US Case Law Research Articles

Copyrighting computer software: The “look and feel” controversy and beyond

In today's society, the development of new technologies generally outpaces the laws and regulations created to protect them. This is precisely what has happened in copyright cases involving the copyrightability of the “look and feel” of a program (the visual displays and specific command keystrokes that make a computer program unique). Currently, regulatory agencies and judicial interpretation of copyright law is not precise, leading to uncertainty and a lack of uniformity. Until the courts and/or agencies reach some consistency in their rulings, software developers and individual programmers are left in a quandary as to when charges of copyright infringement might be served. Although it may be difficult to achieve consistent interpretation, US case law does provide some guidance that can aid US developers in not only protecting their work, but also avoiding charges of copyright infringement. This paper examines the current US copyright laws and limitations with special attention to “look and feel.” International copyright aspects, as outlined in the Berne Convention, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are also addressed. It also reviews several cases that deal with (or have somehow impacted) questions surrounding “look and feel,” along with commentaries on their individual impacts, evaluates where copyright laws stand today, and discusses some possible alternatives for software developers based on the results of recent cases.

Highlights of the US and EPO case law in the electronic sector

Important US law decisions on infringement in the electronics field are surveyed and their importance in protecting industrial property rights outlined. Some significant decisions by the EPO Technical Boards of Appeal in electronics are also reviewed.

Highlights of the US and EPO case law in the electronic sector : Bouju A. World Patent Information 14 (4), pp. 250–262

The Patent Information Service of Birmingham Central Library was re-assessed in the light of changing customer requirements and new opportunities to better meet those needs. A substantial funding injection enabled research to be carried out and the results put into practice, e.g., in expanding the range of services – with particular emphasis on helping small and medium enterprise (SME) businesses, and in positive marketing of the services, rather than the previous passive provision of services. The resulting integrated business and intellectual property service was then re-branded as `Business Insight' and given wide promotion in the Birmingham area.In den letzten zwei Jahren erhielt die Birmingham Central Library aus dem Europäischen Fonds für regionale Entwicklung Finanzmittel in Höhe von £537 000, um ihre Unternehmensinformationsdienste zu verbessern und auszubauen. Diese Unterstützung und die Erweiterung des Dienstleistungsangebots für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen (KMU) betreffen vor allem die Patentsammlung und die Abteilung Unternehmensinformation der Central Library. Ziel des Projekts ist es, alle von der Library für die KMU bereitgestellten Ressourcen und Dienstleistungen enger und sinnvoller miteinander zu verknüpfen, ihren Bekanntheitsgrad zu erhöhen und die KMU zu ihrer verstärkten Inanspruchnahme anzuregen. Um diese Ziele zu verwirklichen, wurde eine eigenständige Auskunftstelle für Patentinformationen und geistiges Eigentum geschaffen und zusätzlich zu den Bibliotheksmitarbeitern ein Informationsbeauftragter eingestellt, der für die Entwicklung der Dienstleistungen zuständig ist. Ferner wurde im Rahmen des Projekts ein Marketing- und Entwicklungsbeauftragter beschäftigt, der dazu beitragen soll, die Patentinformationsdienste in den KMU bekannt zu machen.Au cours des deux dernières années, la bibliothq̀ue centrale de Birmingham a reçu du Fonds européen de développement régional £537 000 pour renforcer et élargir ses services d'informations commerciales. Ce financement et le développement de services destinés aux PME concernent essentiellement la collection brevets et la section d'informations commerciales de la bibliothèque centrale. Le projet vise à créer une structure plus homogène et cohésive pour toutes les ressources et tous les services de la bibliothèque centrale destinés aux PME, à sensibiliser davantage le public aux ressources et services disponibles, et à inciter les PME à en faire un plus grand usage. Afin de permettre la réalisation de ces objectifs, un service de recherches distinct pour l'Information en matiére de brevets et de propriété intellectuelle a été créé, et un agent spécialiste de l'Information, chargé de développer les services, a été nommé pour travailler aux côtés du personnel de bibliothèque en poste. Le projet a également désigné un agent de commercialisation et de développement pour aider au lancement sur le marché du service d'information brevets.

US case law and legislative developments

US case law and legislative developments

The application of the right to be forgotten in the context of criminal records expungement: the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and the case law of the us courts

The personal right to privacy, which had been elaborated in the jurisprudence of Anglo-American and Continental law states, has rapidly transmuted into modern forms owing to technological advancement of data maintenance and data processing which gradually involved photographing, fingerprints and various DNA data. At the dawn of the 20th century, a multitude of lawsuits concerning criminal records expungement broke out – therein, the plaintiffs tried to obtain a court order for destroying their criminal record data, as well as data relating to a suspicion in committing crimes. The mode of data dissemination to, e.g. employers, educational institutions, banking and credit institutions has repeatedly had a negative effect on plaintiffs’ lives. The United States case law has not once shown that even in the pre-computer era the maintenance of such personal data for an unlimited time period could frequently bring to deplorable consequences – for instance, the plaintiff lost his job or business, or was unable to take a loan, which brought to new lawsuits wherein the plaintiffs applied for a court order either to expunge, or to restrict the dissemination of their respective criminal records by the law enforcement agencies. However, the case law hints that such data was also disposed by banks and various governmental institutions. Similar actions were also lodged to the European Court of Human Rights since 1990s which brought the issue at an international level. Bearing in mind a series of various “right to privacy” interpretations, especially a “right to be forgotten”, the author suggests relating the aforesaid actions to the said category. This paper is stringently devoted to the “criminal record expungement” aspect of this right. The paper is subdivided into two parts. The first part deals with the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights on the subject. Quite a few decisions have been delivered by the said Court. The majority of the described judgments were delivered after the actions had been commenced against the government of France for introducing the plaintiffs into digital offender databases with an extremely vague legal possibility of criminal data expungement, and only in one of the trials the plaintiff succeeded. The second part of the paper is devoted to an analysis of US case law on the subject. The author discusses several notable judgements delivered by courts of state and federal jurisdictions as well as conducts a generalization of a) conjectural negative consequences to plaintiff in case his data is maintained indefinitely; b) groups of judgments where the courts adher either to order to expunge criminal records, to return the folder with them to plaintiff, or to restrict their dissemination, or not to expunge them at all.