UPC latest: Jurisdiction clarification | Busy day at Court of Appeal looms
In the first of a regular series of articles covering Unified Patent Court developments, Managing IP provided a rundown of an important decision regarding serving a statement of claim and looked ahead to a busy week later this month.
Starting on Wednesday, August 14, our once-a-fortnight articles summarise the latest news on decided and future cases, overall UPC statistics, and the state of the legal market including law firm hires.
To read the full article, click here.
Rouse strengthens in Sweden with new acquisition
Rouse acquired Swedish management consultancy Konsert Strategy & IP, the UK-headquartered firm announced on Tuesday, August 13.
The buyout, which was completed last month, forms part of Rouse’s plan to consolidate the heavily fragmented intellectual property legal services market through mergers and acquisitions.
To read the full article, click here.
Growth focus draws IP litigator to Nixon Peabody
Nixon Peabody’s focus on growth impressed an intellectual property litigator who joined the practice from Hogan Lovells this week.
Nixon Peabody announced Monday, August 12, that it had added IP litigator Corey Leggett to its San Fransico office as counsel. It marks the fifth hire for the firm in the last few weeks.
To read the full article, click here.
Other articles published on Managing IP this week include:
Five minutes with...Ronny Amirsehhi, Leo Patent Law Office
Weekly take: IP firms’ ‘mega-merger’ may have prompted fresh starts
Half-year Talent Tracker data: A&O ties for most partner departures
The IP Lounge: Rankings rundown, private equity buyout
Cross-practice collaboration breeds success: Anderson Mori partners
Six months in: ex-A&O partners on Paul Hastings switch
Patent pruning: how in-house cull IP portfolios
Elsewhere in IP
Nokia deal
Nokia has signed a patent license agreement with Verifone, the Finnish company announced on Wednesday, August 14. Under the terms of the agreement, Verifone will pay royalties to Nokia for a multi-year period. Litigation initiated against Verifone earlier this year, including at the UPC, will be withdrawn.
Boeing reprieve
A US judge reversed a jury verdict that had ordered Boeing to pay $72 million to an electric plane start-up for trade secret theft. Judge James Robart at the District Court for the Western District of Washington found on Wednesday, August 14, that Boeing had prevailed on all claims.
AstraZeneca win
In another case of a jury verdict being overturned, a judge overturned a jury’s determination that had stated that AstraZeneca owed Pfizer subsidiary Wyeth $107.5 million for patent infringement. Judge Matthew Kennelly at the District Court for the District of Delaware ruled on Wednesday, August 14, that the patents at issue were invalid.
AI allowance
A group of visual artists can continue to pursue some claims that artificial intelligence platforms Stability AI, Midjourney, DeviantArt, and Runway AI's image generation systems infringe their copyright, the District Court for the Northern District of California ruled on Monday, August 12. Judge William Orrick said the artists plausibly argued that the companies infringed their rights by illegally storing their works.
Christmas copyright
Mariah Carey filed a motion for summary judgment on Monday, August 12, in which she claimed that a copyright infringement lawsuit that targeted her seasonal hit 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' should be dismissed. In November last year, musician Andy Stone, who wrote a 1988 song of the same name, sued Carey at the District Court for the Central District of California.
Trial hire
Gibson Dunn announced on Monday, August 12, that trial lawyer and IP specialist Elizabeth Ryan had joined the firm’s Dallas office as a partner in the litigation and trials practice groups. She was previously a partner at Weil Gotshal & Manges.
That's it for today, see you again next week.
