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Lizzie Borden's Hometown Museum Wins Rights to Name

Fall River bed and breakfast keeps accused murderer's brand local

(Newser) - Lizzie Borden would be so proud. Merchandise bearing her name is now the exclusive property of her hometown Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast in Fall River, Mass., the Boston Globe reports. The B&B prevailed before the US Patent and Trademark Office in securing the rights to the infamous spinster’...

EU Parliament Next Stop for Pro-Piracy Party

Swedish group's membership up 215% after Pirate Bay case

(Newser) - Swedish pirates could soon be invading the European parliament, the Times of London reports. The Pirate Party, a political group whose sole aim is encouraging Internet copyright infringement, is poised to win several seats in next month’s elections. “The plan is Sweden, Europe, the world—in that order,...

Suit Challenges Patenting of Cancer Genes

(Newser) - A group of breast cancer and ovarian cancer patients has filed suit against the Patent Office for allowing a company to patent two human genes, the Courthouse News Service reports. The plaintiffs, who also include medical organizations and the ACLU, allege that Myriad Genetics' patents on the BRCA1 and BRCA2...

Discovery Sues Kindle, Claims Patent Infringement

Firm alleges it owns e-book reader's encryption technology

(Newser) - Kindle is catching more legal flak. Discovery Communications—best known for the similarly named cable channel—says Amazon infringed on its patent for electronic book technology, Reuters reports. It's seeking unspecified damages. The Kindle also has taken heat from publishers because of its text-to-speech technology, which could cut into sales...

Google to Fight All Patent Lawsuits
Google to Fight All Patent Lawsuits
Feb 18, 2009 4:11 PM CST

Google to Fight All Patent Lawsuits

Search firm worries it's seen as easy target for settlements

(Newser) - Google is pursuing a more aggressive litigation strategy in an attempt to curb the number of patent lawsuits filed against it, Bloomberg reports. The company originally tended to settle lawsuits, getting rid of them quickly. But management is worried that doling out settlements has made it look like an easy...

Glaxo to Cut Drug Prices in Developing World

No. 2 pharma firm will open 'patent pool' to outside scientists

(Newser) - GlaxoSmithKline’s new boss has proposed a radical rethinking of big pharma in developing countries: He plans to cut prices, offer portions of profits to hospitals, and loosen his firm’s grip on patents that keep prices up, the Guardian reports. “I think it's absolutely the kind of thing...

Russian Slaps &trade; On ;-)
 Russian Slaps ™ On ;-) 
Dec 12, 2008 6:01 AM CST

Russian Slaps ™ On ;-)

Entrepreneur seeks to nudge businesses into paying $$$ for use of emoticon

(Newser) - A Russian businessman says he has been granted the trademark for the ;-) emoticon and will start charging for its use, the BBC reports. The entrepreneur, president of the Superfone mobile phone advertising company, doesn't plan to go after individual users but intends to ask corporations to pay for a...

Startup Goes After Nintendo Over Patents

It claims the Wii uses stolen motion-sensing technology

(Newser) - A Maryland tech firm claims that Nintendo stole some of its technology for the popular Wii console, the Wall Street Journal reports. Hillcrest Laboratories filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission, alleging that Nintendo infringed on patents for motion-sensing technology. It wants to ban Wii consoles from being...

Tech Giants Join Forces Against 'Patent Trolls'

Fear of lawsuits behind group effort to snap up intellectual property

(Newser) - Some of tech's biggest players are banding together to corner the market on patents key to their various businesses, the Wall Street Journal reports. Companies like Google and Verizon are afraid of being held hostage by small players with a claim on key bits of intellectual property, and wary of...

Apple Eyes Solar-Powered Gadgets

iPods and iPhones could soon harness sun's power with new patent

(Newser) - Apple is seeking a different kind of moment in the sun, reports Forbes, as the behemoth has filed a patent that would integrate solar cells with its iPods and iPhones. The technology would boost the amount of area available for cells, paving the way for truly mobile gadgets free totally...

Gibson Sues Over Guitar Hero
 Gibson Sues Over Guitar Hero 
Mar 21, 2008 1:00 PM CDT

Gibson Sues Over Guitar Hero

It wants retailers to stop selling game, claims patent infringement

(Newser) - Gibson Guitar has sued Guitar Hero retailers, saying the Activision video games infringe on a patent it holds for a virtual-reality concert. The federal suit seeks to stop Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart, Amazon, GameStop, and Toys "R" Us from selling the games, reports AP. But Activision is fighting back—earlier...

