Featured Articles

Failure to Provide Copyright Notice Dooms 1980's Copyright Claim

R. David Donoghue
May 26, 2010 11:06

Stereo Optical Co. v. Judy, No. 08 C 2512, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. Apr. 1, 2010) (Kocoras, J.) Judge Kocoras granted defendants’ (collectively “Vision”) summary judgment as to plaintiff Stereo Optical’s copyright infringement claim. The Court denied the parties’...

IP For Your Business: Think Twice Before Shutting Down Social Media

R. David Donoghue
May 07, 2010 10:52

My latest IP for Your Business column has been published in the Southeast Texas Record, and its sister publications the West Virginia Record and the Madison (Illinois) Record, focused upon crafting an effective social media policy for your business.  With the Record's permission I am...

IP for Your Business: Protecting Your Brand on Twitter & Stopping Twitter Squatters

R. David Donoghue
January 20, 2010 10:36

My latest IP for Your Business column, published in the Southeast Texas Record, and its sister publications the West Virginia Record and the Madison (Illinois) Record, focused upon protecting your brand on Twitter and stopping Twitter squatters.  With the Record's permission I am...

Will Proposed Patent Rules Drive Patent Cases to Chicago?

R. David Donoghue
August 05, 2009 10:38

**  This post is cross-posted at Patently-O  ** The Northern District of Illinois judges are currently considering public comments on a new set of proposed Local Patent Rules – click here to download a copy of the proposed rules.  The Court expects to enact a finalized version...

Northern District of Illinois: False Patent Marking Capitol of the World

R. David Donoghue
March 15, 2010 10:38

The Northern District has become the jurisdiction of choice for 35 USC Section 292 false patent marking suits. Of the more than 80 false marking suits filed this year, more than half were filed in Northern District. Granted many of the suits, 38, have been filed by a single plaintiff and his...

N.D. Illinois's Local Patent Rules Will Drive Patent Cases to Chicago

R. David Donoghue
October 05, 2009 11:08

While the Northern District has made clear that it is not transforming itself into a rocket docket like the Eastern District of Virginia or the Western District of Wisconsin, the newly enacted Local Patent Rules (“Rules” or “LPR”)* are going to have a significant impact on...

Bislki: More of the Same

R. David Donoghue
July 06, 2010 10:35

This post comes more than a week after the Supreme Court decided Bilski.  Last Monday when the decision came down I was struggling with what value I could add to the many reports that would fill the intellectual property blogosphere, and was leaning towards waiting a few days (which also...

August Carnival of Trust

R. David Donoghue
August 03, 2009 10:48

Welcome to the August 2009 Carnival of Trust.  The Carnival of Trust is a monthly, traveling review of the last month's best posts related to various aspects of trust in the business world.  It is much like the weekly Blawg Reviews that I post links to and have hosted (click here and...

Inventor/Plaintiff's Managing Director Not Given Highly Confidential Technical Information

R. David Donoghue
July 22, 2009 10:14

McDavid Knee Guard, Inc. v. Nike USA, Inc., No. 08 C 6584, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. Jun. 9, 2009) (Mason, Mag. J.). Judge Mason denied plaintiffs' motion to disclose defendant's highly confidential technical information to plaintiff Stirling Mouldings' Managing Director ("MD") in this...

Mathematical Formula is No Mickey Mouse

R. David Donoghue
April 21, 2010 10:39

Ho v. Taflove, NO. 07 C 4305, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. Jan. 15, 2010 (Bucklo, J.).  Judge Bucklo granted defendants' motion for summary judgment in this copyright and Lanham Act case involving the alleged infringement and misappropriation of plaintiffs, a Northwestern professor and a Northwestern...