How is evidence collection and trade secret protection managed during litigation?

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How is evidence collection and trade secret protection managed during litigation?

Takanori Abe of Abe & Partners analyses the different ways of handling evidence collection during patent litigation as well as the management of trade secret protection issues that arise as a result

Litigation procedure and situations where evidence collection and trade secret protection become an issue

Dispositions on the collection of evidence prior to the filing of an action (Code of Civil Procedure, Articles 132-2-132-9) is a tool to collect evidence before filing a lawsuit. However, they are not used in practice because they are not coercive and potential plaintiffs do not want to be known by opponents regarding potential filings. Preservation of evidence (Code of Civil Procedure, Articles 234-242) can be used before and during the lawsuit to collect evidence. After filing a lawsuit, the obligation to clarify specific circumstances (Patent Act, Article 104-2) may urge the accused infringer to disclose their conduct. The submission of documents (Patent Act, Article 105) exists. The court can use in camera inspection (Patent Act, Article 105(2)) to examine whether an obligation to submit exists.

Parties who are urged to disclose trade secrets by these evidence collection procedures can avoid trade secret leakage by confidentiality protective orders (Patent Act, Article 105-4) and restrictions on inspection to preserve confidential information (Code of Civil Procedure, Article 92).

Details

Preservation of evidence

Preservation of evidence is a procedure to examine the evidence in advance and preserve it when it would be difficult to use the evidence if waiting for the official examination of the evidence in the lawsuit. It is used in medical malpractice cases but rarely used in intellectual property cases. According to the Tokyo District Court IP department's statistics, the number of filings of preservation of evidence was nine in 2013, five in 2014 and one in 2015. Preservation of evidence is not coercive, thus a respondent can refuse entry to the factory and submission of inspected evidence if legitimate reason to refuse the submission due to the existence of the trade secret. Trade secret protection is not sufficient as in practice confidentiality protective orders cannot be issued in the preservation of evidence before filing a lawsuit. Bad example exists. This applies when a court does not have an IP department videotaped inside a factory without limitation and recorded it in the inspection minutes.

Submission of documents

Submission of documents is a special rule of obligation to submit documents (Code of Civil Procedure, Article 220) in which the court orders parties to submit documents when they do not voluntarily submit them.

The number of motion for submission of documents was around 50 in 2015 at the Tokyo District Court IP department. As the number of new filings annually is around 330, motion for submission of documents is made in one in around 6.6 cases. The number of motions for submission of documents to prove infringement and to prove damages are almost the same, but the former is a little bit larger than the latter.

For the submission of documents to be issued, both the requirements relating to necessity and legitimate reason to refuse should be satisfied (Patent Act, Article 105(1)).

For the motion for submission of documents to prove infringement, to avoid fishing expeditions the court held petitioner should prove, prima facie, reasonable doubt of infringement and cautiously examined the necessity requirement. Order for the submission of documents are issued many times to prove damages, however, for proving infringement they have only been issued in two cases and generally the necessity requirement is denied. A judge explained the reason why almost no orders for submission of documents were made. As the order compels the party to submit a secret which they definitely do not want their direct competitors to know, the court should carefully examine whether it is necessary evidence for a judgment, and the possibility of a fishing expedition or an abusive application. Judges are facing difficulty controlling the situation. However, recently the judgment of March 28 2016, IP High Court (Presiding Judge Shimizu) held that prima facie proof of infringement itself is not required but prima facie proof of reasonable doubt of existence of infringement to dispel the possibility of a fishing expedition or an abusive application is sufficient, and thereby lowered the threshold of the necessity requirement. Whether the issuance of submission of documents to prove infringement will increase from now on should be paid attention to.

When judging legitimate reason to refuse submission, the court should compare the necessity for trade secret protection and the necessity for evidence. Containing trade secrets is an insufficient reason to refuse submission but disadvantage, which cannot be avoided by confidentiality protective orders, is needed as submission of documents is designed to be used with confidentiality protective orders. Legitimate reason to refuse submission may not exist if infringement is found by in camera inspection.

