AmiCOUR IP Group News and Opinions

Welcome to the AmiCOUR IP Blog.  We invite your comments.  Past Issues.

April 29. 2010 - Airline passenger advocate Kate Hanni's four year effort to ground airline delays took flight today as new DOT tarmac rules went into effect. Aircraft operators refusing to return to the gate after three hours now face fines of $27,500 per passenger.  Earlier this week, a few carriers made veiled threats of flight cancellations in crowded New York airports, suggesting they may cancel flights altogether when delays are excessive. Hanni held a Washington DC "strand in" asking law makers to waste 6 hours "trapped" in a simulated grounded airliner. They wasted no time voting for her new regulation.  Read comments.

April 27, 2010 - With an estimated 70 million visitors expected for the World Expo, Shanghi officials appear to be  taking steps make China's famous knock off markets less visible to tourists. China does a huge business in pirated Hollywood movies and fake music CD's. The New York Times reported today that suspect DVD's have been ordered to the back rooms. Some shops even have hidden doors and sliding bookshelves to protect their special "pirate caves."  Expo visitors with their cameras will be less likely to make a big deal out of China's least respectable tourist attraction. Prior the Olympics, China avoided worldwide embarrassment by scrambling to reduce air pollution. Now China wants its infamous knock-off markets to be less of a "known secret." Read comments. 

April 1, 2010 - The Court of Appeals has denied Microsoft's request for en banc review of its appeal as defendant against i4i's infringement claim related to XML technology.  Microsoft media representatives have advised that the company is considering its remaining option.  Read Comments.