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IP Docketing Software Can Be Exciting, Really!
What could be duller than a law firm's docketing system, especially one for an intellectual property (IP) firm that has to keep track of deadlines and facts for hundreds of thousands of patent and trademark filings in hundreds of countries? While docketing ' the recording of critical information and events surrounding intellectual property ' is an essential part of any IP practice, most firms think it does not have to be fancy, just reliable. At Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, we thought the same, until we realized that by upgrading to a state-of-the-art system, we could deliver a better, more technologically-savvy and efficient product that was more in line with the way we deliver all of our other services. We chose to be one of the first firms to utilize new software that allows access up to 100 concurrent users at once, and allows clients access to their data from the Web as well. While upgrading the IP software for one of the largest IP law firms in the U.S. was certainly not an easy task, it has brought tremendous benefits not only to our lawyers and staff, but to our clients as well.
Upgrading to the new software (IP Master by Master Data Center in Michigan) required a 6-month commitment by our entire docket staff. We had to convert more than 75,000 records and 1 million pieces of data. We held weekly assessment meetings with the software company/consultant and the docket conversion team using pcAnywhere'. Using pcAnywhere expedited the whole conversion process because all the participants could see first hand what was taking place.
We also created a separate database that served as our testing ground. Once we felt the data was converted properly, we moved to the actual parallel phase, running systems side-by-side to further test for data integrity. For the system to work, proper calculations of all patent and trademark rules by the software had to be thoroughly evaluated, and proper report generating had to be designed in order to match all prior docket reports in the old system.
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws
This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin
With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.
The Article 8 Opt In
The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.
Removing Restrictive Covenants In New York
In Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?