Here is Think IP Strategy’s weekly selection of top Online intellectual property news breaking in the blogosphere and internet.

 

Highlights this week included:

Internet Defence League creates “cat signal” to save Web from next SOPA (Ars Technica)  (The 1709 Blog) (EFF)

ND California: RIM fined $8 per phone in patent violation ruling: Mformation Technologies v Research in Motion (Out-Law) (Patent Law Practice Center) (FOSS Patents)

 

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 – Copyright

More copyright treaties sprouting at WIPO (IP Watch)

Internet Defence League creates “cat signal” to save Web from next SOPA (Ars Technica)  (The 1709 Blog) (EFF)

PayPal terms require file-sharing operators to let it monitor for pirate content (Out-Law)

Why the European Commission’s assurances on ACTA & CETA don’t add up (Michael Geist)

Standing on the shoulders of giant nerds – cumulative innovation in the computer gaming industry (IPKat)

Google builds largest database of links to pirated media (TorrentFreak)

 

Global – Trade Marks & Domain Names

Why defensive domain name registrations aren’t a good deal for small businesses (Technology & Marketing Law Blog)

ICANN’s public comment forums: an explanation (Class 46)

ITU cautious on transparency of new Telecom Regulations (IP Watch)

 

Global – Patents

Will Smartphone wars set the stage for patent reform? (IP Solutions Blog)

Sale shows that Digg’s real value was all in intangibles (IAM)

Companies worth $1 trillion are suing others over Android’s alleged patent infringement  (FOSS Patents) (IAM)

MIPS could get a welcome payday from ARM licensees by troll-proofing its patents (IAM)

 

Canada

Beyond users’ rights: Supreme Court entrenches technological neutrality as a new copyright principle: ESAC v SOCAN (Michael Geist) (IP Osgoode)

Rogers v. SOCAN: The SCC streamlines its stance on on-demand streaming (IP Osgoode)

SOCAN v Bell: A victory for fair dealing, consumers? (iTunes song previews case) (IP Osgoode) (Spicy IP)

Considering Canada’s Supreme Court decisions in this week’s WIPO proceedings (IP Watch)

Canada excluded from next round of TPP negotiations (Michael Geist)

 

Denmark

Pirates want to go legal but convenience, choice & availability come first – Danish government introduces initiative to create better legal alternatives (TorrentFreak)

 

Europe

Making special things simple: a good idea but not for a trademark: CJEU decision in C-311/11 P Smart Technologies ULC v OHIM (IPKat)

CJEU: Pie Optiek court qualifies concept of trade mark licence: Case C-376/11 Pie Optiek SPRL v Bureau Gevers SA, European Registry for Internet Domains ABSL (Class 46) (IPKat)

 

France

12 July – French Cour de cassation issued four noteworthy decisions in respect of online copyright infringement (all involving Google!) (The 1709 Blog)

Cour de Cassation: Court may order Google to censor ‘Torrent,’ ‘RapidShare’ and ‘Megaupload’: Le Syndicat national de l’eidtion phonographique v Google (TorrentFreak)

 

Germany

BGH decisions – German sublicensees enjoy protection even after termination of main licence (IP finance)

Top German court says RapidShare must monitor link sites for piracy (Ars Technica) (TorrentFreak)

 

India

‘Shaadi.com’ introduces spicy new twist to existing trademark battle involving Google, ‘Bharat-Matrimony’ etc. (Spicy IP)

 

Indonesia

ISPs in Indonesia plan to block illegal downloads (IP Komodo)

 

Mexico

Mexican IP Office hopes to persuade Senate on ACTA (IP Watch)

 

Netherlands

Amsterdam District Court: Rights group fined for not paying artist for anti-piracy ad (TorrentFreak)

 

New Zealand

Dotcom extradition judge steps down after “U.S. enemy” comment (TorrentFreak) (Ars Technica)

 

Senegal

Copyright licensing brings you Youtube Senegal (Afro-IP)

 

United Kingdom

Government should legislate on web browsing copyright issue, says media monitoring firm (Out-Law)

Speedy copyright law change process is extended to regulations carrying 10 year jail term (Out-Law)

Music industry body, BPI, will demand removal of 12 million pirate files in 2012, says report (Out-Law)

 

United States

US Patents

Congressional hearing highlights concern over ITC import bans sought by trolls and FRAND abusers (FOSS Patents)

Posner’s dismissals of the patent infringement suits in Apple versus Motorola cites eBay and compulsory licensing (KEI)

Judge blasts colleagues for defying SCOTUS, allowing financial software patent: CLS Bank v Alice Corp (Ars Technica)

 

US Patents – Decisions

CAFC once again denies stay of preliminary injunction against Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1: Apple v Samsung (FOSS Patents)

