Two days ago, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania increased an award of patent infringement damages to the University of Pittsburgh against Varian Medical Systems from US$36.8 million to US$73.6 million. University of Pittsburgh v. Varian … Continue reading
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed convictions of two defendants for trafficking in counterfeit goods in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2320(a). The convictions were based on the defendants’ unauthorized use on counterfeit handbags and wallets … Continue reading
In John Keller, Action Auto Body v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2012-62, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service reclassified ten workers at an auto repair shop as employees instead of independent contractors as the shop had claimed. The IRS issued a notice … Continue reading
Thanks to Lawrence Lessig’s Twitter feed, today I came across a memorandum from the Harvard University Faculty Advisory Council lamenting that “[m]any large journal publishers have made the scholarly communication environment fiscally unsustainable and academically restrictive,” and encouraging faculty and … Continue reading
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals gave a restrictive reading to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (“CFAA”), rejecting its use to remedy violations of a private company’s computer use policies by the company’s employee. United States v. Nosal, … Continue reading
A New Jersey appellate court reinstated an employment discrimination lawsuit brought by a former employee against a company and two former supervisors who allegedly directed anti-Semitic comments against him for more than a year in the mistaken belief that he … Continue reading
In a private letter ruling released April 13, 2012, the IRS denied tax exemption under IRC §§ 501(c)(6) and 501(c)(4) to an organization formed to represent the interests of homeowners in a gated home community. PLR 201215014. The purpose of … Continue reading
In Private Letter Ruling 201215019, released on April 13, 2012, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service denied the application for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of a nonprofit corporation formed to provide fertility medications at cost … Continue reading
Section 145 of the U.S. Patent Act grants a patent applicant whose claims are denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) the opportunity to challenge the USPTO’s decision by filing a civil action against the Director of the … Continue reading
Today, in a case involving the alleged torture and death of a naturalized U.S. citizen at the hands of the Palestinian Authority, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Torture Victim Protection Act, which authorizes a cause of action against … Continue reading
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