In camera inspection

In camera inspection allows the person who possesses the document to disclose the document and only the judges to review it to examine whether submission of documents should be granted. In camera procedure is rarely used, but a judgment of March 28 2016, IP High Court (Presiding Judge Shimizu) used it, which attracted attention.

The in camera procedure was restricted to judging whether legitimate reason to reject submission exist. The 2018 Patent Act amendment allowed in camera procedure to judge whether documents are necessary to prove infringement or calculate damages. According to this amendment, for example, in camera procedure can be used when the structure of the product in question is in dispute and the defendant alleges that they cannot disclose the structure of the product due to it being a trade secret. If the party who submits documents for in camera inspection agrees, the court can disclose documents to technical advisors and seek their expert opinion (Patent Act, Article 105(4)).

Confidentiality protective orders

Confidentiality protective orders prohibit briefs and evidence which contain trade secrets from being used for any purpose other than conducting litigation and from being disclosed to any person other than the one who is subject to the confidentiality protective order. Thereby, confidentiality protective orders help prevent trade secrets being disclosed in the litigation procedure heightening trade secret protection.

The number of issued confidentiality protective orders is small. In the Tokyo District Court, the numbers were one in 2008, three in 2009, one in 2010, three in 2011, five in 2012, four in 2013, two in 2014 and one in 2015. The reason for this small number is a severe criminal sanction against violation of the order. As confidentiality protective orders impose heavy burdens on parties, attorneys, and courts, in practice the court carefully examines whether a non-disclosure agreement and an inspection to preserve confidential information are sufficient, and judges whether confidentiality protective orders are necessary.

The first confidentiality protective orders were issued in a pharmaceutical patent infringement case (judgment of September 15 2006, Tokyo District Court, Presiding Judge Takabe). A generic drug maker filed a motion for confidentiality protective orders regarding the information (test method, standard, etc.) described in the written application for import approval of a generic drug submitted to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to examine the identity of a brand name drug approved under pharmaceutical affairs law. The court issued confidentiality protective orders.

Confidentiality protective orders can be issued in a preliminary injunction (judgment of January 27 2009, Supreme Court). Explanatory sessions should be held carefully if confidentiality protective orders have been issued. Technical advisors come with a risk of contamination and therefore are not easily selected. The attendance of company personnel is also difficult. Attorneys subject to confidentiality protective orders need to avoid including information about trade secrets subject to the order in briefs submitted after the order and should be cautious not to orally mention trade secrets at the hearing. The effect of a confidentiality protective order remains until vacated, thus companies should keep the contact information of company personnel subject to the order irrespective of their movement and retirement so that companies can ensure that the order is being complied with.

The scope of the people subject to the confidentiality protective order is an issue. If company personnel is subject to the order, contamination risk arises and it is practically impossible for that person to conduct business related to the development of that product. If the documents are subject to attorneys' eyes only under a US protective order, subjecting company personnel to the order will be a violation of the US protective order. Opinions are split about whether experts can be subject to the order. If they are denied, parties cannot conduct activity fully with the aid of experts. Whether the law should be amended to allow third party experts to be subject to the order is under discussion.

It is common to discuss among parties whether a non-disclosure agreement can be formed before a confidentiality protective order is issued. The amount of the penalty, subject of trade secrets, and recipients of trade secrets will usually be disputed.

Inspection to preserve confidential information

Inspection to preserve confidential information limits the inspection of the confidential information in the case record to the parties and prohibits third party inspection. IP judges are fully aware of the importance of trade secret protection, thus compared with usual civil cases inspection to preserve confidential information is more easily granted in IP cases.

Amendment of the Patent Act

Inspection

Amendment of the law has been discussed as evidence collection methods in patent infringement lawsuits do not function sufficiently under the current legal system. The US discovery system was not referenced as it is too extreme and expensive and may not match the Japanese system. European evidence collection procedure may match and the German inspection system can be a good reference. In the German inspection system, an inspector, who is a technical expert having a confidentiality obligation and appointed by the court, enters the factory of the accused infringer, inspects evidence possessed by the accused infringer, and submits the report to the court. However, introduction was suspended due to strong concern about trade secret leakage from the industry. For example, the concern that there would be a serious problem if someone enters a factory based on alleged evidence collection and urges the factory to disclose a manufacturing method or tries to steal know-how was expressed.

