• Posts Tagged ‘state law’

    Patent Infringement Is a Frivolous Claim (If You Don’t Own the Patent)

    by  • September 20, 2017 • patent • 0 Comments

    There is a chicken-and-egg problem with patent ownership and a patent infringement claim. I’d guess that most patents are assigned, that is, since under US law it is the natural person who is the inventor, patents will generally be assigned to a business for exploitation. That underlying assignment, a contract, is therefore a creature...

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    The Promiscuous Licensor

    by  • September 29, 2014 • trademark • 1 Comment

    I recently took the federal courts to task for what I submit is a disconnect between the statutory definition of “abandonment” and the “naked license” defense. My argument is that trademark owners are simply being punished for behavior that is seen as too lax, without any regard for whether that laxness has actually effected...

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    A Primer on Michigan State Trademark Law

    by  • August 4, 2014 • trademark • 1 Comment

    There aren’t a lot of cases about state trademark law, so a state appeals court decision—here, Michigan—is worth a mention, if for no other reason than it is about the most thorough explanation of the fundamentals of trademark law that I’ve read in a long time. If you have someone just beginning to study...

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