressional hearings. Can the government force a company to write code to bypass security features? Is there a First Amendment problem here? Join Jennifer Atkins and Clyde Findley

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Home • 2016 02 20 Apple vs FBI

Apple vs FBI

A district court in California has ordered Apple to create software that will disable security features on the iPhone of one of the San Bernadino shooters. The order garnered significant public attention and vows to appeal from Apple. Can the government require a tech company to create backdoors into technology

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Home • 2016 02 17 iot as witness web

Internet of Things: Little ‘Bots Are Watching You!

The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the newest technologies on the scene today. It refers to “things” that are able to communicate on the Internet – things like Fitbits, Smartphones, biosensors, coffee makers, thermostats, and even automobiles. These things collect data and they make determinations about what people

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Home • 2016 02 09 Tattoos and Copyrights

Tattoos, Copyrights and Video Games

Are tattoos copyrightable, and if so, what are the implications? Tattoo artists have sued the makers of the NBA2K16 video game, claiming copyright infringement because the game includes images of tattoos on several NBA players, including LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Courts have never squarely addressed the issue, and this

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Home • 2016 01 22 frack patent unenforceable WEB 1

Frack! My Patent Is Unenforceable!

Inequitable conduct cases don’t happen every day in patent law, so when one comes along, it can be interesting. A recent decision from North Dakota examined an unusual set of facts surrounding the sale of patented hydraulic fracturing technology almost two years before the inventor filed a patent application. After

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Home • 2016 01 11 music muscle constitution

Music and Muscle Rock the Constitution

A recent decision from the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has brought a relatively obscure section of trademark law into the constitutional spotlight and paved the way for a potential Supreme Court debate. Reviewing a case involving the music group THE SLANTS, the court held the trademark act’s

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Home • 2015 12 30 monkey selfies

Monkey See, Monkey Do: There’s No Copyright for You

A photographer’s journey to an Indonesian nature preserve resulted in macaque monkeys having fun with his camera.When a monkey’s “selfie” went viral, so did the copyright questions. Multiple disputes ensued, including a lawsuit filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals against the photographer and his publisher arguing that

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