The discussion resumed and the inspection system was introduced in the Patent Act in the 2019 amendment (amended Patent Act, Article 105-2). When there is a possibility of patent infringement, a neutral technical expert (inspector) enters the factory of the accused infringer, conducts the necessary investigation regarding infringement proof, and submits a report to the court. Inspection is allowed only after filing a lawsuit. Inspection will be granted when there is i) a necessity to prove infringement; ii) a probability of infringement; iii) no other means of adequate evidence collection; and iv) to avoid an excessive burden on the alleged infringer. The inspector will enter the opponent's factory, conduct an inquiry, ask for submission of documents and conduct machine operation, measurements, experiments, and other conduct permitted by the court. No entry to third parties' factories will be made. The opponent has an obligation to cooperate to collect materials. If the opponent refuses the requests of the inspector which is permitted by the court, the court has discretion to find the petitioner's allegation to be true. The inspector submits an inspection report to the court. A copy of the inspection report will be served to the inspected party. The inspected party can ask the court within two weeks after the service not to disclose all or part of the inspection report to the petitioner. The court can grant such a motion if legitimate reason exists. Inspection will start to be used in practice within one and half years from May 17 2019. We should pay attention to how the court will run this new system.


特蚱蚎蚟における蚌拠収集手続きおよび営業秘密保護

1 蚎蚟手続きの流れず、蚌拠収集手続きおよび営業秘密保護

蚎え提起前の蚌拠収集手続きずしお、蚎えの提起前における蚌拠収集の凊分等民事蚎蚟法条のがある。ただ、匷制力がないこず、蚎え提起予定であるこずを盞手方に知られたくないず考えるこずが倚いこず等から、実効性がなく、利甚されおいない。蚎え提起の前埌を通しお、蚌拠保党民事蚎蚟法条条による蚌拠収集を詊みるこずができる。蚎え提起埌は、具䜓的態様の明瀺矩務特蚱法条のにより、被疑䟵害者から行為態様が開瀺されるこずが期埅できる。たた、曞類提出呜什特蚱法条も定められおおり、裁刀所は提出矩務の有無を刀断する際、むンカメラ手続特蚱法条項を甚いるこずができる。

他方、これらの蚌拠収集手続きによっお営業秘密の開瀺を迫られる圓事者ずしおは、秘密保持呜什特蚱法条のや閲芧制限民事蚎蚟法条によっお、営業秘密の挏えいを阻止するこずができる。

2 各論

2-1 蚌拠保党

蚌拠保党ずは、蚎蚟における正芏の蚌拠調べを埅っおいたのではその蚌拠方法の䜿甚が困難ずなる事情がある堎合に、あらかじめその蚌拠を取り調べ、その結果を保存する手続きである。

蚌拠保党は、医療過誀事件においおは掻甚されおいるが、知財事件においおはほずんど掻甚されおいない。東京地裁知財郚の統蚈によるず、蚌拠保党の申立事件数は、平成幎に件、平成幎に件、平成幎に件である。

蚌拠保党には匷制力がないため、営業秘密を根拠に提出を拒むべき正圓な理由がある堎合は、工堎等ぞの立入りや怜蚌物の提瀺を拒絶するこずもできる。他方、蚎えの提起前の蚌拠保党では秘密保持呜什は発什できないずされおおり、営業秘密保護は十分ではない。知財専門郚が存圚しない裁刀所での蚌拠保党においお、工堎内を無制玄にビデオ撮圱等し、そのたた怜蚌調曞の䞀郚を構成した䟋もある。

- 曞類提出呜什

曞類提出呜什ずは、民事蚎蚟法䞊の文曞提出呜什民事蚎蚟法条の特則で、文曞を任意に提出しない盞手方に察しお裁刀所が提出を呜じるものである。

平成幎床の曞類提出呜什の申立件数は、東京地裁知財郚で幎間玄件である。新受件数が幎間玄件であるので、玄件に件、曞類提出呜什が申し立おられおいる。䟵害立蚌のための申立おず損害立蚌のための申立おの぀があるが、䞡者の割合はほが同数で、若干、䟵害立蚌のための申立おの方が倚い。

