January 12, 2013 (Press-News.org) Intellectual property lawsuits risk exposing company secrets
How is your smartphone so smart? How does your Xbox do that? The answers to these questions are what technology giants, like Microsoft and Google, are trying to keep quiet.
Microsoft Corp and Google Inc's Motorola Mobility division have requested a Seattle federal judge to keep several details from their recent trial concerning the value of technology patents confidential from the public. The trial ran from November 13 to November 20 and concerned what rates Microsoft should pay Motorola for the use of its patented wireless technology.
The underlying lawsuit
The lawsuit initiated by Microsoft alleges that Motorola promised to license its patents to Microsoft at a fair rate, but then demanded an unreasonable $4 billion a year in revenue. The Seattle judge must determine what a reasonable royalty is for the use of the patents. To do this he will have to compare the Microsoft deal with similar deals Motorola had with other technology companies.
Both Microsoft and Motorola want to keep information revealed during this trial quiet. Motorola does not want the public to know the terms of its licensing deals with other third parties and Microsoft wants to keep its marketing plans for future products secret. During the trial, the judge cleared the courtroom when these trade secret details were discussed and evidence on these deals was revealed. Attorneys from both companies have recently requested that they file portions of their post-trial briefs under seal.
The case between Microsoft and Motorola is one of many cases in which technology companies are concerned about confidential information being released to the public. Similar lawsuits involving Apple Inc, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, Nokia and others have also requested the sealing of documents to protect trade secrets.
To seal or not to seal
Some legal experts belief that sealing intellectual property cases infringes on the principal that the court process is supposed to be a public process. Tech companies, on the other hand, argue that being forced to settle because they don't want their trade secrets revealed infringes on their right to have their day in court.
In order for someone to keep information from public view, they are required to show that disclosure would be harmful. Many judges are allowing the sealing of evidence in these intellectual property cases. Just because one aspect of the case should be kept confidential, however, does not mean the whole case is private. Many judges require the parties to redact the evidence that would be harmful if revealed and the rest of it remains public information.
If you are involved in civil business litigation that involves intellectual property or other trade secrets, consult a skilled business attorney to address your privacy concerns and protect your sensitive information.
Article provided by Shustak Frost & Partners, A Professional Corporation
Visit us at http://www.shufirm.com/
Intellectual Property Lawsuits Risk Exposing Company Secrets
How is your smartphone so smart? How does your Xbox do that? The answers to these questions are what technology giants, like Microsoft and Google, are trying to keep quiet.
2013-01-12
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Recent Accidents Highlight the Importance of Automobile Safety
2013-01-12
Recent accidents highlight the importance of automobile safety
Three men were recently killed in a car accident along Highway 1 in San Mateo County after the driver of the vehicle veered off the road and fell 40 feet off a cliff near Pescadero Creek Road. The driver of the car survived, but was seriously injured.
The California Highway Patrol has not determined the cause of the accident, but has ruled out the possibility that the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the crash. An investigation is underway.
In another recent accident, a bicyclist ...
Legal Fatherhood in New York
2013-01-12
Legal fatherhood in New York
All children deserve support from both parents, and the State of New York has a vested interest in protecting its children's interests. When parents are not married, legally establishing the father's paternity serves as a gateway to the rights and responsibilities associated with parenthood.
How paternity is established
A father can establish paternity at the time of a child's birth if both he and the mother sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity form. When an unmarried woman gives birth in New York, the hospital must provide this form ...
Parents, Grandparents Declaring Bankruptcy Because of Kid's Student Loans
2013-01-12
Parents, grandparents declaring bankruptcy because of kid's student loans
Parents want what is best for their children, but sometimes they forget what is best for their own financial security. About 2.2 million borrowers over the age of 60 took out student loans last year, this is triple the amount for the same age group in 2005. About ten percent of these borrowers are delinquent on their payments. Financial analysts say that almost all of this debt is related to parents or grandparents taking out loans for their children's college education.
Struggling parents applying ...
Court Gives Marital Rights to Out-of-State Domestic Partnership
2013-01-12
Court gives marital rights to out-of-state domestic partnership
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently handed down a ruling that will affect the parental custody rights of some same-sex partners in the state. The court ruled that a same-sex domestic partnership that was entered into in California is the equivalent of a Massachusetts marriage. Furthermore, the court decided that children that were born after the domestic partnership was entered into are legally the children of both the partners.
About the case
The facts of the case started when Miko Rose ...
Estate and Gift Taxes After the Fiscal Cliff
2013-01-12
Estate and gift taxes after the fiscal cliff
At the end of 2012, many people scrambled to make gifts and changes to their estate plans in anticipation of big changes in estate tax laws. Thankfully, at what seemed like the final hour, Congress reached a deal that will allay the concerns of many people who have not yet updated their estate plans.
