Federal Circuit Summaries, Practice Alerts

Posted by Douglas Sorocco at February 21, 2007 05:27 PM

Want to follow Federal Circuit caselaw but don’t have time to read lengthy case summaries? FedCirc.us has an RSS/e-mail feed for you.

1. Case Review Summaries (provides summaries of the ten most recent case reviews)

RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/fedcircus_summaries

E-mail:Click for subscription form

2. Practice alerts (provides all FedCirc.us Practice Alerts)

RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/fedcircus_alerts

E-mail: Click for subscription form

New FedCirc.us Search Tool Released

Posted by Douglas Sorocco at February 15, 2007 06:29 PM

The master plan for the FedCirc.us site includes several web features designed to deliver patent caselaw information in a more effective manner.  The first - the GimmeTen! feature - has quickly become the most popular page on the site...and for good reason.  Not familiar with it?  Simply bookmark http://10.fedcirc.us and visit regularly.  That page always provides concise summaries of the ten most recently posted case reviews.  We're confident you'll quickly be hooked.

Today we announce the second feature in our bag of tricks - the travelling FedCirc.us search engine.  By following the steps below, you'll be able to search the FedCirc.us site from anywhere on the web.

The best part is the simplicity -- 5 easy steps (4 for most people).  Five minutes tops.

1.  Make sure you're using either Internet Explorer 7 or Firefox 2.0 as your browser.  If you're not, download the latest IE here or Firefox here (both are free).  For the record, FedCirc.us is optimized for Firefox.

2.  Start your browser.

3.  Visit FedCirc.us.

4.  Pull down the drop-down search box in the upper right hand corner and select "Add FedCirc.us" (in Firefox) or select "FedCirc.us" with the gold star next to it (in IE, see image at right).

5.  Surf the web.  Whenever you want to search the site, simply enter a search string in the box in the right hand corner, pull down the list, select FedCirc.us, and hit return.  You can do this from any page on the web...and you'll immediately be transported to a listing of search results from the site.

I've quickly gotten used to searching by party name or full case name as I'm reading on the web.  This little trick has changed my surfing habits for the better...it's a wonderfully efficient way to find information quickly.  We hope you find it useful as well.

As always, if you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know.  You can e-mail Matt directly at jmb @ rtipllc.com.

Enjoy!

New Magazine Covers Federal Circuit Patent Decisions

Posted by Stephen M. Nipper at January 31, 2007 11:28 AM

FedCirc.us (Matt/Doug/I) announced earlier today the availability of a free preview issue (The Resolution) of our quarterly magazine, The FedCirc.us Reader.  Download the .pdf here.

The Resolution will give you a sneak-peak at the features of the magazine.  It's jam-packed with all sorts of patent-caselaw goodness, including a 'Trend Spotting' article, a featured case review, prosecution- and litigation-focused digests, chronological and alphabetical listings of cases from last quarter (including summaries), and a fun "Quotables" section that includes some of our favorite quotes from cases issued during last quarter.

For this issue, we've even included a brief note about the story behind the FedCirc.us name and domain.

We think you'll agree that the magazine is an exciting and effective new tool for staying current on patent caselaw developments.

Of course, the free preview issue includes subscription details for the magazine.  The site will be ready to accept subscription payments starting tomorrow.

Please do download our first copy and let us know what you think.

Post-Thanksgiving Invention Funnies

Posted by Douglas Sorocco at November 27, 2006 05:17 PM

Need a little humor going into the end of the year and holiday season?  Once again, YouTube comes through like a champ - Invention Funnies compiled from the DailyShow.

The video may not be exactly work-safe (it is the DailyShow on Comedy Central, afterall) - but if you have a headset and your monitor faces away from the door, let a little levity into your life.

Don't say I didn't warn you - don't have a mouth full of coffee in your mouth while watching this.  You will spray it all over your monitor.

 

New Podcast Available - Rethink(IP) Aloud #6

Posted by Douglas Sorocco at June 18, 2006 02:54 PM

We are proud to announce that our newest podcast is available for your down loading and listening pleasure – Rethink(IP) Aloud #6. 

The audio is approximately 47 minutes long and the file is a 41.1MB file.  If you want to grab the RSS feed and subscribe to the Rethink(IP) Aloud podcast – you can get it via FeedBurner at Rethink(IP) Aloud Podcast.

This podcast is the audio portion of Matt’s lecture on U.S. patent reform in 2006 and covers the efforts happening in the 109th Congress and at the Supreme Court and USPTO.  We posted the video of the presentation over at Phosita last week and received many requests for an audio only version.  Matt’s PowerPoint slides to go along with the Patent Reform lecture are also available.

The intro and ending music is “Patricia” by Billy May and his Orchestra off the Ultra-Lounge Vol. 11 album.

Happy father’s day!

 

US Patent Reform Video

Posted by Stephen M. Nipper at June 12, 2006 03:03 PM

Video of Rethinker patent reform expert Matt Buchanan’s recent speech on patent reform is available over at the PHOSITA® blog.  If you want to know the latest in what’s going on in the patent reform world, the video is well worth watching.

