“What if you could get exactly what you want in life by reading and understanding the body language of murderers?” asks Janine Driver, New York Times Best-Selling Author and Award-Winning Keynote Speaker. With more than 16 years of experience as a federal law enforcement officer within the Department of Justice, Janine will be presenting the opening plenary session for the 2021 Bench Bar Conference in Louisville from June 17-19.

The Federal Circuit’s recent decision affirming a summary judgment motion of non-infringement reinforces best practices for design patent enforcement and procurement. This blog post discusses the case and provides strategies that may help companies avoid early judgment of non-infringement when enforcing their design patents.

President Trump signed the Trademark Modernization Act (TMA) on Dec. 27, 2020, as part of a bill containing billions in pandemic relief. The TMA includes the most significant changes to the Lanham Act in perhaps over thirty years, and these changes will take effect at the end of 2021. Many of these changes are intended to reduce the number of trademarks on the registry that are not used in commerce often referred to as “deadwood,” as they can be a burden to both the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and also to other trademark applicants and the general public.

How can you keep up with pending legislation that’s important to you and your practice? With the help of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, the IndyBar Legislative Committee (chaired by Mindy Westrick of the Indiana Energy Association) provides weekly Bill Watch reports throughout the session, which highlight progress and recent actions taken on bills being monitored by the association.

Looking to find your next great law clerk or show your support for diversity in our community? Employer and sponsor registration is now open for the 2021 Diversity Job Fair!

Don’t miss the USPTO’s free online Black History Month celebrations coming February 10 and February 12.

The end-of-year shopping season started strong in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions that kept many consumers in their homes and buying online. Brand owners and sellers should thus be mindful of the various options at their disposal to stop counterfeit goods from stealing legitimate e-sales and disappointing unsuspecting consumers who are unable to inspect goods when purchasing online.

It's the season of giving and even during the hardships of 2020, generous sponsors, bidders and donors helped the Indianapolis Bar Foundation raise over $26,000 during IndyBar's Giving, this year's online silent auction to benefit the programs and initiatives of the foundation.

This entry covers the patent eligibility questions (35 U.S.C. § 101) in C R Bard Inc. v. Angiodynamics, Inc., which the Federal Circuit handed down on November 10, 2020. 

After several months of anticipation, the U.S. Copyright Office has finally released a new option for registering a group of short online literary works. Under the new “GRTX” application, authors can now register up to 50 individual short literary works in one application and for one fee, giving authors of short stories, blog posts, or online articles a more simplified and cost-friendly option to enjoy the benefits of a copyright registration in their works.