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Apple’s Canary Fails to Chirp

Recently, Apple updated the privacy section on its website. While this was likely part of their response to privacy concerns due to the recent iCloud controversy, and fortuitously timed with the release of the newest batch of phones from the company, it also contains...

Why Tesla Opened Its Patent Portfolio

On June 12, 2014, the CEO of Tesla Motors (Tesla), Elon Musk, posted an external memo entitled “All Our Patent Are Belong To You.”  In short, the memo details why Tesla is opening up its patent portfolio to the market.  The primary reason given for this drastic move...

Appellate Review of Markman Hearings

In Markman, the Supreme Court declared that determining the meaning of patent claims, i.e. “claim construction,” is a question to be decided by the court; the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial does not apply. Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc., 517 U.S. 370,...

Supreme Court to Rule on Patent Eligibility for Process Claims

Last month, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Alice Corporation v. CLS Bank. Many hope the Court’s decision in this case will help clarify the patent eligibly standard for process claims – particularly those process claims that are computer implemented and/or...

Virtual Reality Technology Going Mainstream?

While the idea of virtual reality technology has been around for decades, it has yet to make any substantial progress. The roots for virtual reality reach back to the late 1950s when the idea emerged to use computers as tools for digital display rather than just fancy...

IRS Ruling Declares Bitcoin Will Be Taxed As Property

On March 25, 2014, the Internal Revenue Service issued a ruling declaring that it will tax virtual currencies, such as Bitcoin, as property. This ruling could have significant effects on the way that consumers use Bitcoin. The implication of the ruling is that Bitcoin...

Keurig Walls Off the Garden by Shutting Out Third Party K-cups

Keurig, the single serve coffee machine produced by Green Mountain, is nearly ubiquitous in offices, homes, and schools around the country. The device rose to popularity on the back of the K-cup, the single serve pods produced by Green Mountain that allowed a single...

3D & 403: Using 3D Printing in Litigation

3D printing has received attention for its potential to lead to litigation, but little has been said about using 3D printing during litigation. Yes, 3D printing raises a number of legal issues that may result in lawsuits. But the rapid pace of development and the...

Lawsuit against Aereo heads to the Supreme Court

The New York-based startup Aereo has recently been making waves in the digital television world by creating a low-cost option for consumers to watch and record live broadcast television, providing a service similar to Internet-based streaming websites such as Hulu....

No Ads, No Games, No Gimmicks

Prior to its $19 billion acquisition by Facebook in February, WhatsApp promised subscribers three things: no ads, no games, no gimmicks.  For the past five years, WhatsApp prided themselves on operating a simple, practical messaging service that protected user’s...

Prenatal Genetic Diagnostics, Surviving in the post-Myriad Era

Ariosa Diagnostics has crucially secured a New York State certification for their Harmony™ noninvasive prenatal genetic diagnostic test. Having already gained acceptance as a key provider of prenatal diagnostics in California and abroad, this is good news for both the...

Patents for Humanity

The Obama administration recently announced a renewal of Patents for Humanity, a USPTO program promoting the use of patented technologies to address worldwide humanitarian needs.  Patents for Humanity is part of the President’s program to strengthen the patent system...

Posts on the MTLR Blog are editorial opinion pieces written by student-editors of the Michigan Technology Law Review. The opinions expressed in these editorial posts are not espoused or endorsed by the University of Michigan or its Law School. To view scholarly Articles and Notes published by the Michigan Technology Law Review, please visit the MTLR home page.