“Almost five years ago,” explained an April 2012 Wall Street Journal article, “the computer and mobile-phone industries collided. Technological advances turned phones into minicomputers, complete with email, Web access and other features.” [1] Since then, according to that article, participants in the smartphone industry have been “engaged in […]
The Northern District of Georgia is well-known for its heavy reliance on special masters in patent cases. A recent study indicated that, though it accounts for just 4% of patent cases filed nationwide, the Northern District accounts for over 11% of the patent cases in which a special […]
In a prior post, we detailed a copyright lawsuit filed on January 22, 2013 by Broadcast Music, Inc. (“BMI”) and various music publishers against an establishment in northern Georgia. BMI and 11 music publishers (collectively “Plaintiffs”) have sued another establishment, this time in middle Georgia, marking BMI’s second […]
Eclipse IP LLC (“Eclipse”), which is used to being the plaintiff in a series of lawsuits asserting patents purporting to cover computer-based notification systems, has for the second time found itself a defendant over those patents. On January 25, 2013, FedEx Corporate Services, Inc. (“FedEx”) filed a declaratory […]
On January 22, 2013, Kason Industries, Inc. (“Kason”), a New York corporation based in Newnan, Georgia, filed a complaint in the Northern District of Georgia against Component Hardware Group, Inc. (“CHG”), a Delaware corporation based in Lakewood, New Jersey, alleging that CHG is infringing United States Patent No. […]
Set in the beautiful north Georgia mountains, the scenic town of Ellijay, Georgia (population 1,619) provides a tranquil escape from the hectic pace of daily life for many visitors. Yet not even Ellijay is small enough or remote enough to escape the attention of New York-based music licensing […]
Ronaldo Designer Jewelry (Ronaldo) asserts copyright infringement, trade dress infringement, unfair competition and unfair trade practices under the Lanham Act, and unfair and deceptive trade practices under the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act against Golden Stella, Inc. (“Golden Stella”) and 99 John Does (reproducers, manufacturers, copiers, importers, distributors, displayers, […]
On January 15 and 16, 2013, Yonkers, New York-based Joao Bock Transactional Systems, LLC (“JBTS”) filed complaints initiating the following lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia: 1) Joao Bock Transaction Systems, LLC v. Georgia’s Own Credit Union, No. 1:13-cv-0147- RWS, filed 01/15/13 […]
Attorneys often worry that sending a license demand letter (or cease-and-desist letter) on behalf of a patentee will prompt an accused infringer to file a declaratory judgment action in its home forum, thus preempting the patentee’s choice of forum. This fear is the most significant factor behind patentees’ […]
On January 10, 2013, Atlanta Beltline, Inc. (“Atlanta Beltline”), a Georgia non-profit corporation, filed a complaint in the Northern District of Georgia against Andrew Realty Group, Inc., a Georgia corporation based in Sandy Springs, Georgia, and Alan Andrew (collectively, “Andrew Realty”), alleging that Andrew Realty is using domain […]
Georgia IP Litigation 