Wednesday, January 22, 2014

(BN) SAP, King.com, AARP, Palin: Intellectual Property

(Bloomberg ) The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a $391 million judgment against software maker SAP AG (SAP) in a patent-infringement dispute over database management tools.

The justices yesterday, without comment, turned away an appeal by the largest maker of business-management software.

The case is SAP America Inc. v. Versata Software Inc., 13-716.

Amazon Gets Patent on Shipping Things Before They're Ordered

Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), the world's largest online retailer, was awarded a patent for an invention that would enable the shipping of merchandise before the customer places the order.

Patent 8,625,473, issued Dec. 24, covers a method and system for anticipatory package shipping. Seattle-based Amazon said in the application that one drawback to online shopping is the delay between when the order is placed and the merchandise is received by the customer.

The patent envisions the shipping of merchandise to a geographical area without specifying the delivery address at the time of shipment. While the package is in transit, the complete delivery address can be supplied.

Trademark

Candy Crush Saga Game Maker Seeks to Register 'Candy'

King.com Ltd., the maker of "Candy Crush Saga," the game played on Facebook Inc.'s social media pages and Apple Inc. products, wants to register "candy" as a trademark.

According to the database of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Malta-based company said it will use the mark with products including underpants, earmuffs, swimsuits, party planning, gambling services and amusement parks, as well as electronic-game services. The company said in its application that it began using the mark in commerce in February 2013.

AARP Wins Default Judgment in Insurance Infringement Suit

AARP, the Washington-based advocacy group for older Americans, was awarded about $600,000 in a trademark lawsuit over life-insurance branding.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on Jan. 17 ordered the award, which includes $17,150.40 in attorney fees, against a defendant who offered to sell AARP life insurance even though he didn't sell any AARP-branded policies.

Because the defendant, Michael Sycle of Toms River, New Jersey, didn't respond to court filings, the award was made as a default judgment.

The case is AARP v. Sycle, 13-cv-00608, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia (Washington).

Copyright

China Arrests Almost 60,000 for IP Violations, Xinhua Says

China said it arrested almost 60,000 people in 2013 suspected of copyright piracy and other intellectual-property infringements, the Xinhua news service reported.

Gao Feng of the Ministry of Public Security said the suspects were involved in 55,180 cases, according to Xinhua.

China worked with Interpol, the World Customs Organization and foreign law enforcement agencies, Gao said, according to Xinhua.

Sarah Palin's Copyright-Infringement Suit Moved to New Jersey

A copyright-infringement lawsuit against former vice U.S. presidential candidate Sarah Palin is to be moved to federal court in New Jersey, a New York judge ordered.

North Jersey Media Group Inc. sued Palin in September for unauthorized use of the iconic photo of firefighters raising a flag on the ruins of the World Trade Center. Palin sought to have the case dismissed or, barring that, moved to her home state of Alaska.

U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein in Manhattan refused to dismiss the case and said Jan. 17 that the most convenient forum for the case is New Jersey.

The case is North Jersey Media Group Inc., v. SaraPac, 13-cv-06494, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

Trade Secrets/Industrial Espionage

Wacker Chemie Secrets Theft Brings Two-Year Prison Sentence

A chemist who admitted to stealing trade secrets related to silicone-based products from a Michigan unit of Munich's Wacker Chemie AG (WCH) was sentenced to two years in prison and told to pay a $7,500 fine, according to a Jan. 17 court order.

The chemist, Michael Kodzo Agodoa, also was sentenced to three years of supervised release after he leaves prison.

The case is U.S. v. Agodoa, 13-cr-20525, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit).


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