Events
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:
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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
- Non-exclusive
- Exclusive
- Sole.
- Consider when lapses
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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
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IP Use on the Internet
Domain names - UDRP
- Showing legitimate interest
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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
- 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