Right to use HHGregg’s name and other intellectual property fetches just $400,000
A small, little-known company purchased at auction the company’s intellectual property rights, besting a bid by a large retailer with a household name.
Intellectual property
Articles
Carmel-based company wins patent case at U.S. Supreme Court
The justices ruled unanimously Monday that patent infringement lawsuits can be filed only in states where defendants are incorporated. The case was sparked by an appeal from Carmel-based TC Heartland LLC.
U.S. Supreme Court to hear appeal by Carmel firm over IP lawsuits
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider putting sharp new limits on where patent-infringement lawsuits can be filed, accepting a case that may undercut patent owners’ ability to channel cases to favorable courts.
Splenda owner sues Dunkin’ Donuts over knockoff sweetener
Carmel-based Heartland Consumer Products LLC, which owns the rights to the Splenda brand, says Dunkin’ Donuts uses a knockoff sweetener but leads customers to believe it uses Splenda.
Bipartisan trade secrets bill passed by U.S. Senate
The Senate easily passed a bill Monday allowing corporations to make a federal case of the theft of trade secrets, but a broader patent-law overhaul backed by businesses including Eli Lilly and Co. faces a rougher road.
Texas A&M, Colts settle ’12th Man’ trademark suit
Texas A&M University says it has reached a settlement agreement with the Indianapolis Colts in the school's federal lawsuit it says was meant to protect its "12th Man" trademark from infringement.
Taft bolsters IP practice by snatching 10 lawyers from rival
In one fell swoop, the law firm more than doubled the size of its intellectual property team with the additions it scored from Krieg DeVault. The move could bring as much as $10 million in annual revenue to Taft.
PELLEGRINO: Where do entrepreneurs go wrong when innovation is a core value?
The optimism bias creates a common expectation and perception of innovation value versus real value.
Purdue balks at use of its brand in panned film
Purdue University officials are asking their legal counsel to look into a new movie that makes frequent references to the school despite its refusal to grant permission to use official trademarks and logos.
Aereo court ruling sidesteps cloud-computing questions
As Aereo Inc.’s streaming-TV service was dealt a potentially fatal blow Wednesday, the cloud-computing industry was more concerned about what the U.S. Supreme Court didn’t say.
Trademark board rules against Redskins name
The U.S. Patent Office ruled Wednesday that the Washington Redskins nickname is "disparaging of Native Americans" and that the team's federal trademarks for the name must be canceled.
NCAA reaches $20M settlement of video game claims
The agreement was announced hours before the NCAA went to federal court in California to defend itself against a class-action lawsuit from former players over use of their images in broadcasts and video games.
Patent lawsuits limited by Supreme Court in two rulings
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against patent holders in two cases Monday, rejecting a legal theory used to sue technology companies and requiring patents to be written with more specific language.
EA Sports to settle with NCAA athletes for $40 million
The settlement is with Electronic Arts and Collegiate Licensing Co., which licenses and markets college sports, and does not include the NCAA. A separate case against the Indianapolis-based NCAA is scheduled for trial early next year.
Lilly trade-secret defendants released to home detention
The court noted that after the government filed a second indictment March 12, the trade-secret theft claims against Guoqing Cao and Shuyu Li were changed to wire fraud, and aiding and abetting and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Attorney sues hundreds over use of Indy skyline photo
Attorney Richard Bell says he has found about 300 people using a photo on their websites that he took back in 2000. His aggressive litigation against them raises vital questions about fair use and theft in the Internet age.
Patent ‘troll’ label gets Congress to ponder what’s in a name
“Troll” is a term without clear definition and yet it’s being used to push Congress and the Supreme Court to curb abusive litigation. Companies including Eli Lilly warn against damaging a centuries-old system designed to promote advances in science and industry.
BidPal battles ‘cybersquatter’ over online domains
The Indianapolis-based fundraising-software developer claims it is the victim of cybersquatting, according to a federal lawsuit it filed against InterMediaOne and InterMediaOne-AGM.
Rival’s lawsuit could delay launch of new Lilly insulin
Paris-based Sanofi sued Eli Lilly and Co. on Thursday for patent infringement. That suit triggers an automatic 30-month delay on Lilly’s plans to launch a similar version of Sanofi’s once-a-day insulin Lantus.
Man charged with trying to send Iran fighter-jet documents
Mozaffar Khazaee, a native of Iran who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1991 and recently moved to Indianapolis, was arrested before he was able to board a connecting flight to Frankfurt.