CAFC: Deciding foreign case law, certifying questions and patent assignments: WiLAN v Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton (Patently-O)

ND California: RIM fined $8 per phone in patent violation ruling: Mformation Technologies v Research in Motion (Out-Law) (Patent Law Practice Center) (FOSS Patents)

WD Pennsylvania: Removal of App from Apple iTunes store did not constitute irreparable harm sufficient for preliminary injunction: Semantic Compaction Systems et al v Speak For Yourself (Docket Report)

ED Texas: “Highly modulated surface” renders claim indefinite: Advance Display Technologies v AU Optronics Corporation (Docket Report) (EDTexweblog.com)

 

US Patents – Lawsuits and strategic steps

Apple – Judge tells Apple how to rework its Qualcomm-related patent exhaustion case against Motorola (FOSS Patents)

Apple – ND California: Proposed jury instructions show that Apple has Samsung on the run (FOSS Patents)

Apple – Apple contacted US carriers and retailers to demand removal of banned Samsung products (FOSS Patents)

Cascades Computer – Knowledge for indirect infringement may be pled based upon original complaint: Cascades Computer Innovation v Sony-Ericsson Mobile (Chicago IP Litigation Blog)

Google – ED Texas order on narrowing of claims, claim terms and prior art references: Unified Messaing Solutions v Facebook/Google (EDTexweblog.com)

HTC – HTC countersues Apple over two U.S. patents it recently acquired from HP (FOSS Patents)

Intellectual Ventures Management – ALJ Gildea grants renewed motion to terminate investigation as to Nanya respondents in Certain Dynamic Random Access Memory And NAND Flash Memory Devices (337-TA-803) (ITC 337 Law Blog)

Microsoft – Motorola Mobility appeals U.S. Android import ban won by Microsoft (FOSS Patents)

Microsoft – ITC Import ban on Motorola’s Android products takes effect Wednesday but Motorola has a plan to maintain device availability in the US (Ars Technica)

Microsoft – Google’s Motorola Mobility must remove scheduling feature to import devices into the U.S. (FOSS Patents)

Microsoft – WD Washington: Motorola Mobility brings motion to limit scope of November trial in Microsoft FRAND case (FOSS Patents)

Microsoft – WD Washington: Judge stays Microsoft-Motorola non-FRAND federal claims, Android import ban takes effect (FOSS Patents)

Microsoft – Microsoft says Google ‘committed to license’ Motorola’s H.264 patents to it under the MPEG LA agreement (FOSS Patents)

Nokia – Google picks up Nokia’s gauntlet, asks ITC for permission to join HTC as co-defendant (FOSS Patents)

ObjectVideo – ALJ Shaw rules on various motions in Certain Video Analytics Software (337-TA-795) (ITC 337 Law Blog) (ITC 337 Law Blog)

Vigilos – Infringement contentions must “address each product separately” – grouping by functionality is insufficient: Vigilos v Sling Media (Docket Report)

 

US Copyright

US “six strikes” anti-piracy scheme will roll out gradually (TorrentFreak)

Cord cutting is the new file-sharing (TorrentFreak)

Kim Dotcom sings: Are you going to fix this Mr President? (TorrentFreak)

YouTube restores Obama videos, refuses to explain takedown policies (Ars Technica)

Music publisher BMG uses DMCA to take down Romney ad of Obama crooning (Ars Technica) (EFF) (The 1709 Blog)

Yes, video of Obama belting out “I’m so in love with you” is fair use – BMG continues censorship campaign with second takedown notice (Ars Technica)

Abusing copyright to stifle dissent & censor critics – Dan Bull’s parody clip pulled from YouTube (TorrentFreak)

Another problematic acronym – the IPAA (Spicy IP)

 

US Copyright – Decisions

CD California: Artists score victory in mass-piracy lawsuit against CBS, CNET: David et al v CBS Interactive et al (TorrentFreak)

 

US Copyright – Lawsuits and strategic steps

Aereo – Court won’t shut down Aereo before trial; round 2 begins for Internet TV startup (EFF)

Google – Google wants Oracle back in court on August 23 — but next time they’ll meet will be in Washington DC (FOSS Patents)

Megaupload – Kim Dotcom predicts victory in war with Hollywood (Ars Technica)

Megaupload – Megaupload: US government trying to rewrite the rules (TorrentFreak)

Megaupload – Feds say US ties make Megaupload subject to criminal law (Ars Technica)

Megaupload – Feds drag rapper Swizz Beatz into Megaupload case (TorrentFreak)

 

US Trade Marks & Domain Names – Decisions

ED NewYork: PissedConsumer defeats trademark claim…on a motion to dismiss!?: deVere v. Opinion Corp. (Technology & Marketing Law Blog)