Here is Think IP Strategy’s weekly selection of top Online intellectual property news breaking in the blogosphere and internet.
Highlights this week included:
District Court E D Texas dimisses 6,374 John Does defendants in LFP Internet group cases (The Houston Lawyer Blog) (EFF) (TorrentFreak) (Ars Technica)
Please join the discussion by adding your comments on any of these stories, and please do let us know if you think we’ve missed something important, or if there is a source you think should be monitored.
Global
Global – General
The year of the intermediary (1709 Copyright Blog)
Hey Colonel, Facebook me the 11 secret herbs & spices – Protecting your IP from the slimy fingers of social media (Patent Baristas)
Global – Copyright
Copyright 2.0 show – Episode 185 – MPAA sues Hotfile, White House promises copyright reform, Ofcom deadline for 3 strikes (PlagiarismToday)
RIAA labels Spain and Canada as piracy havens (TorrentFreak)
Global – Trade Marks & Domain Names
Microsoft adopts Google-style trademark policy for keyword advertising (Technology & Marketing Law Blog)
WIPO could enter growing fray over Internet domain takedowns (IP Watch)
Australia
Books without Borders – Has the Internet killed off the giant bookseller? (IP Whiteboard) (IP Whiteboard)
No copyright in White and Yellow Pages (IP Now)
Microsoft tops Australian patent grants for 2010 (Patentology)
Canada
Leaving millions on the table: Pandora and Canadian music (Michael Geist)
Weak copyright laws? Recording industry files massive lawsuit against isoHunt (Michael Geist) (TorrentFreak)
BC Court of Appeal upholds Internet ad keyword decision: Private Career Training Institutions Agency v Vancouver Career College (Michael Geist) (Canadian Trademark Blog)
Nortel sale delayed as doubts emerge about $1 billion valuation (IAM)
To mix or not to mix: Bill C-32 ‘mash up’ provision is getting attention (IP Osgoode)
Pulling a fast one?: Who is really hurt by C-32’s missing fair dealing circumvention exception (Michael Geist)
Copyright lobby group makes the case for flexible digital lock rules (Michael Geist)
Europe
Belgians, Brits can carry on watching World Cup footie for free: Cases T-385/07, T-55/08 and T-68/08 FIFA and UEFA v Commission (IPKat)
Nigeria
Nigeria develops own IP for voter registration (Afro-IP)
Spain
Spanish Academy Awards tainted by anti-piracy law controversy (TorrentFreak)
United Kingdom
Court confirms: IP addresses aren’t people (and P2P lawyers know it): Media CAT v Adams (Ars Technica)
UK’s Ofcom to review controversial website-blocking powers in Digital Economy Act 2010 (IP Osgoode)
United States
US General
Settlers of Catan makes legal threats: Can it back them up? (Hint: No) (Public Knowledge)
US Patent Reform
Phelps on patent reform, the mobile wars and RPX, among other things (IAM)
US Patents – Decisions
District Court E D Missouri: Bilski invalidates patent claims for computerized system for tracking insurance policies: Bancorp v Sun Life (Docket Report)
District Court C D California: Web commerce claims incorporating ‘integrated database management’ element are not invalid under Bilski: Big Baboon v Dell (Docket Report)
District Court N D Illinois: Defendant of frivolous lawsuit is entitled to award of pre-judgment interest on attorneys’ fee award: Nilssen et al v General Electric Co (Docket Report)
District Court Delaware: Amended infringement contentions failing to address court’s claim construction as ordered warrants sanction: In Re: Papst Licensing Digital Camera Patent Litigation – MDL (Docket Report)
District Court E D Texas: patent on ‘collateralized loans’ survives Bilski, despite failing the MOT test: H&R Block v Jackson Hewitt (Peter Zura’s 271 Patent Blog)
US Patents – Lawsuits and strategic steps
Google – Google takes Oracle’s Android case to the Patent Office (Reexamination Alert) (Patentology)
Nintendo – ALJ Rogers terminates investigation in Certain Video Game Systems and Controllers (ITC 337 Update)
NTP – NTP patent reexamination appeals heard at CAFC (Patents Post-Grant) (Patents Post-Grant)
Pioneer – ALJ Charneski issues public version of initial determination in Certain Multimedia Display And Navigation Devices And Systems (337-TA-694) (ITC 337 Law Blog)
Rambus – ALJ Essex issues initial determination amending complaint and order on procedural schedules in Certain Semiconductor Chips and Products Containing Same Inv. No. 337-TA-753 (ITC 337 Update)
Sony – Sony files new 337 complaint regarding Certain Display Devices, Including Digital Televisions and Monitors (ITC 337 Law Blog)
US Copyright
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on targeting websites dedicated to stealing American IP – Public Knowledge tells Senate to use caution in Internet copyright enforcement (Public Knowledge)
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on targeting websites dedicated to stealing American IP – With us or against us? That is not the question (Public Knowledge)
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on targeting websites dedicated to stealing American IP – Authors’ Guild president: BitTorrent is to movies what ‘bolt-cutters are to stealing bikes’ (Ars Technica)
DMCA copyright policies: staying in the safe harbors while protecting your users (EFF)
Hollywood Usenet enemy #1 never gets DMCA takedown notices (TorrentFreak)
US Pirate Party platform – abolish the DMCA! (Copyright Litigation Blog)
Columbia law expert on telecom, copyright to FTC (IP Watch)
US Copyright – Decisions
District Court C D California confirms no fair use exception to digital lock provisions under the DMCA: USA v Matthew Crippen (IP Osgoode)
District Court E D Texas: Another Texas judge scrutinises mass copyright litigation: Steve Hardeman LLC v. Does 1-168; Serious Bidness LLC v. Does 1-109; Funimation Entmn’t v. Does 1,337; Adult Source Media v. Does 1-247 and Harmony Films Ltd v. Does 1-739 (EFF)
District Court E D Texas dimisses 6,374 John Does defendants in LFP Internet group cases (The Houston Lawyer Blog) (EFF) (TorrentFreak) (Ars Technica)
US Copyright – Lawsuits and strategic steps
Liberty Media – Copyright lawsuit is alleged to be Liberty Media gay porn extortion plot against University of Michigan, Manhattan College (Copyright Litigation Blog)
Liberty Media – File-sharers start handing over $1000 each in bizarre amnesty program (TorrentFreak)