曞類提出呜什が認められるためには、必芁性ず、提出を拒むこずに぀いおの正圓な理由がないこずの぀の芁件を満たす必芁がある特蚱法条項。

䟵害立蚌のための曞類提出呜什の申立おにおいおは、裁刀所は、暡玢的濫蚎を防止するために、申立人特蚱暩者の偎で䟵害であるこずを合理的に疑わしめる皋床の疎明を尜くすこずが必芁ずされるず解し、必芁性の芁件を慎重に刀断しおきた。実際の発什件数においおも、損害蚈算においおは曞類提出呜什が倚数発什されおいるのに察し、䟵害立蚌においお曞類提出呜什が発什された事䟋は件しか芋圓たらず、ほずんどの事案で必芁性が吊定されおいる。䟵害立蚌目的の曞類提出呜什が発什されたケヌスがほずんどない点に぀いおは、裁刀官から、「競合盞手に知られたくない秘密を出せずいう話になる以䞊、裁刀所ずしおは、刀断に必芁な蚌拠かを慎重に吟味せざるを埗ず、探玢的・濫甚的な申立おではないかを、盞手方の営業秘密の保護を図りながら怜蚎しおいる」ずの実情が玹介され、難しいかじ取りを迫られおいるこずが明らかになった。しかし、近時、知財高刀平成幎月日刀タ1428号53頁枅氎裁刀長が、「圓該蚎蚟の芁蚌事実である䟵害行為自䜓の疎明を求めるものではなく、濫甚的・探玢的申立おの疑いが払拭される皋床に、䟵害行為の存圚に぀いお合理的な疑いを生じたこずが疎明されれば足りる」ず刀瀺し、必芁性のハヌドルを䞋げる刀断を䞋した。今埌、䟵害立蚌のための曞類提出呜什の発什が増えるか、泚目される。

裁刀所は、曞類の提出を拒める「正圓な理由」を刀断する際は、秘密ずしおの保護の皋床ず蚌拠ずしおの必芁性を比范衡量する。たた、曞類提出呜什が秘密保持呜什の䜵甚を前提ずした芏定であるこず等に照らし、曞類が営業秘密を含むこずだけでは足りず、秘密保持呜什によっおも回避し埗ない䞍利益があるこずを芁するず解されおいる。むンカメラ審理により䟵害であるこずが明らかである堎合には、必芁性が認められ、「正圓な理由」は乏しい。

2-3 むンカメラ手続

むンカメラ手続ずは、文曞の所持者に文曞を開瀺させ、裁刀所限りで曞類提出呜什の芁件を満たしおいるかを怜蚎するものである。

むンカメラ手続はほずんど掻甚されおいなかったが、近時、知財高刀平成幎月日枅氎裁刀長で実斜されたこずから泚目を集めおいる。

むンカメラ手続に぀いおは、埓前は、保持者が提出を拒む「正圓理由」の存吊の刀断に必芁な堎合に限定されおいたが、平成幎特蚱法改正では、これに加え、䟵害立蚌又は損害蚈算のために必芁な曞類であるか吊かの刀断に必芁な堎合もむンカメラ手続を行うこずができるようになった特蚱法条項。これにより、たずえば、被告補品の構造に争いがあり、被告が構成芁件充足性を吊認した点に営業秘密性があるから開瀺できないず䞻匵するような堎合に掻甚されるこずが想定される。たた、むンカメラ手続を通じお文曞の保持者に文曞を提出させた際、圓事者の同意を埗お、その文曞を専門委員に開瀺し、専門的知芋を聞くこずができるようにもなった特蚱法条項。

2-4 秘密保持呜什

秘密保持呜什ずは、営業秘密を含む準備曞面や蚌拠に぀いお、圓該蚎蚟の远行の目的以倖の目的ぞの䜿甚や、秘密保持呜什を受けた者以倖の者ぞの開瀺を犁止するこずにより、営業秘密を蚎蚟手続に顕出するこずを容易にし、営業秘密の保護および䟵害行為の立蚌の容易化を図るものである。

