Worldwide: Intellectual Property

March 2026 saw three important court decisions that may affect the internet as we know it today. A Supreme Court decision took a step forward for a free and robust internet that encourages the free flow of information, while two state court decisions each took steps back from this same free flow of information over the internet.

The intellectual property landscape has not faced a structural disruption of this magnitude since the advent of the internet. Generative AI has created a gap in copyright law that neither Congress nor the courts...

A Tokyo court has sentenced individuals to jail time for publishing detailed spoiler posts about Godzilla and anime content, finding that their descriptions crossed the line from fair use commentary into unauthorized adaptation.

The USPTO has issued supplemental guidance fundamentally changing how design patent applications for digital interfaces must be drafted and examined.

Widespread deforestation poses a significant threat to the integrity of ecosystems around the world.

A recent Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision reversed an examiner's obviousness rejection, finding that overlapping dimensional ranges alone were insufficient to establish prima facie obviousness when the proposed modification would alter the reference's intended function.

Taylor Swift has filed three new trademark applications with the USPTO, including two sound marks featuring her voice saying "Hey, it's Taylor" and "Hey, it's Taylor Swift," plus a visual mark of her iconic stage appearance.

The UK Government’s report on the copyright and AI consultation was recently published. While the report confirms that balancing the interests of copyrights holders and AI developers is a complex exercise, it also provides an indication of likely scenarios to consider in this fast-evolving environment.

The U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division has issued a series of statements and policy guidance clarifying that strong patent rights and antitrust enforcement are complementary forces that together promote innovation. Through recent court filings and official speeches, the DOJ has addressed critical questions about injunctive relief for patent holders, the relationship between standard-essential patents and market power, and the proper boundaries between contract disputes and antitrust violations.

Trade secrets are among a company’s most valuable intellectual property assets. They can give a business a competitive edge, provided that they are properly safeguarded.

A federal district court in Georgia ruled that a professional liability insurer had no obligation to defend or indemnify an attorney accused of misappropriating trade secrets and participating in a conspiracy.

In today’s world, artificial intelligence, and now generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), is everywhere. Many of us use it as a convenient tool – to draft emails, plan trips, or even choose a restaurant for date night.