U.S. News & World Report on "Rethinking Law School"

Posted by Stephen M. Nipper at April 5, 2006 02:26 PM

Should we rethink law school? Is the ABA to blame? U.S. News & World Report on "Rethinking Law School"

Prior (related) Rethink(IP) discussions: Rethinking legal education and IP, Rethinking IP Education.

Blawg Review #48

Posted by Douglas Sorocco at March 13, 2006 09:16 AM

Blawg Review readers may be surprised to learn that hosts of the Review are actually required to play by a few rules.  There's the silly rule about the title of the actual post (no creativity allowed!), and then there's this:

"The host shall be at liberty to present the submission, or not, or make another presentation of the post as seems appropriate to the host for that Blawg Review, with unfettered discretion."

We're taking that rule to heart as we host this 48th Edition of Blawg Review.  "Unfettered discretion" - definitely words we like.

In a nutshell - we're sick of carnivals. 

Not all carnivals, mind you - just the long drawn out boring ones that really don't offer anything of value.  We think that several popular carnivals, including Blawg Review, have become bloated, link-whore-optimized versions of the original vision for what a carnival should be - an edited review of relevant blog posts presented in a manner that contributes to thought-provoking conversation. 

Does anyone actually click through all 100 links found in a typical carnival post?  Of course you don't.  If you are anything like us, you click through the first couple of links and then wander off to get more coffee, wax the car or perhaps even get some work done.  Nahh... waxing the car is way more important.  Who wants to read a bloated set of postings that really don't rise to being the cream of the crop... not us, and we think none of you want to either.

Remember the carnival experience of your youth?  Your parents only took you to the travelling extravaganza when you were good.  If you went to the carnival every week as a kid... you were a carnie.  And if you were a carnie, I assure you that the carnival would lose some of it "specialness" - it wouldn't be about the lions, tigers and bears - nope, it would be about the whining children, the drunken sailors and the bearded lady who won't quit grabbing your behind.

So - we have decided a little Blawg Review coup is in order -- we are rebelling -- we are rethinking the format of the Blawg Review.  Instead of regurgitating a long string of links and quotes, we each picked one post that resonated - and it is this one post each that you will find here under the banner of Blawg Review.  Yes, we know this rethinking (and retinkering) raises the possibility that we'll never again be able to post to Blawg Review or even host it, but in the interest of all who follow the Review, it is a chance we're willing to take.

If you really want to read all the other items submitted - head on over to Blawgr, you'll find the links over there (along with a lot of other interesting discussions).

With that introduction, we'll get on with the show...so here it is...Blawg Review, Rethink(IP) style...

Doug's Favorite Post:

Bruce MacEwen's blog, "Adam Smith, Esq.", should be the first thing every lawyer reads each morning!  Now, how is that for an opening statement - Bruce is going to have a hard time living up to that introduction, but I have no doubt that he will be able.

While Bruce does have a propensity to dwell on the inner workings of the monster firms out there, I am consistently able to pull pieces of useful information out of his posts that benefit my medium sized boutique firm.  Whether it is dealing with associates, hiring pressures or client service - Bruce never fails to provide relevant useful information that is brimming with insight.

I am not certain whether Bruce intends for his posts to be so relevant to our segment of the legal services industry, but I have a sneaking suspicion that he keeps us small fish in mind when hobnobbing with the legal illuminatti of the AmLaw 100.

This past week Bruce tackles the question of firm marketing efforts and comes to the conclusion that many of the efforts result in absolutely no return on investment.

"What Differentiates Our Firm Is..." [Nothing]  To badly paraphrase Bruce, does your marketing drive new sales or is it merely a “shiny mess of nothingness” — i.e. do your firm’s marketing activities sound like the following:

All the activities the reader cites contribute to "name recognition" for a law firm, but the actual "sale" (read: engagements to handle a piece of litigation, a corporate transaction, a tax problem, etc.) only occurs when the client has the precise need, i.e., is at the point of pain.   No one in the history of the world ever woke up and said, "What I need today is to buy myself a really good contract...."

Keep on keeping on Bruce!  I learn something new in every post!

 

Steve's Favorite Post:

Josh Cohen at the Multiple Mentality blog on "Obeying the law".

I've actually never see the "Multiple Mentality" blog before this weekend.  I'm not even sure it is a law blog...but of the posts I read (and I read every single one of them), other than the two snagged by Matt/Doug, this one made me go Hmm....  Not that there aren't some great posts in the other pile (found over at Blawgr), but this one struck me as very interesting.

I won't ruin the post for you, but it involves this video:

We don't often see the youth of America questioning the law in a constructive way.  Rather than just refusing to follow it, they  sought to prove its lunacy.  Bravo!  Bravo!