秘密保持呜什の発什件数は、少ない。東京地裁においお、秘密保持呜什の発什件数は、件幎、件幎、件幎、件幎、件幎、件幎、件幎、件幎である。発什件数が少ないのは、秘密保持呜什違反に察し、刑事眰ずいう匷力なペナルティがあるこずが倧きな原因であるず思われる。たた、秘密保持呜什は、圓事者、代理人、裁刀所にずっお負担が倧きい制床であるため、たずは圓事者間で締結される秘密保持契玄で凊理できないか、蚎蚟蚘録の閲芧等の制限民事蚎蚟法条で十分に保護が図れないか、ずいう芳点から慎重に怜蚎した䞊で、秘密保持呜什の申立おに進むかを刀断するずいう運甚がされおいる。

秘密保持呜什は、補薬特蚱䟵害蚎蚟においお初めお発什された東京地決平成幎月日、刀時1973号131頁、髙郚裁刀長。すなわち、埌発医薬品䌚瀟が、薬事法䞊の承認を受けた先発医薬品ずの同等性を怜蚌するために、茞入承認申請曞に添付しお厚劎省に提出した資料に蚘茉された情報詊隓方法、芏栌等に぀いお秘密保持呜什を申し立おたずころ、裁刀所は、秘密保持呜什を発什した。

秘密保持呜什の申立おは、仮凊分事件においおも可胜である最決平成幎月日、民集63å·»1号271頁。秘密保持呜什が発什された事件においおは、技術説明䌚の運営に工倫が必芁である。すなわち、専門委員にコンタミネヌションの危険が生じるため、専門委員の遞任が容易ではなくなるし、たた、圓事者の担圓者の出垭も困難ずなる。秘密保持呜什の名宛人ずなった代理人ずしおは、発什埌に提出する準備曞面等に秘密保持呜什の察象ずなった営業秘密を蚘茉するこずは避けるべきであり、たた、期日においお秘密の内容を口頭で述べるこずがないように泚意する必芁がある。秘密保持呜什は取り消されるたで効力が続くので、秘密保持呜什を受けた䌁業の担圓者に぀いおは、呜什の遵守状況を確認するため、異動・退職等にかかわらず、連絡先を把握しおおく必芁がある。

秘密保持呜什の名宛人の範囲に぀いおも問題ずなる。䌁業の担圓者を名宛人ずする堎合、情報のコンタミネヌションのリスクが生じ、その埌に圓該補品開発郚門で業務に埓事するこずが事実䞊困難ずなる。察象文曞が米囜の蚎蚟手続きにおけるProtective Orderの察象ずしおAttorneys' Eyes Onlyになっおいる堎合に、圓事者を名宛人に含めおしたうずProtective Order違反ずなる。倖郚の専門家を名宛人ずしお営業秘密の開瀺ができるかに぀いおは芋解が分かれおいるが、吊定的に解するず専門家の助力を埗た十分な立蚌掻動ができなくなっおしたう。この点、立法論ずしお、第䞉者の専門家を名宛人ずできる制床を導入するかが怜蚎されおいる。

秘密保持呜什を発什する前に、秘密保持契玄での凊理が可胜かに぀いお圓事者間で話し合うこずが䞀般的であるが、違玄金の額、営業秘密の察象、秘密情報の受領者の範囲に぀いお争いが生じるこずが倚い。

