July 9th 2008
We were describing the need to understand video search as a new arena of legal interest. Gotuit Media Inc., has sued Microsoft, claiming Silverlight infringes on three of its patents that involve making movies searchable. The Gotuit software allows for the insertion of searchable text data into a movie. Silverlight also allows for the insertion […]
July 8th 2008
On the day Microsoft announced its plan to acquire Yahoo back in February, I posted my doubts that Microhoo would be established within a year, which was then the media and company line. While supporting Carl Icahn’s proxy fight and pressuring Yahoo’s board may get a Yahoo deal on the table, this will also underscore the anti-competitive […]
June 29th 2008
Nike has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) in the Federal District Court for the District of Oregon over the use of the term “Dri-FIT.” Dri-FIT is a trademark of Nike.
June 9th 2008
North Oaks, Minnesota, population 4,500, has sent Google Maps a big message: “Go away, and don’t come back.” You see, in North Oaks the roads are privately owned by the residents. So when the Googlemobile toured North Oaks and photographed people’s homes from the street, it was technically trespassing. That’s what the North Oaks City Council […]
February 25th 2008
Corynne McSherry and Eric Goldman have posted a joint warning about proposals being considered by the the Trademark Litigation subcommittee of the American Bar Association’s IP Section. Several expert sources (quoted below) have already written about this, and I add some thoughts to theirs after that.
February 23rd 2008
When you type a phrase like “Ford models” into a search engine, you aren’t necessarily searching for the Ford Motor Company. You may be searching for information from news sources to learn if Ford tires still catch fire. If that were the case, you’d probably want an disinterested analysis from outside the company. Or you […]
February 11th 2008
Yahoo’s board concluded on Friday that Microsoft’s unsolicited offer “massively undervalues” the company. The Wall St. Journal noted Yahoo’s position in the online display advertising market, where it leads both Google and Microsoft. Additionally, it suggested the board would cite that Microsoft underestimated the risk of regulatory approval, and its effect on Yahoo’s business. The […]
February 1st 2008
Today, Microsoft confirmed what years of speculation predicted, they will attempt to buy Yahoo. While this is an obvious move from a business sense, there are formidable regulatory hurdles ahead. Yet, sources as objective as Yahoo News and MSNBC minimize the risk of regulatory review. To be fair, so does most of the US media which echos them. […]
November 13th 2007
Facebook’s latest roll-out saw CEO Mark Zuckerman flanked by a cadre of blue-chip advertisers, new Microsoft investment, and a big new idea. Facebook says it’s positioned to drive “product demand” and create a potential new 400-billion-dollar-a-year marketing channel through Social Ads. The plan is to use members’ online statements and actions as content, to be included […]
November 6th 2007
The Case: Domain Magic LLC, a Florida-based company, registered the domain chicagoarchitecturefoundation.org. They developed a website about Chicago-area attractions, then passively generated revenue through Google AdWords. The Chicago Architecture Foundation sued for trademark infringement in Illinois. Domain Magic filed a motion to dismiss the case for lack of personal jurisdiction, noting they had not conducted […]
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