Stocks Tumble as Bayer Loses Patent for Contraceptive

Generic birth control pill could soon steal market

(Newser) - Bayer shares tumbled to a 12-month low yesterday after a US judge ended the pharmaceutical giant's patent on Yasmin, the company’s top-selling birth control pill. The ruling means rival Barr Pharmaceuticals may introduce a lower-priced generic version of Yasmin in the next few months, Bloomberg reports. 

EBay Finally Settles Patent Suit
EBay Finally Settles Patent Suit
Feb 29, 2008 12:17 PM CST

EBay Finally Settles Patent Suit

Will buy three patents as part of agreement with MercExchange

(Newser) - After years of legal battling that escalated to the Supreme Court, eBay has settled a patent-infringement lawsuit by e-commerce technology company MercExchange. The companies aren’t revealing the financial terms, but eBay will buy the three patents that led to the suit. The auction giant said the agreement won’t...

Still Clicking, Lego Turns 50
Still Clicking, Lego Turns 50
Jan 29, 2008 8:57 AM CST

Still Clicking, Lego Turns 50

Addictive bricks survive video game threat to mark a half-century as a timeless hit

(Newser) - When a Dane filed a patent for interlocking toy bricks 50 years ago yesterday, it began a revolution that has produced enough Legos to stretch to the moon 10 times over, writes Time. The toy, named Forbes' "Toy of the Century" in 1999, survived stiff competition from higher-tech playthings...

Corporations Share Green Tech Patents

IBM, Nokia, Sony and Pitney-Bowes join the new Eco-patent Commons

(Newser) - IBM tops the list of companies donating patents to a group that aims to help businesses produce greener products by sharing eco-friendly technology. Big Blue has promised 27 patents to the Eco-patent Commons; Nokia, Sony and mail equipment maker Pitney-Bowes will also donate, reports PC World. Shared patents will be...

Google Fights Patent Theft Charges
Google Fights Patent Theft Charges
Jan 12, 2008 8:05 PM CST

Google Fights Patent Theft Charges

Northeastern U and partner claim company stole search method

(Newser) - Google denies allegations that it is infringing on a patent held jointly by Northeastern University and a Massachussetts company for an Internet search method, and is countersuing to invalidate the patent, PC World reports. NU and its partner claim Google is infringing a patent they were granted for a distributed...

Tough Call: Book Says Bell Ripped Off Rival

Phone inventor likely copied competitor's patent application

(Newser) - Telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell ripped off the idea from his rival Elisha Gray, a new book claims. In The Telephone Gambit: Chasing Alexander Graham Bell's Secret, journalist Seth Shulman uncovers evidence that Bell took a sneak peek at Gray's patent documents with the help of his lawyers and a...

Apple, AT&T Targets of $360M iPhone Lawsuit

Patent company says it owns 'Visual Voice'

(Newser) - Add one to the number of lawsuits Apple’s iPhone has been hit with. Klausner Technologies yesterday said it filed a $360 million suit against Apple and AT&T for infringing on its patents for “Visual Voicemail,” Reuters reports. The sleek mobile phone’s highly touted function  allows...

Legal Woes Haunt Qualcomm
Legal Woes Haunt Qualcomm
Nov 8, 2007 10:49 PM CST

Legal Woes Haunt Qualcomm

Battles with Nokia and Broadcom take toll on stock despite record results

(Newser) - Qualcomm reported record sales and profits for its 2007 fiscal year, but if its executives thought that would please a jittery Wall Street, they were wrong, as shares fell in after hours trading. The Financial Times reports the company is in a long-running and costly multinational legal battle with Nokia,...

Making Money: Patent Pending
Making Money:
Patent Pending
Oct 24, 2007 6:43 PM CDT

Making Money: Patent Pending

IBM wants to patent an idea about its patents, which is, well, patently contrary

(Newser) - Big Blue is seeing green in a recent patent filing. IBM, which holds more patents than any company in the world and reaps more than $1 billion in royalties annually, says it wants to make it easier for small companies to license its ideas on a “floating privilege basis....

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