Rent Check
Recent changes in law that limit where patent lawsuits can be filed are having an affect on business decisions. Apple closed its two locations in the notoriously patent troll-happy Eastern District of Texas to lower the threat of lawsuits.
The Theranos scam, though primarily a case of outright fraud, was enabled by the granting of patents to a product that didn’t exist.
News and Commentary
Charles Duan writes about the ongoing Apple vs Qualcom IP battle and how it could affect US national security interests. Unlike previous tariff disputes under the Trump Administration, this one pits economic interests and national security concerns against each other and could reveal which the Administration values more.
Bloomberg’s Noah Smith argues that the Trump administration should target China’s Joint Venture rule in their current trade negotiations. This rule, which requires multinationals to partner with Chinese companies, allows the Chinese to easily steal American IP.
India’s top IP blog was targeted by an Indian record label for copyright infringement. This comes amid debate about whether India should adopt a system that would make it easier to claim copyright infringement.
Youtube sided with Nigerian Singer Tiwa Savage in a copyright infringement complaint after initially taking her video off their site.
Despite already paying a licensing fee to the previous owners, high school and local productions of To Kill a Mockingbird are being threatened with lawsuits by the Broadway producers of an upcoming remake of the play.
The text for the EU’s new Copyright Directive has been finalized. If passed, it would fundamentally change the way websites operate. You can find the two most important articles here and here.
The Green European Journal believes the directive could give too much power to internet companies.
In a petition, a group of lawyers have recommended that the Supreme Court consider a case between the State of Georgia and Public.Resource.org. The suit is over whether documents like annotated codes of law are copyright-able.
NPR’s Planet Money podcast finished their three part series on intellectual property with an episode on big tech. The show talks about how current tech companies like Amazon are creating an environment that encourages the re-examination of anti-trust laws. Read the transcript here.
New Research
What is the best way to determine if something is “non-obvious” enough to warrant patent approval? A new article proposes using network theory– an understanding of how innovation connects distant networks of knowledge- to grant patents.
The Center for Economic and Policy Research’s Dean Baker has a new working paper on patent monopolies for prescription drugs. Comparing their levels of economic distortions to tariffs, he proposes 4 reforms that could help lower the price of drugs.
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