A federal jury in Los Angeles has found that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams committed copyright infringement by copying elements of Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got to Give it Up” in their 2013 hit “Blurred Lines. The jury awarded Nona and Frankie Gaye, two of Marvin Gaye’s children, $4 million in damages plus approximately $3.3 million of the profits earned by Thicke and Williams. According to court records, “Blurred Lines” has earned profits in an excess of $16 million dollars. Under the Copyright Act, a plaintiff can seek its actual damages and the infringer’s profits that are attributable to the infringement. The damages award is believed to be one of the largest damages awards in a music copyright case.
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Supreme Court Holds TTAB Decisions Can Preclude Issues in Later Litigation
On March 24, 2015, in B&B Hardware, Inc. v. Hargis Industries, Inc., the Supreme Court held that a Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) decision is to be given issue preclusion effect when the usages it adjudciated are materially the same as those before a later district court proceeding.
USPTO Patent Quality Summit 2015
This past Monday the Senate officially confirmed Michelle Lee as the new director of the US PTO. Director Lee is the first woman director of the agency, and previously served as Google’s chief patent counsel. Since beginning her tenure at the US PTO, Director Lee has set her primary focus on improving patent quality in the US patent system. In line with this patent quality initiative, the US PTO has set forth six (6) proposals to serve as the focal points for the upcoming Patent Quality Summit on March 25-26, 2015.
Patent Troll Bill Back in Congress
Patent Reform is back in Congress and this time it is House Judiciary Bob Goodlatte, who will be reintroducing the legislation dedicated to reduce “patent trolling.” Patent trolling, as it is colloquially known, is a strategy typically employed to enforce patent rights owned by non-practicing (emphasis added) entities against accused infringers in attempts to collect lost royalties and/or licensing fees.
Appreciating Women Inventors in observance of Women’s History Month
March is National Women’s History Month. Women have been instrumental in shaping the story of technological America. Their ingenuity, resilience, and willingness to challenge old norms has played an integral role in American innovation and technology.
Firm Attorney, John Fulton, Jr., has been selected to serve as President-Elect of the Rotary Club of Miami-Brickell for 2015-2016
Firm Attorney, John Fulton, Jr., has been selected to serve as President-Elect of the Rotary Club of Miami-Brickell for 2015-2016