Copyright in the United States; Lexology, October 29, 2018

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP - Jeff C. Dodd, Jonathan D. Reichman and Susanna P. Lichter, Lexology; Copyright in the United States

[Kip Currier: This is a very useful and informative overview of U.S. Copyright law.]

"Can copyrightable works be protected by other IP rights (eg, trademarks and designs)?

Where applicable, copyrightable works can be protected under trademark rights, patent rights and trade secrets. 
For example, software can be protected by both patents and copyrights. The copyright would protect the artistic expression of the idea (eg, the software code itself), while the patent would protect the functional expression of the idea (eg, using a single click to purchase something online).  An additional example would be a logo for a brand. The logo serves as a trademark indicating that products affixed with the logo are from the same source. The creative and artistic aspects of the logo may also be protected by a copyright. "

U.S. charges Chinese spies and their recruited hackers in conspiracy to steal trade secrets; The Washington Post, October 30, 2018

Ellen Nakashima, The Washington Post; U.S. charges Chinese spies and their recruited hackers in conspiracy to steal trade secrets

[Kip Currier: Just lectured on Trade Secrets in my IP course yesterday. So it was timely to see this recent development after class.

The U.S. and E.U. have both beefed up trade secret protection and prosecution mechanisms in just the past two years: the U.S., with the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016, and the E.U., via its E.U. Trade Secrets Directive (EUTSD).]

"The Justice Department on Tuesday unsealed charges against 10 Chinese spies, hackers and others accused of conspiring to steal sensitive commercial airline and other secrets from U.S. and European companies.

The indictment marks the third time since September that the United States has brought charges against Chinese intelligence officers and their recruits for stealing American intellectual property.

“This is just the beginning,” Assistant Attorney General John Demers said. “Together with our federal partners, we will redouble our efforts to safeguard America’s ingenuity and investment.”"

New homepage for USPTO.gov; USPTO, October 25, 2918

USPTO Alert

New homepage for USPTO.gov

Earlier today we published a new homepage for USPTO.gov, part of a larger effort to improve the public's online experience with our agency. The new page includes features our customers have requested and incorporates input from the Patent and Trademark Public Advisory Committees and the independent inventor community. We’ll be releasing more improvements gradually to USPTO.gov, and we welcome feedback.  Below are screenshots of the new page, including a prominently placed "Find It Fast" feature, and of the mobile-friendly version designed for small-screen devices. Learn more about the key features of the redesign in our latest Director’s Forum blog post.

YouTube CEO asks creators to ‘take action’ against EU copyright law; CNet, October 22, 2018

Richard Nieva, CNet; YouTube CEO asks creators to ‘take action’ against EU copyright law

""This legislation poses a threat to both your livelihood and your ability to share your voice with the world," Wojcicki wrote in a blog post. "And, if implemented as proposed, Article 13 threatens hundreds of thousands of jobs, European creators, businesses, artists and everyone they employ."

She added, "Please take a moment to learn more about how it could affect your channel and take action immediately." She also asked creators to protest using the hashtag #SaveYourInternet."

Inside the windowless bunker where Disney stores its 'secret weapon'; The Guardian, October 20, 2018

Rory Carroll, The Guardian; Inside the windowless bunker where Disney stores its 'secret weapon'

"Some in Hollywood still refer to Disney as the House of Mouse but the company archives showcase its real key to world domination: intellectual property (IP)." 

Harvard’s Admissions Process, Once Secret, Is Unveiled in Federal Court; The New York Times, October 19, 2018

Anemona Hartocollis, The New York Times; Harvard’s Admissions Process, Once Secret, Is Unveiled in Federal Court

"Although many selective colleges are known to engage in the same admissions tactics, Harvard’s lawyers lamented in pretrial papers that being forced to produce application materials would be like divulging trade secrets, and would allow students and college counselors to game the process, which is in full swing right now. The judge even likened Harvard’s formula to the recipe for Coke.

In the end, however, Harvard’s lead counsel, Bill Lee (Harvard Class of 1972), said this week that it had been necessary to spill some secrets.

“I’ve definitely not revealed the secret of Coke,” said Mr. Lee, who represented Apple in a patent suit against Samsung — another trial that exposed closely guarded secrets. But, he acknowledged, “you’re learning a lot about the admissions process that never would have been public otherwise. We want you to know. Once you understand it, you can understand how decisions are made.”"

Library now patent, trademark center; The Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction, Colorado), October 14, 2018

Amy Hamilton, The Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction, Colorado);

Library now patent, trademark center

"[Grand Junction, Colorado's] Mesa County Libraries' Central Library, 443 N. Sixth St., will have a grand opening of its designation as a U.S. Patent and Trademark Resource Center, a service that allows patrons access to information and databases on existing patents and trademarks.

The closest centers to Mesa County are in Durango, Salt Lake City and Denver."