Our weekly SoCal IP Institute meeting on Monday, October 13, 2014 will be a discussion of a recent N.D. Cal case discussing trade dress and a decision by a federal judge to unseal an Order to expose an extortionist company:

Ingrid & Isabel, LLC v. Baby Be Mine, LLC et al., No. 13-cv-01806 (N.D. Cal Oct. 1 2014) (available here).  Both parties sell belly bands for pregnant women.  The crux of  the suit was that defendants copied plaintiff’s trade dress — namely, the “look and feel” of its website.   The court concluded that the look and feel of a website could constitute a trade dress protected by federal trademark law.

In Summit Data Systems, LLC v. EMC Corp. et al, No. 10-749-GMS (Sept. 2, 2014) (available here), a federal judge has unsealed his $1.4 million Judgment as means of deterring “reckless and wasteful litigation” whereby Acacia Research subsidiary Summit Data Systems was suing companies for patent infringement primarily to extort nuisance settlements.

All are invited to join us in our discussion during the SoCal IP Institute meeting on Monday, October 13, 2014 at Noon in our Westlake Village office. This activity is approved for 1 hour of MCLE credit. If you will be joining us, please RSVP to Noelle Smith by 9 am Monday morning.