The answer to this question might seem obvious that public health—and especially protecting the public from the coronavirus pandemic—should always take precedent. But, a recent dispute before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois highlights a conflict that judges likely did not contemplate when entering General Orders to protect public health.
Although people do not normally associate patent law with baseball, many of the edge-of-your-seat moments and walk-off homers would not be around today if it were not for patented technology. Let’s take a look at how patents have allowed us to play ball! Continue reading “Major League Patents – How Patent Law Has Shaped America’s Pastime”
At the end of my first semester of law school at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, I was sitting in Professor Cynthia Ho’s office, trying to figure out how to learn more about IP. I’d heard that my chemistry background is a type of a science background beneficial to a patent law career, but did not yet know what that involved. Professor Ho suggested that I attend the next IP speed mentoring event that Loyola was hosting. At that moment, I was thinking “What exactly is speed mentoring?”, “All those strangers!” and “What will I say?”
a. Velcro
b. Escalator
c. Yo-Yo
d. Thermos
A. The smell of Play-Doh
B. Harry Potter’s Marauder’s Map password, “I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”
C. The basketball sensation around Jeremy Lin, “Linsanity”
D. Paris Hilton’s catchphrase, “that’s hot”
IP Here, IP There…IP Everywhere
IP is everywhere and affects everyone. This principle was reinforced when I took Intellectual Property Law with Professor Ho during the Fall 2018 semester. We regularly had examples in class regarding the many ways IP intersects with everyday life, even including a copyright infringement case involving Kanye West. There were more examples at the end of the semester when students presented real and/or realistic applications of IP law. I especially enjoyed working on my final presentation with Jessica Fenton involving a local mom-and-pop donut shop called “Dunk Donuts.” If you’re thinking that sounds like Dunkin’ Donuts, so were we—and wondering whether this Oak Park donut shop might be liable to the national donut chain.
Continue reading “A Tale of Two Donut Shops: “Dunking” Into Trademark Troubles”
Women’s voices are underrepresented. Recent examples abound in news reporting, Op-Eds, economics, and politics. The patent world is no exception. Women still continue to make up just a small fraction, about 21 percent, of inventors on patent applications, as noted in a recent USPTO Report. However, women have been creating, designing, and innovating for centuries. So, why is there a gap?
Continue reading “Slowly But Surely: Closing The Patent Gender Gap”
Ladies and Gentlemen…
On March 14, 2019, the at-capacity crowd in the ceremonial Federal Courtroom at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago, IL, buzzed with anticipatory excitement. The audience gathered for this evening’s presentation of arguments was not the typical smattering of members of the public, interested parties, and news reporters. Rather, the audience sitting in the gallery consisted of attorney members of the Richard Linn American Inn of Court, an organization committed to the principles of professionalism, civility, and ethics in the practice of intellectual property law. The attorney members and guests, such as myself, were in attendance for the Annual Oral Advocacy Challenge. This event involves Inn participants in oral arguments regarding current IP issues for which there is no settled law before a panel of actual judges that simulates proceedings before appellate court judges.
Continue reading “Loyola Law Student Still Standing at Final Bell”
Chicago-based, fast-food powerhouse McDonald’s has locations in over 100 countries. Accordingly, it is difficult nowadays to find people in the world that are not familiar with the Big Mac, a McDonald’s staple since 1967. Regardless of which language a McDonald’s menu is displayed, consumers relate the word “Big Mac” to the burger’s signature structure: two all-beef patties, “special sauce,” American cheese, lettuce, pickles, and onion, all served in a three-part sesame seed bun.
Continue reading ““Big Mac” Trademark Gets Burned In Europe”