Concerns about the fiscal cliff
Many people were rightly concerned that unless Congress moved to change things, the estate tax would affect far more people and result in much higher federal estate taxes. This was because ...
Some North Carolina Crime Lab Analysts Not Certified
2013-01-12
Some North Carolina Crime Lab Analysts Not Certified
With the rise in popularity of television shows featuring forensic scientists, people are becoming more accustomed to seeing scientific evidence as part of criminal trials. Juries almost seem to expect forensic evidence to be a major component of the state's case against a person facing criminal charges. North Carolina's crime lab may not be producing evidence as reliable as people think it is, however, since many of the analysts have not passed their necessary certification exams, according to state records.
One-Third ...
Why It Is Important To Divide Debts In Divorce
2013-01-12
Why it is important to divide debts in divorce
Couples that are going through a divorce have to face the difficult task of dividing up debts that were incurred during the marriage. This task can be particularly hard because it is common for one spouse to incur debt during a marriage that the other spouse has nothing to do with. But when married, debts incurred during the marriage are "marital debts" and therefore can be apportioned between the spouses in the divorce. Therefore, Colorado residents should be sure to divide debts when getting a divorce.
Division ...
Domestic Violence Against Men: Steps Husbands Should Take
2013-01-12
Domestic violence against men: Steps husbands should take
Domestic violence committed against anyone is wrong, but when men going through divorce claim they're the victim of domestic violence in court proceedings the claim is often interpreted as being disingenuous or as a power play. Husbands, like wives, can be the victims of the domestic violence. Recent data shows that more men are subjected to domestic violence than what is perceived by the public.
The statistics regarding women and domestic violence are sobering. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic ...
Recent Study Sheds Doubt On DUI Checkpoint Effectiveness
2013-01-12
Recent study sheds doubt on DUI checkpoint effectiveness
Colorado residents may have encountered a DUI checkpoint before, but according to a recent University of Maryland study, DUI checkpoints are not as effective as they were thought to be. The study finds that the checkpoints often fail to make any drunk driving arrests even though many drivers are pulled over and tested. The study also found that the checkpoints do not typically change driver behaviors.
A DUI checkpoint is a point on the road established by officers who then pull over either every vehicle or a ...
Financial Steps Individuals Should Take To Prepare For Divorce
2013-01-12
Financial steps individuals should take to prepare for divorce
A person going through a divorce can expect many changes, particularly with respect to his or her finances. When preparing for a divorce, it is important for people to plan for how the separation might affect their financial situation. Spending some time thinking about the financial future can be a huge help to people preparing for their lives post divorce.
When getting a divorce, it can be important for each spouse to prepare a budget that plans for his or her new financial situation. Sometimes when couples ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Aspects of marriage counseling may hold the key to depolarizing, unifying the country, study finds
With $2 million in new funding, Montana State research lab continues explorations into viruses and honeybee health
Scientists chip away at potato storage problems
Research update: Generating electricity from tacky tape
People’s acceptance of AI judgements on moral decisions: A study on justified defection
Wildfire smoke can carry toxins hundreds of kilometers, depositing grime on urban structures, surfaces: research
New study highlights AI’s potential to help doctors detect congenital heart defects
Your fridge uses tech from the 50’s, but scientists have an update
Archaeology: Ancient Greek and Roman cultures caused lead pollution in Aegean Sea region
Lead contamination in ancient Greece points to societal change
Antidepressant use before, during, and after pregnancy
Risk factors for and health status of socially isolated adults
Community racial and ethnic representation among physicians in US internal medicine residency programs
Salt and nutritional content of foods advertised during televised professional football games
KTU researcher on energy revolution: sustainability is still a work in process
Urgent action needed to keep Europe polio-free, warn heads of ECDC and WHO Europe
A new therapeutic target for a lethal form of heart failure: ALPK2
Optimism can boost saving, especially for lower-income individuals
Findings may lead to blood test to predict risk of postpartum depression
New insights on radical trapping in 12-phosphatetraphene uncovered
Grossman wins 2025 Transatlantic Alliance Award in Endocrinology
Girish N. Nadkarni, MD, MPH, CPH, named to leadership roles in AI and Digital Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
A hearing aid for … your nose?
Borrowing nature’s blueprint: How scientists replicated bone marrow
Politically connected corporations received more exemptions from US tariffs on Chinese imports, study finds
Walk like a … gecko? Animal footpads inspire a polymer that sticks to ice
Role of barrier films in maintaining the stability of perovskite solar cells
New technology tracks dairy cows for improved health and productivity
Antibiotics of the future are prone to bacterial resistance
New ‘Matchless’ grass variety yields high seed count without need for field burning
[Press-News.org] Intellectual Property Lawsuits Risk Exposing Company SecretsHow is your smartphone so smart? How does your Xbox do that? The answers to these questions are what technology giants, like Microsoft and Google, are trying to keep quiet.