Greetings, fellow science enthusiasts. Dr. Sheldon Cooper here. Of The Big Bang Theory fame. B.S., M.S., Ph.D., Sc.D. – OMG. (Ahem.) I am reporting to you – under some duress from my friends – on the most recent winners of the Ig® Nobel Awards. The Ig® Nobel Awards is a… more >
Patent reform is here, and havoc will reign. The America Invents Act has many new provisions to test patent law and patent lawyers for years to come. One of them is the new procedure for challenging newly issued patents, in what is called the Post-Grant Opposition procedure. I hope the… more >
Many useful inventions can trace their origins back to some basic research that had no clear practical application at the time. Like researching atomic theory, or studying the human genome or maybe “collecting whale snot.” OK, that sounds a bit crude, but in my defense, I’m reading directly from the… more >
Anybody can write bad(ly). But writing atrociously – the kind of effort that should subject the novelist to corporal punishment except everyone knows it’ll never happen ‘cuz most fiction writers aren’t in the Army (and would probably have a different rank if they were) – is both hard work and… more >
What if you invented a way to walk through solid walls? Think of the benefits to society, especially if the price of plywood for doors shoots up. Wouldn’t you want to get a patent for your invention? You bet. Which makes an explanation all the more inexplicable, regarding the patent… more >
Last October, the Ig Nobel Awards were given out in fun to researchers for work that never really deserved the light of day. For example, the Public Health Award was presented to the inventor of a brassiere that, in an emergency like an anthrax attack (but also of any other… more >
As any copyright lawyer worth her salt will tell you, it’s nearly impossible to own a copyright to a single sentence, title or slogan. Too bad for Bulwer-Lytton writing contestants. Inspired by the writings of the author of the famous, overly wordy opening sentence which began, “It was a dark… more >
(Reprint from Summer 2009 edition) Now that the recession is easing, it is high time to make our long-delayed peace overture toward the aliens of the Pleiadian star cluster. No one is more aware of this than inventor John St. Clair. His patent application for his invention of a “remote… more >
(Winter 2004) Look around on the Internet for currently marketed inventions, and you may come across Uncle Booger’s Bumper Dumper, protected by US patent no. 6,125,480. Since for some reason people seem to think I make this stuff up, I urge you take a glance at www.bumperdumper.com during your next… more >
(Fall 2007): A tradition here at LaRiviere, Grubman & Payne is our report on the annual winners of the “IgNoble Awards.” These awards are whimsically given out annually to researchers and inventors whose work has no business being undertaken in the first place. The awards are presented by real-life Nobel… more >
(Summer 2002) People! Congress is considering legislation to ban “spam” in our e-mail! This is intolerable. Spam, that processed pork product in a square can, is an American cultural icon. It must be preserved now. Now, most would say Spam couldn’t be more perfectly preserved if it were bathed in… more >
(Fall 1997) So, I'm browsing through my legal updates when I come across Urantia Fdn. v. Maaherra (114 F.3d 955). It begins, "This is a copyright dispute between parties who believe the copyrighted work, the Urantia Book, was authored by celestial beings and transcribed by mere mortals. Both parties believe… more >
(Winter 1997) Barney, that purple, saccharine dinosaur on kids' TV, has struck a sour note. Last month, his owners filed a trademark and copyright infringement suit against The Famous San Diego Chicken. His act at professional sporting events involves assaulting a Barney-like purple dinosaur. Barney seeks an injunction plus $100,000… more >
(Fall 1998) The "Seinfeld" TV series may be cancelled, but its legacy of probing cultural insights remains. I now know that it's not a lie if you believe. One must suffer for one's soup. Festivus celebrations may never be the same, but just because it's a "has been" doesn't mean… more >
(Winter 2002) Ever wonder why IBM got out of potty patents? Maybe its experience with its recently issued and abandoned business method patent 6,329,919 is a clue. Now, IBM takes patents and licensing seriously. They made $1.5 billion off them in 2001. So, it’s no surprise they are alert for… more >
OK, so maybe some news reporting doesn’t really cover “hard news.” CNN’s “Headline News” ain’t what it used to be. And maybe too many 20-somethings got most of their news about the election from Jon Stewart’s fake journalism in The Daily Show on Comedy Central Network. Perhaps we have read… more >
Patent lawyers are a strange breed. While forced to write patent claims with spotless grammar and diction to clearly convey [split infinitive] the meaning – no more, no less – than what they claim the invention to be, they must load up all the content of the claim (much as… more >
Howdy, folks. It’s the Ol’ Sage again. Maybe you recall, last time I was talkin’ ‘bout the Dude. Actually, I was really talkin’ ‘bout the Senate playin’ possum on patent re-form. Well, there’s playin’ possum and then there’s a bug-eyed skunk lyin’ like a pancake on the Interstate, with a… more >
This here’s the story about the Dude. This ain’t no ordinary story. But then, the Dude ain’t no ordinary man. Folks not from these parts call him John Dudas, Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. But we all call him the Dude. Although, I hear he don’t mind… more >
On July 9, 2007, Kent Couch flew his lawn chair for nine hours in Oregon, heading for the Idaho border. Now, I don't know if "Couch" is really his name, but it got picked up that way by the Associated Press. Had he landed in Idaho, maybe he would have… more >
On March 22, the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed suit in federal court for declaratory relief. The EFF sought judgment that a video posted on YouTube, entitled "Stop the Falsiness," be protected from Comedy Central's parent company (Viacom), which was demanding it be removed from the web. The video is a… more >
Sometimes, things slip through the cracks. You know how it is. You get busy. The insurance premium wasn't mailed. You meant to work on those darned taxes. You let a default be entered against you for oh, say $9,100,000. Happens every day. So you can sympathize with Ray Lopez. Seems… more >
China should be a-Buzz. With the roll-out of the movie "Toy Story" in China and an unprecedented marketing blitz to push related watches, apparel, books and toys, Disney hoped to cash in. Promotional tie-ins were struck with McDonalds and Kodak. Only problem: except for the home-grown counterfeits, the toys are… more >