On January 31, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois will host the Grand Opening Ceremony of the Magistrate Judge History Project.

The Opening Ceremony will take place at the Everett McKinley Dirksen Courthouse, Courtroom 1743, 219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago.  A reception will immediately follow.

If you plan to attend, please reply by January 15, 2024 to: https://forms.office.com/g/UmQaJcRXjz

Click here for a copy of the Magistrate Judge History Project Invitation.
Continue Reading Magistrate Judge History Project Invitation

The Seventh Circuit along with Seventh and Eighth Circuits’ district courts are hosting the Fourth Annual Bill of Rights Day Contest. 

The Contest is open to all students in middle school (grades 5-8) and high school (grades 9-12) in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.  Students are encouraged to submit art (visual art, poem, song, video, drawings and paintings) and essays on the Importance of the Bill of Rights.

Finalists from each grade level will receive a $50 prize and advance to the finals.  Grand prize winners will be awarded a $500 cash…
Continue Reading Seventh Circuit’s Fourth Annual Bill of Rights Day Student Contest

The Northern District has implemented a great addition to the ECF system. In cases with a referral, typically to a magistrate judge, filers will now have to select which judge a motion should be directed toward. Practically, this is a great addition because in limited instances motions were routed incorrectly and could end up in limbo.

Here are the images from the Clerk:
Continue Reading New ECF Filing Requirements in Referral Cases

On Tuesday, January 24, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. CT, the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (“IPLAC”) is hosting a panel discussion focusing on the complexities and nuances of trade secrets damages.  The panel is moderated by Timothy Oliver, Grogan, Hesse & Uditsky.  Panel members include:

• John Bone, CPA, Managing Director, Stout; and
• David Duski, Principal, Charles River Associates

The virtual event is free for IPLAC Members and $15.00 for Non-Members.  Click here to register. 
Continue Reading Damages for Trade Secret Misappropriation

Congratulations to Judge Feinerman who has decided to retire from the federal bench and return to private practice at the end of the year. His thoughtful analysis, kind demeanor and thorough, well-reasoned opinions will be missed.
Judge Feinerman’s move will create a third vacancy on the Northern District of Illinois bench. The others were created when Judge Norgle took inactive senior status in October and when Judge Dow left the bench to become counselor to Chief Justice Roberts.
Continue Reading Judge Feinerman Returning to Private Practice

Congratulations to Judge Dow. He left the Northern District bench to become Counselor to Chief Justice Roberts. As Counselor, Judge Dow will focus on “Court-wide policies and initiatives” and “matters of judicial administration.” Our local loss is the country’s game. Anyone who has appeared before Judge Dow knows that he is exceptionally bright and hard working. No doubt those traits will benefit him and the Supreme Court in his new role.
Continue Reading Judge Dow Leaves Federal Bench to Become Chief Judge Roberts’ Counselor

By Dinis Cheian on October 21, 2022
The following article by Dinis Cheian is an interesting analysis of patent extension calculation errors that Cheian claims to have found in the Patent Office’s software. I thought Chicago IP Blog readers would find it interesting.
The Patent Office’s software is miscalculating the expiration extensions of some patents. Typically, a patent expires twenty years after the filing of the underlying application. However, the Patent Office extends patent terms to compensate for certain delays in processing applications. This extension is known as PTA. By default, the PTA is automatically calculated by a computer program…
Continue Reading Patent litigators and patent lawyers representing generic pharmaceutical companies should be on the lookout for Patent Office’s PTA calculation mistakes

Nulogy Corp. v. Menasha Packaging Co. LLC, No. 21 C 1164, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. Mar. 10, 2022) (Rowland, J.).
Judge Rowland granted defendant Menasha’s motion to dismiss for forum non conveniens and denied defendant Deloitte’s as moot in this trade secret action involving supply chain software.
The parties Agreement had a forum selection clause mandating that Canadian law governed and that any action related to the Agreement be brought in Toronto. While Nulogy’s claims are based in trade secret, not upon the Agreement, the forum selection clause still governed. The Supreme Court requires that forum selection clauses be read…
Continue Reading Trade Secret Plaintiff Cannot Avoid Forum Selection Clause by Dividing Claims

Viahart LLC v. Partnerships & Unincorporated Assocs. identified on schedule A, No. 19 C 8181, Slip Op. (N.D. I.. Apr. 4, 2022) (Alonso, J.).
Judge Alonso denied plaintiff Viahart’s Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b)(6) motion to reopen its case and to permit limited jurisdictional discovery in this Doe case involving Amazon sales related to Viahart’s BRAIN FLAKES trademark.
The Court previously granted an ex parte temporary restraining order, granted Viahart’s request for service by alternate means and expedited discovery. The Court then granted a preliminary injunction followed by a default judgment. Thereafter defendant Liyunshop appeared and filed a motion to…
Continue Reading Reply Briefs are Not for “Sandbagging”

Rebel Hospitality LLC v. Rebel Hospitality LLC, No. 21-cv-05132, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. Mar. 16, 2022) (Guzman, J.).
Judge Guzman granted defendant Rebel Hospitality DE’s Fed. R.Civ. P. 12(c) motion to dismiss plaintiff Rebel Hospitality IL’s trademark infringement complaint for lack of personal jurisdiction in this case about REBEL HOSPITALITY marks.
As an initial matter, Rebel Hospitality IL waived any timeliness argument by not contesting the issue in its response brief. Rebel Hospitality DE answered the complaint and included a personal jurisdiction affirmative defense, but did not file a Rule 12(b)(2) motion at that time, as it technically should have…
Continue Reading Trademark Infringement Alone Does Not Create Personal Jurisdiction

Benefit Cosmetics LLC, No. 20-cv-02552, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. Mar. 28, 2022) (Wood, J.).
Judge Wood denied defendant Oxygen Ocean’s motion to set aside the parties’ settlement agreement in this trademark dispute involving plaintiff Benefit Cosmetics’
This was a Doe trademark case. Oxygen Ocean engaged with the Court and then was voluntarily dismissed allegedly based upon a settlement agreement. Oxygen Ocean, however, subsequently argued that it had not entered into the agreement alleging that the agreement was negotiated by counsel who lacked authority to settle the case or bind Oxygen Oceans. But the Court held that the agreement was valid…
Continue Reading Court Upholds Agreement in Face of Allegations that Defendant Did Not Enter It

Art Akiane LLC v. Art & Soulworks LLC, No. 19-cv-02952, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. Sep. 16, 2021) (Chang, J.).
Judge Chang ruled on the parties’ choice of law dispute between Colorado and Illinois law in this intellectual property dispute.
Federal courts apply the forum’s choice of law rules. Illinois uses the forum’s law, unless there is a conflict with another state’s law. Illinois also uses its own law for procedural issues. The party seeking a choice of law determination has the burden of proving that there is a conflict between the laws. Where there is a conflict, Illinois follows the…
Continue Reading Illinois Law Applies Over Colorado Based Upon Situs of Events