Michelle McCliman Intellectual Property Law Blog

Silicon Valley exploded with the concomitant explosion of the value of
intellectual property.  In fact, Silicon Valley companies often use
their patent portfolios to use against rivals.  Sometimes this manifests
itself in a cross-license of patents, or the wrangling of a license
fee, or some other type of concession from a company's rivals.  Because
these companies realized the value of intellectual property, oftentimes a
business... Read More

Sometimes I think that intellectual property attorneys have no sense of
humor.  A lawyer for a billboard company made a dog owner trying to get
her dog on the Ellen DeGeneres show take down her billboard depicting
her dog dressed like Ellen.  The billboard attorney claims that the
Ellen DeGeneres show asked to have the billboard taken down, but
representatives for the show said they did not know about the sign. 
Another interesting... Read More

As I blogged earlier regarding counterfeit wines, Chinese consumers,
especially upwardly mobile ones, are consuming higher end goods.  Well, a
recent article in the Wall Street Journal reports that some Chinese
consumers are losing their appetite for fake or counterfeit items.  This
is news given that the Chinese have been the headliners for
intellectual property theft for quite some time.  Indeed, many a blog
post on this particular blog... Read More

Well, I guess it was just a matter of time until the resourceful
knock off artists targeted high end wines.  Given that China's upwardly
mobile citizens are quick to show off their new wealth and supposed
sophistication.  The Chinese are apparently using their new wealth to
consume imported wine and other luxuries.  This, in turn, has led
foreign producers into looking to unlock the lucrative Chinese market. 
According to the... Read More

Last year, Facebook began utilizing ads it called "Sponsored Stories." 
When a Facebook friend clicked "Like" on a product, page, or company,
Facebook automatically created an ad for that site including the
friend's name and photo.  Because California is one of the few states
that has a right of publicity law (i.e. making it illegal to use a
person's name, image, or likeness without consent), several Facebook
users sued... Read More

In the age of increased social media where many more are embracing and
putting their lives and thoughts on Facebook, Twitter, and other social
media avenues, employees beware.  Everyone at some point complains about
their job, their bosses, or their co-workers.  Just keep in mind when
those complaints appear in the social media realm, it is not "private." 
Here are some ways not to cause a career implosion on social media.

... Read More

              0;  So,
apparently, Lindsay Lohan did not like Pitbull’s lyric: “got locked up like
Lindsay Lohan.”  The lyric appears in
Pitbull’s song, “Give Me Everything.” 
Clearly, her legal bills must be mounting because she sued Pitbull in
New York state court for royalties for the use of her name. ... Read More

Don't leave your intellectual property assets unprotected.  Every company with intangible assets should conduct an IP Audit and implement a plan to protect its intellectual property rights.  ... Read More