2-5 閲芧制限

閲芧制限ずは、蚎蚟蚘録䞭の秘密蚘茉郚分の閲芧を圓事者に限り、第䞉者による閲芧を蚱さないものである。

知財裁刀官は営業秘密保護の重芁性を熟知しおいるので、䞀般民事事件ず比べるず、知財事件においおは閲芧制限の申立おは認められやすい。

3 法改正

3-1 査蚌

珟行制床においおは、特蚱䟵害蚎蚟における蚌拠収集手段が十分に機胜しおいるずはいえないこずから、法改正の議論がなされおきた。アメリカのディスカバリヌ手続は、極端であり、高額すぎるこずから、日本には銎染たないずしお参照されず、欧州型の蚌拠収集手続きであれば日本に銎染む可胜性があるずしお、ドむツにおける査察制床Inspectionを参考に、日本に導入するこずが怜蚎された。ドむツの査察制床は、裁刀所が任呜する守秘矩務を有する技術専門家である査察官が、被疑䟵害者偎の工堎等の斜蚭に行き、被疑䟵害者が保有しおいる蚌拠を査察し、裁刀所に報告曞を提出するずいう手続きである。しかし、䌁業偎から、「蚌拠収集ずいうこずで工堎内に入っお来お、䜜り方を党郚芋せろずか、それを参考にしおノりハりを盗み取ろうずする勢力が出珟した堎合は非垞に困る」ずいった蚎えられた偎の営業秘密挏掩の危険に察する匷い懞念が瀺され、いったんは導入が芋送られた。

その埌、再床議論され、什和元幎改正においお、査蚌制床ずしお導入された改正特蚱法条の。査蚌制床ずは、特蚱暩䟵害の可胜性がある堎合、䞭立な技術専門家査蚌人が被疑䟵害者の工堎等に立ち入り、特蚱暩の䟵害立蚌に必芁な調査を行い、裁刀所に報告曞を提出する制床である。査蚌は提蚎埌のみ認められ、①必芁性察象が立蚌に必芁なものであるこず、②蓋然性特蚱暩䟵害蚎蚟の盞手方が䟵害したこずを疑うに足りる盞圓な理由、③補充性他の手段では圓該蚌拠の収集ができないこず、④盞圓性「圓該蚌拠の収集に芁すべき時間又は査蚌を受けるべき圓事者の負担が䞍盞圓なものずなるこずその他の事情により、盞圓でないず認めるずき」に該圓しないこずの発什芁件を満たした堎合に認められる。査蚌人は、盞手方の工堎等ぞの立入り、盞手方に察する質問、曞類等の提瀺、装眮の䜜動、蚈枬、実隓その他裁刀所の蚱可を受けた行為を実斜する。盞手方圓事者以倖の第䞉者の工堎等ぞの立入りは想定しおいない。盞手方に察しおは、資料収集ぞの協力矩務を課し、裁刀所が認めた範囲内における査蚌人の芁求を拒んだ堎合に぀いおは、裁刀所の裁量により真実擬制が行われる。査蚌人は、査蚌報告曞を䜜成しお裁刀所に提出する。査蚌報告曞の写しは、査蚌を受けた圓事者に送達される。査蚌を受けた圓事者は、送達の日から週間以内に、査蚌報告曞の党郚又は䞀郚を申立人に開瀺しないこずを申し立おるこずができる。裁刀所は、正圓な理由があるず認めるずきは、査蚌報告曞の党郚又は䞀郚を申立人に開瀺しないずするこずができる。査蚌制床は、公垃の日である什和元幎 5 月 17 日から幎月を超えない範囲内においお政什で定める日に斜行される。査蚌制床に関する裁刀所の運甚が泚目される。

Takanori ABE 阿郚隆埳

abe-takanori.jpg

 

Mr Abe is a lawyer, admitted in both Japan and New York. He is currently a guest professor at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine and was formerly a lecturer at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine. He is an arbitrator in Japan.

Mr Abe works on a wide range of international and corporate matters with a focus on intellectual property law and international commerce. The patent litigations that he has participated in cover the fields of pharmaceuticals, chemistry, electronics and machinery. These often involve advanced technology such as biotechnology and semiconductors, etc. They are also frequently cross-border matters.

阿郚囜際総合法埋事務所、代衚パヌトナヌ

匁護士・ニュヌペヌク州匁護士・倧阪倧孊倧孊院医孊系研究科招聘教授

阿郚匁護士は、仲裁人候補者でもあり、たた、過去には東京倧孊倧孊院医孊系研究科非垞勀講垫も務めた。阿郚匁護士は、知財ず枉倖に専門性を有しおおり、バむオや半導䜓等の最先端分野を含む、補薬・化孊・電機・機械等の分野の特蚱蚎蚟を担圓し、クロスボヌダヌ案件も手掛ける。


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