US Appeals Court Revives US$82mil of Verdict Against Ford in Trade Secrets Case
A US Federal Circuit Court of Appeals revived $82.2 million of a $104.6 million verdict against Ford in a trade‑secrets lawsuit filed by Versata Software. The appellate panel affirmed the breach‑of‑contract award and remanded the trade‑secret damages for a new trial. The original 2022 Detroit jury verdict had been partially overturned by a district judge who said Versata lacked sufficient proof to calculate damages. The dispute stems from Ford’s alleged copying of Versata’s automotive design software after licensing it from 1998 to 2015.
Two Men Charged Under A.I.-Revenge Porn Law: What to Know
The U.S. Justice Department has charged 20‑year‑old Arturo Hernandez and 51‑year‑old Cornelius Shannon with violating the newly enacted Take It Down Act by publishing AI‑generated deepfake pornography. Prosecutors allege Hernandez posted 113 albums featuring at least 50 women, while Shannon...
RIL, Foreign Firms Refute in SC Centre's Claim of 'Unjust' Extraction of Gas From KG Basin
Reliance Industries Ltd, along with BP Exploration (Alpha) Ltd and Niko (NECO) Ltd, denied the Indian government’s allegation that they siphoned natural gas from ONGC’s Krishna‑Godavari basin. The Supreme Court is hearing their appeal after a Delhi High Court overturned...
Patent Case Summaries | Week Ending May 15, 2026
The weekly Patent Case Summaries report that the Federal Circuit affirmed the ITC’s exclusion of Tineco’s original wet‑dry cleaners in Bissell v. ITC, upheld Actelion’s loss on claim‑construction and prosecution‑history estoppel, and confirmed the dismissal of mCom’s infringement suit with...
Client Alert: South Carolina Freezes Certain Nonprofit Low-Income Housing Property Tax Exemption Applications (Updated)
South Carolina Governor signed S. 853 on May 19, 2026, imposing a temporary freeze on final approvals of nonprofit low‑income housing property‑tax exemption applications filed on or after June 30, 2026 for tax years 2026‑2027. The freeze excludes projects wholly owned by a nonprofit housing...
Federal Circuit Affirms $42 Million Damages Award Where Expert Sufficiently Apportioned Damages to the Value of the Patented Feature
The Federal Circuit affirmed a $42 million reasonable‑royalty award in Willis Electric Co. v. Polygroup Ltd., confirming damages tied to a dependent claim covering coaxial trunk connectors in artificial pre‑lit Christmas trees. The jury relied on expert Michele Riley’s income‑based apportionment,...
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois Announces Innovative Individual Self-Disclosure Program
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois unveiled an individual self‑disclosure program that rewards voluntary reporting of non‑violent crimes. Unlike earlier initiatives, the scheme offers a menu of incentives—including non‑prosecution agreements, deferred prosecution, letter immunity, and sentencing...
Winning Strategies for IP Enforcement at the U.S. International Trade Commission
Knobbe Martens’ IP+ podcast episode outlines when and how companies should use the U.S. International Trade Commission for IP enforcement. The hosts explain exclusion orders versus district‑court injunctions, the domestic‑industry requirement, and the Federal Circuit’s recent Lashify decision that broadens that...
SCOTUS Sides With Pension Fund in Withdrawal Liability Calculation Dispute
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that actuaries of multi‑employer pension plans may use assumptions adopted after the measurement date, provided those assumptions rely on data that existed on or before that date. The decision arose from M&K Employee Solutions’ challenge...
Shocking: Fifth Circuit Affirms Disgorgement Award Based on Willful Infringement
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court finding that Golf Carts of Cypress and Trojan EV infringed Trojan Battery’s federally registered TROJAN trademarks, upholding a disgorgement award based on willful infringement. The court confirmed liability despite limited proof of actual consumer...
Major Publishers Challenge AI Training Practices in Landmark Copyright Suit Against Meta
On May 5, 2026, five leading publishers—Elsevier, Cengage, Hachette, Macmillan and McGraw Hill—joined bestselling author Scott Turow in filing a putative class action against Meta Platforms and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The complaint alleges Meta torrented millions of copyrighted books and journal articles from pirate sites...
Justice Department Can Question Former Elevance Exec in Medicare Advantage Fraud Case, Judge Rules
A federal judge granted the Justice Department permission to depose former Elevance Health executive Peter Haytaian for 3.5 hours, rejecting the insurer’s attempt to limit the scope of questioning. The DOJ alleges Elevance, then Anthem, generated over $100 million annually by...
Meta Settles Social Media Addiction Case with US School District
Meta settled with Kentucky's Breathitt County School District, ending a lawsuit that sought roughly $60 million to cover mental‑health costs linked to its platforms. The agreement’s financial terms were not disclosed, but the settlement avoids a June trial in Oakland and...
ISDA-SIFMA Letter – CFTC-SEC Harmonization
On May 19, 2026 ISDA and SIFMA jointly urged the SEC and CFTC to harmonize their swap‑regulation frameworks as part of the agencies’ Joint Harmonization Initiative. The following day they, together with the Futures Industry Association, asked the CFTC to...
Cinkciarz.pl CEO Detained in US as Polish Fintech Fraud Probe Tops $50 Million
Polish prosecutors announced the arrest of Marcin Pióro, CEO of Cinkciarz.pl, by U.S. authorities, ending a year‑long international hunt. The fintech’s collapse has now been linked to customer losses exceeding 185 million zloty (about $50 million) and over 5,000 victims. A bankruptcy...