The document outlines significant developments in intellectual property law focusing on copyright, rights of publicity, patent, and trademark law as of 2015. It highlights key legal cases that impact areas such as fair use, software patentability, and advertising claims. Additionally, it provides strategies for protecting intellectual property, especially for software developers.

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Focus on Intellectual Property for New Media
Taking Stock in
Developing IP Law

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2
1 Copyright
2 Rights of Publicity
3 Patents
4 Trademark

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Key Developments in
Copyright Law

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Calling Balls and Strikes
FAIR USE
DECISIONS

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1DVRs Okay, Copying to
Remove Ads Not
Fox Broad. Co. v. Dish Network, LLC, No. 2:12-cv-04529-DMG-
SH (C.D. Cal. Jan. 12, 2015)

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2
Digital Reproductions
of Images Okay to Sell
Physical Products
Rosen v. eBay, Inc., No. 2:13-cv-06801-MWF-E (C.D. Cal. Jan.
16, 2015)

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3
Reproducing Photos on
Commercial Social
Media Page Iffy
N. Jersey Media Grp., Inc. v. Pirro, No.1:13-cv-07153-ER
(S.D.N.Y. Feb. 10, 2015)

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4Indexing Video and
Providing Clips Okay
Fox News Network, LLC v. TVEyes, Inc., No. 1:13-cv-05315-AKH
(S.D.N.Y. Sept. 9, 2014)

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5
Limited Recreation and
Use of Film Scenes
Okay
Arrow Prods., Ltd. v. The Weinstein Co., LLC, No. 1:13-cv-05488-
TPG (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 25, 2014)

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6
Artistic Recreation of
Photograph for T-Shirt
Okay
Kienitz v. Sconnie Nation, LLC, 766 F.3d 756 (7th Cir. 2014)

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Inclusion of Sculpture
In Architectural Photos
Okay
Neri v. Monroe, No. 11-cv-429-slc (W.D. Wis. Feb. 26, 2014)

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8Digitizing and Indexing
Books Okay
Authors Guild, Inc. v. Google Inc., 954 F. Supp. 2d 282 (S.D.N.Y.
2013)

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Actor Expression
COPYRIGHT IN
PERFORMANCE
Garcia v. Google, No. 12-57302 (9th Cir. May 18 2015) (en banc)

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Copyright in Code
PROTECTING API
INTERFACES
Oracle v. Google, 750 F.3d 1339 (Fed. Cir. 2014)

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Short on Nutrition
SHORT ON
COPYRIGHT
Gorski v. Gymboree Corp., No. 14-CV-01314 (N.D. Cal. July 16,
2014)

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Key Developments in
Rights of Publicity Law

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1
Congratulating
Celebrity in Ad
Probably Not Okay
Michael Jordan v. Jewel Food Stores, Inc, Case No. 12 1992 (7th
Cir., Feb. 19, 2014)

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2
Selling Stylized Image of
Historically Significant
Figure Okay
Rosa Parks and Raymond ParksInstitute for Self Development v.
Target Corporation, No. 2:12-CV-817 (M.D. Ala. Feb. 9, 2015).

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3
Focus on Realistic
Replication of Key
Figures Not Okay
Keller v. Elec. Arts, 724 F.3d 1268 (9th Cir. 2013)
Davis v. Elec. Arts, No. 12-15737 (9th Cir. Jan. 6, 2015)

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Reproduction of
Historically Significant
Figures Okay
Noriega v. Activision/Blizzard, No. BC 551747, Slip Op. (Sup. Ct.
Cal. Oct. 27, 2014)

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Key Developments in
Patent Law

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The New Reality For
SOFTWARE
PATENTABILITY

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The Supreme Court
Changed Everything
Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank, 134 S.Ct. 2347 (2014)

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1 Is the claim directed to
an abstract idea?

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2
Do the claim elements
add significantly more
than the abstract idea?

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CONFUSED?
(Most are)

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Here’s What We Know

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1It’s brutal out there for
software patent owners
Post Alice Federal Circuit
decisions related to software
patentability:
(It’s worse at the district court)

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2
Fundamental economic
and financial processes
are abstract
Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank, 134 S.Ct. 2347 (2014)

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3Data structures are
probably abstract
Content Extraction v. Wells Fargo, 776 F.3d 1343 (Fed. Cir. 2014)

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4
Traditional ways of
doing business are
abstract
Ultramercial v. Hulu, 772 F.3d 709 (Fed. Cir. 2014)

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If it can be done with a
pencil and paper, it’s
abstract
Synopsys v. Mentor Graphics, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6333 (N.D.
Cal. Jan 20, 2015)

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Computer automation
will not overcome an
abstract idea
Synopsys v. Mentor Graphics, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6333 (N.D.
Cal. Jan 20, 2015)

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7
Using typical building
blocks will not
overcome abstract idea
Open Text v. Box, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6309 (N.D. Cal.
Jan 20, 2015)

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What Software Developers
Can Do To Protect IP

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1
Focus on claims that
solve technology
problems
DDR Holdings v. Hotels.com, 773 F.3d 1245 (Fed. Cir. 2014)

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2
Highlight counter-
intuitive uses of known
technologies
DDR Holdings v. Hotels.com, 773 F.3d 1245 (Fed. Cir. 2014)

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3
Incorporate hardware
elements into your
software claims
Bascom Research v. LinkedIn, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4606 (N.D.
Cal. Jan. 2, 2015)

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4
Be detailed in your
specification and
claims
HP v. ServiceNow, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 29384 (N.D. Cal. Mar.
10, 2015)

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5
Keep focus on
specialized algorithms
and data structures
HP v. ServiceNow, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 29384 (N.D. Cal. Mar.
10, 2015)

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6 Do not forget about
copyright

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7
Consider choosing to
protect software as a
trade secret

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Defending the Castle
NEW TOOLS
AND NEW
APPROACHES

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1
New USPTO PGRs Have
Reshaped Joint
Defense Strategy

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2
Greater Opportunity to
Distribute Prior Art
Search

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3
Early and Sustained
Coordination Is
Essential

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4
But Knowing When To
Go It Alone Can Be
Critical To Success

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Key Developments in
Trademark Law

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1
Deceptive Adverting
Claims Not Limited To
Direct Competitors
Lexmark Int'l, Inc. v. Static Control Components, Inc., 134 S. Ct.
1377, 1395 (2014)

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2
The Demise of the
Presumption of
Irreparable Harm
Ferring Pharms., Inc. v. Watson Pharms., Inc., 765 F.3d 205, 215
(3d Cir. 2014)
Herb Reed Enters., LLC v. Fla. Entm't Mgmt., Inc., 736 F.3d 1239,
1249 (9th Cir. 2013)

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3
Offering Service
Insufficient for “Used in
Commerce”
Couture v. Playdom, Inc., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 3135 (Fed. Cir.
2015).

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Seth A. Northrop
Silicon Valley
SNorthrop@robinskaplan.com
650.784.4012