UK gov: no plans to delay ‘disastrous’ EU law bill
The UK government said on Tuesday, January 3, that it is ploughing ahead with plans to repeal or reform any EU-era laws – including around sixty pieces of IP legislation – by the end of this year despite rumours of a deadline extension.
In the last week, reports in national newspapers suggested that some government ministers are sympathetic to a delay.
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U-Blox accuses InterDigital of ‘outrageous’ SEP holdup
Swiss semiconductor company U-Blox sued telecoms patent owner InterDigital for its alleged holdup of key 3G and 4G patents in a California federal court on Sunday, January 1.
A complaint, filed at the District Court for the Southern District of California, claimed InterDigital refused to license its standard-essential patents on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms.
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InterDigital and Samsung in rare SEP arbitration pledge
InterDigital announced three new patent licences on Tuesday, January 3, including a deal with Samsung that includes a binding arbitration process to set a royalty rate.
InterDigital and other standard essential patent (SEP) owners have publicly challenged implementers to enter into arbitration to resolve their SEP disputes. However, implementers have not always been keen.
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Other articles published by Managing IP this week include:
Eyes on Europe: Six IP trends to watch in 2023
The race is on: Speculation over new EUIPO chief begins
Elsewhere in IP
NFT trial
A trademark dispute centring on non-fungible tokens (NFTs) will head to trial, it was revealed on December 30. In Hermes v Mason Rothschild, the District Court for the Southern District of New York denied motions filed by both sides for summary judgment. Rothschild had created digital images of fashion company Hermes’s Birkin-shaped bags and sold them as “MetaBirkins” NFTs. The trial is expected to begin later this month.
Domain disputes soar
Sticking with trademarks, the number of cybersquatting cases filed under the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy hit a record high for the ninth consecutive year in 2022. Cases were up 11.8%, while the total number of domain names in those cases rose by just over 9%. The figures, published on Monday, January 2, were obtained from WIPO by GigaLaw, a US-based domain name specialist law firm.
USPTO fee reduction
Small and micro businesses will enjoy reduced fees for patent applications at the USPTO, the office announced on December 30. Fee discounts for small entities have increased from 50% to 60% and for micro entities from 75% to 80%. The USPTO’s fee schedule has also been updated to reflect the changes.
Merger confirmed
Global law firm Morrison Foerster and litigation boutique Durie Tangri completed a merger on Tuesday, January 1. Durie Tangri, which specialises in IP and other areas, has 36 lawyers, including 12 partners who have all now joined San Francisco-headquartered Morrison Foerster. The merger was initially announced in October last year.
Trade secrets thief jailed
A New York man was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiring to steal trade secrets belonging to General Electric, the US Department of Justice said on Tuesday, January 3. Xiaoqing Zheng, 59, was convicted of conspiracy to commit economic espionage with the intention of benefitting China. Zheng worked at GE from 2008 until the summer of 2018.
