Alt Legal IP News – Issue #48
Hannah Samendinger | August 02, 2017
New Alt Trademarks episode alert! Our guest is Suzann Moskowitz of The Moskowitz Firm. We discuss the Slants case in our first NSFW episode. Check out the episode here.
Talk It Out
– Birkenstock stopped selling on Amazon last year due to a surge in counterfeits, but after a recent adjustment in one of Amazon’s policies, Birkenstock’s CEO wrote a blistering email to Amazon.
– Louis Vuitton filed a petition for writ of certiorari, hoping to get their parody bag case before the Supreme Court.
– A Florida based company claims that Apple’s new “What did he say?” rewind feature infringes on their patent.
– In 1979, Xerox wrote a letter to the New York Times that revealed how much they hate people using their name as a verb.
The Big Bucks
– The University of Wisconsin-Madison will receive $506 million from Apple after a patent lawsuit victory.
– A court voided a $31 million licensing deal between Prince’s estate and Universal Music due to conflicts with an existing contract.
– Apple also paid Nokia roughly $2 billion as part of a patent lawsuit settlement.
– A $20 million copyright infringement suit against Beyoncé is moving forward.
New Tools
– A recently issued patent reveals a future with selfies without the selfie sticks.
– Have trouble flying? One day soon you may be able to pop a pill that would tell flight attendants exactly how you’re doing.
– Amazon wants to use drones to keep an eye on people’s homes.
– Despite Google Glass’s rough start, a patent application reveals some of Apple’s plans for AR glasses.
Odds and Ends
– Toblerone is not happy about a Twin Peaks candy bar with a striking resemblance to their own.
– Oklahoma State and Ohio State are battling it out at the USPTO.
– A British recording artist claims U2’s 1991 song The Fly ripped off his record, which was on a demo tape he left at U2’s recording studio, Island Records.
– INTA has launched a Pro Bono Clearinghouse pilot program.