Intellectual Property Law and Copyright Laws

Most trade secret plaintiffs know the risk of failing to identify their trade secrets: losing at summary judgment. Other consequences are rarely considered. However, a case now before the Federal Circuit may decide when an identification failure can lead to a fee award.

Generative AI is transforming intellectual property protection strategies, forcing companies to reconsider the traditional preference for patents. As AI-assisted innovations raise new questions about patentability and inventorship, while technologies evolve at unprecedented speed, trade secrets are emerging as an increasingly viable alternative for protecting competitive advantages in software code, datasets, and proprietary workflows.

Facing trade secret misappropriation allegations requires swift strategic assessment. Understanding the Defend Trade Secrets Act and state law requirements can help companies identify early defenses, from statute of limitations challenges to insufficient trade secret identification, potentially saving resources and protecting reputation.

A trademark infringement lawsuit over a Mickey Mantle trading card reveals the complex legal landscape surrounding name, image, and likeness rights in sports collectibles.

In a biopharma patent portfolio, layers matter. The core innovation sits at the center, protected by a composition of matter patent. Around it, successive patent families can protect discoveries made during development: new uses, delivery mechanisms, dosage regimens, solutions to adverse effects, formulations, manufacturing processes and methods of commercialization.

Researchers routinely use AI tools like AlphaFold and Schrödinger's software without scrutinizing license agreements that contain restrictions on commercial use, confidentiality, and mandatory disclosure requirements. These overlooked terms can create significant legal obstacles when translating academic innovations into commercial products, affecting everything from sponsored research agreements to patent filings and university spinouts.

Generative AI is transforming intellectual property protection strategies, forcing companies to reconsider the traditional preference for patents. As AI-assisted innovations raise new questions about patentability and inventorship, while technologies evolve at unprecedented speed, trade secrets are emerging as an increasingly viable alternative for protecting competitive advantages in software code, datasets, and proprietary workflows.

After securing funding, companies without in-house IP counsel face a critical 90-day window to protect their intellectual property assets. What systematic steps should growth-stage companies take to ensure they own what they sold to investors, protect their funded roadmap, and establish sustainable IP management practices before the next financing round?

A federal copyright case over a single Facebook photograph resulted in years of litigation despite a $200 damages award, demonstrating how routine image use in business marketing can create substantial legal and financial exposure. Understanding copyright compliance, licensing requirements, and proper image-sourcing procedures has become essential for businesses seeking to avoid costly infringement disputes.

Can the sale of just four saxophones over three years be enough to prevent a U.S. trademark registration from being cancelled for abandonment? This case examines the critical distinction between minimal use and bona fide use in trademark law, exploring what constitutes sufficient commercial activity to maintain trademark rights when a historic brand is challenged by a competitor.

A trademark infringement lawsuit over a Mickey Mantle trading card reveals the complex legal landscape surrounding name, image, and likeness rights in sports collectibles.

Businesses increasingly rely on AI for legal guidance, but artificial intelligence often provides generic solutions without understanding specific circumstances. This article examines the growing trend of clients arriving at law firms with AI-generated legal plans and explores why professional judgment remains essential in determining what legal protections companies actually need versus what AI suggests they should have.