Intellectual Property Law Update: Select Issues in IP Practice

Ned Himmelrich presented at the National Business Institute. Below is a summary of his presentation:

Transferring the Exclusive Rights Conferred by IP

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Transferring the Exclusive Rights Conferred by IP

Assignments

  • All rights in perpetuity
  • Otherwise …  a license
  • Trademarks:  Goodwill
  • Copyright:  “I assign”
  • Trade Secrets:  odd
  • Recordation: prudent

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Transferring the Exclusive Rights Conferred by IP

Licensing Issues

  • Division of the whole bundle
  • Patents:  Default: life of patent.
  • Copyrights:  exclusive – written; get all parts
  • Trademarks:  Quality Control
  • Trade Secrets:  odd

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Transferring the Exclusive Rights Conferred by IP

Risk Allocation in Licensing

  • Licensee's Risks
    • Recoup investment
    • Lost market share
    • Other Licensees.
  • Licensor's Risks
    • Licensee’s failure
    • Designing around rights
    • Wrongful disclosure or public domain

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Transferring the Exclusive Rights Conferred by IP

Specific Terms of License Agreement:

  • Licensor/Licensee
  • Grant
  • Scope

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Transferring the Exclusive Rights Conferred by IP

Specific Terms of License Agreement  - Scope:

  • What actions?
  • What products?
  • Current line and/or new developments?
  •  Be specific

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Transferring the Exclusive Rights Conferred by IP

Specific Terms of License Agreement:

  • Licensor/Licensee
  • Grant
  • Scope
  • Territory
  • Exclusivity

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Transferring the Exclusive Rights Conferred by IP

Specific Terms of License Agreement  - Exclusivity

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Transferring the Exclusive Rights Conferred by IP

Specific Terms of License Agreement:

  • Licensor/Licensee; Grant; Scope; Territory; Exclusivity
  • Term.
  • Termination and Rights after Termination
  • Royalties
  • Sublicensing:
  • Marking

IP in Mergers and Acquisitions

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IP in Mergers and Acquisitions

Logistics.

  • Stock or Assets
  • Confirmatory Assignments
  • Different countries – Different exhibits
  • Domain names
  • Trademarks:  Assign goodwill
  • Assignment and Assumption Agreement
  • Third party consents

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IP in Mergers and Acquisitions

In the document

  • Description of the IP
  • Representations and Warranties --  Due diligence

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IP in Mergers and Acquisitions

Due Diligence

  • Ownership; assignment?
  • What IP is necessary?
  • Transferable?
  • Terms of the licenses?
  • Liens, encumbrances, claims
  • Litigation or threats
  • Status of registrations?
  • Patent – Copyright - Trademark – Trade Secret

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IP in Mergers and Acquisitions

In the document

  • Description of the IP
  • Representations and Warranties --  Due diligence
  • Indemnification

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IP Use on the Internet & IP Rights Enforcement On-Line

 

 

IP Use on the Internet

Types of IP

  • Patents  --  Software or Business Method
  • Trade Secrets – Secure?
  • Copyright – The Wild West
  • Trademarks – greatest concern

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IP Use on the Internet

Domain names

  • Rule of priority:
  • Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act

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IP Use on the Internet

Domain names - ACPA

  • Defendant registered, is using or is trafficking,
  • Domain name confusingly similar, and
  • “Bad faith intent to profit”

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IP Use on the Internet

Domain names

  • Rule of priority:
  • Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act
  • The Uniform Dispute Resolution Procedure

 

 

IP Use on the Internet

Domain names - UDRP

  • Identical or confusingly similar to trademark
  • No rights or legitimate interests, and
  • Bad faith.
    • primarily for selling, renting, or transferring back
    • Pattern of preventing owner from using
    • Disrupting competitor’s business
    • Attract users through confusion

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IP Use on the Internet

Domain names - UDRP

  • Showing legitimate interest
    • Before notice, demonstrable preparations
    • Previously commonly known
    • Fair use, without bad intent

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IP Use on the Internet

The Use of Trademarks in Meta-Tags

  • Hidden-code
  • Earlier cases -- per se infringement.
  • Later cases  -- initial interest confusion
  • Recent cases -- initial interest and per se

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IP Use on the Internet

Trademarks as Keywords for Advertising

  • Google
  • Traditionalists:  Infringement
  • Others:  Not considered “use”

 

IP Use on the Internet

Digital Millennium Copyright Act 

  • Cannot circumvent anti-piracy measures
  • Prohibits code-cracking devices
  • Safe harbor for Internet Service Providers
  • Add language to Privacy Policy

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International Protection of IP

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International Protection of IP

Patents

  • Paris Convention:  12 month look back
  • Patent Cooperation Treaty:  filing “international application” in home country

 

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International Protection of IP

Copyright

  • Berne Convention – US signed March 1, 1989.

 

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International Protection of IP

Copyright -  Berne

  • March 1, 1989 date of new policies
  • Based on “national treatment.”
  • Extends to “every production … whatever … mode or form of expression.”
  • No formalities for protection – bifurcated in US

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International Protection of IP

Copyright

  • Berne Convention – US signed March 1, 1989.
  • Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPs)

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International Protection of IP

Copyright -- TRIPs

  • Accord “national treatment” to others
  • “Most favored nation”

 

International Protection of IP

Trademarks

  • No international scope, except:
  • TRIPS provides some protection for “well-known” marks
  • CTM:  Common Trademark of the European Union.
  • The Madrid Protocol

 

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International Protection of IP

Trademarks -- Madrid

  • US ratified November 2, 2002
  • Indicate in home country filing desire for foreign protection
  • WIPO issues “international registration” and forwards mark to each national office
  • National offices will evaluate application according to its laws. 

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International Protection of IP

Domain Names

  • ICANN applies to all registries.
  • .com remains most popular top level domain (tld).
  • Search of a variety (but not all) countries

 

 

FIN