 

Matt's Favorite Post:

My criteria in reviewing posts this week was simple:  Did it make me think?  Truth be told...not many of the submissions did.  I should have known, though, that the submission from Blog Diva Denise Howell would fit the bill.

Denise revisited the familiar topic of the dangers, from an employers point-of-view, associated with employee blogging.  Sure there's the possibility of leaking confidential information and a host of other potential ills, but Denise takes a fresh angle on the problem, and goes out on a limb in the process.  Of all the various communication tools available to employees, Denise asserts that "blogging may actually be the least risky and most innocuous from a corporate risk management standpoint."

And she's got a convincing argument too.  Read it in all it's glory in this post at the Between Lawyers blog.

Thanks, Denise, for stepping out on the limb and making me think. 

 

So that is it folks!  Once again, if you want all the other links — head on over to Blawgr (archived link to the post).  Next weeks Blawg Review will be hosted by Jim Calloway over at the Law Practice Tips Blog.  It’s good to see another Okie taking the reins of Blawg Review next week — you never know, Jim might rethink the whole carnival format further – Okies have a way of doing that every now and then.

IP Memes and rethink(ip)

Posted by Stephen M. Nipper at September 7, 2005 10:46 AM

If you aren't familiar with The TechnoLawyer Community...you should be.  TechnoLawyer provides a number of great newsletters, and a forum where "technolawyers" can ask one another questions about technology (i.e., "has anyone every used _______ and what did you think about it?").  It is an excellent resource for all tech attorneys, and has an archive which I have searched from time to time with questions (what scanner to purchase, whether I should upgrade to the latest version of __________, etc.).  The best part?  It is free.  Try it, if you don't agree you can easily unsubscribe. 

Over the past year I have been writing a newsletter for TechnoLawyer called “IP Memes.”  IP Memes is “a weekly newsletter that explores emerging technology-related intellectual property issues — or “memes” as we call them. Think of it as your coal-mine canary for intellectual property issues.” 

Previous IP Memes authors have included Dennis Kennedy, Denise Howell, Gail Standish, Kevin Grierson and Kurt Calia...an amazing group of alumni. 

What excites me is the fact that fellow rethinkers Doug and Matt have agreed to join me as co-authors (starting with the September 26th issue).  The IP Memes newsletter is subscription only...so, if you want to read it, you better subscribe today!

del.icio.us links for 2005-05-08

Posted by Douglas Sorocco at May 8, 2005 02:20 AM

• CorporatePR: Generalists: Renaissance People
  Maybe the ultimate embedded patent attorney should be thought of a "renaissance person" - competent in their area of practice and passionate about your business and success. The icing on the cake - they have interests outside the law …
  (tags: metaphors pr renaissance tech service rethinkip embeddedpatentattornet)

rethinking...legal education and IP

Posted by Stephen M. Nipper at April 26, 2005 06:12 AM

A number of weeks ago, during rethink(ip) aloud podcast #1, Doug ranted about his view that intellectual property law classes should be a part of the mandatory curriculum in law schools.  I played (at the time) devil's advocate...arguing that (essentially) shouldn't EVERY discipline demand that their course be a requirement.

However...the more I rethink about it, the more I think Doug is right. 

U.S. law schools (as far as I know) nationwide typically follow the same general curriculum blueprint..two semesters of real property, two semesters of contracts, two semesters of torts, etc.  Of course, law school doesn't teach you jack about the practice of law...it teaches you how to pass the bar exam (otherwise why would you torture law students with things that they'll never see...from fertile octogenarians to the rule against perpetuities).

Perhaps my rant is slanted because I practice in a specialty.  Perhaps not.  I'm going to have to be honest with you...I have never once needed anything I learned in my real property class.  Not once.  Two completely wasted semesters of my life.  Some might argue that they weren't wasted...they helped me pass the bar exam.  Bull hockey!!!  I never took trusts and estates either, but the bar exam prep course I took managed to teach me that topic just fine.  Could I have survived without ever taking a real property class?  Probably.  I am sure there are others out there who have never used torts, contracts, etc...for them, did it really make sense to take a whole year of said topics?  I doubt it.

Why not rethink law school...and paint legal education with a broader stroke?  Drop this "Real Property I & II" nonsense and instead teach a Real Property class, and for those who desire it, an Advanced Real Property class.  Do the same thing for (gasp) Torts and Contracts.  Then, require the teaching of at least a cursory intellectual property class and other single semester "required" classes (feel free to suggest your favorites in the comments).   

Why intellectual property?  Do I really need to go there?  I would venture to say that an average attorney stumbles upon more intellectual property issues in a given year than real property issues, yet we are stuck in the past...requiring two semesters of real property but not requiring any coursework in intellectual property.  Lunacy...pure lunacy.

Perhaps this is all part of the "System"...graduate law students who are incapable of practicing law competently.  Perfect fodder for the legal sweat shops where their client contact and the rate at which they incur experience is carefully controlled.  Of course, that's another can of worms...to be opened later.

The comments are open for your...comments.

[Thanks for the encouragement Denise]