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Woods Rogers to expand into Northern Virginia
Woods Rogers is opening a new office in Northern Virginia led by Neal Seth, expanding its litigation and dispute resolution practice.
Contract – IP suit barred by prior settlement
Clear Touch's federal intellectual property suit against Ockers barred by prior settlement dismissing all counterclaims, affirmed by the 4th Circuit.
IP attorney’s exclusion from USPTO practice is affirmed
A federal court upheld the USPTO’s decision to bar attorney Jill Welytok from practice, finding multiple ethics violations and approving use of a HUD ALJ.
Generative AI litigation carries implications for copyright bar
Generative AI sparks complex copyright disputes as Virginia attorneys warn of legal risks and pending federal cases likely to impact local businesses.
Smucker sues Trader Joe’s over Uncrustables copy
Story highlights · Smucker alleges Trader Joe’s PB&J sandwiches infringe Uncrustables trademarks · Lawsuit claims design, packaging, and colors are too similar · Trader Joe’s packaging includes crimped edges and […]
Intellectual Property: Man sues defendants over video game
Where a man plausibly alleged that he has registered marks related to his video game, and stated sufficient facts to show a likelihood of confusion between his mark and that of defendants, their motion to dismiss his trademark infringement claims was denied.
Judge questions $1.5B Anthropic-AI book piracy deal
Story highlights Judge William Alsup skeptical of $1.5B Anthropic settlement Authors allege 465,000 books were pirated to train Claude AI Publishers, Authors Guild face scrutiny over settlement role Case could […]
Intellectual Property: Photograph owner obtains default judgment against infringer
Where the defendant used the plaintiff’s photograph on its Facebook page without permission, the plaintiff prevailed on its copyright infringement claim. But because it did not show the infringement was willful, it received only a fraction of the damages it was seeking.
Developing an IP strategy for AI in a rapidly evolving legal landscape
Globally, many industries are experiencing intense competition as market leaders and would-be disruptors race to deploy artificial intelligence in products, services and business processes.
Intellectual Property: Injunction entered in patent infringement suit
Where a company was likely to prevail on its claim that defendants were infringing its patents, and showed that it would be irreparably harmed without injunctive relief, the court ordered […]
Timberland again refused trademark for design features
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused to overturn a lower court’s finding that the manufacturer of Timberland boots, TBL Licensing, failed to prove that certain features had acquired a distinctive meaning to warrant trademark protection under the Lanham Act.
Intellectual Property: Timberland boots denied Lanham Act protection
Where the manufacturer of Timberland boots argued that certain features were protected under the Lanham Act, but the features had not acquired a distinctive meaning, the application was denied. Background […]
Legal Tech
- Gemini Legal launches DraftEngine for civil litigation forms
- Lawyers continue to grapple with AI ethical issues
- Are AI prompts privileged? Time will tell
Verdicts & Settlements
- Medical Malpractice – Death from cancer followed stomach pain misdiagnosis
- Workers’ Compensation – Seasonal worker paralyzed in tobacco baler accident
- Medical Malpractice – Jurors side with doctor in suit over rescue surgery
- Motor Vehicle Negligence – Unicycle rider dies after being hit by car
- Premises Liability – Delivery driver injured by porch decking collapse
Opinion Digests
- Criminal – Allen charge wasn’t abuse of discretion
- Evidence – Expert’s exclusion from trial deemed harmless
- Parent and child – Mother held in contempt for violating visitation order
- Criminal – Court refuses to continue trial despite missing witness
- Criminal – Meth defendant wasn’t entitled to sentencing safety valve
- Tort – Comments about plaintiff were protected opinions
- Real Property – Condo unit owner challenges expansion plans
