Source: http://www.techlawjournal.com/alert/2003/03/11.asp
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 10:33:20+00:00

Document:
TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 620, March 11, 2003.
March 11, 2003, 9:00 AM ET, Alert No. 620.
3/10. The Supreme Court granted certiorari in Verizon v. Trinko, a case involving the application of Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2, in the context of telecommunications. The Court's Order List [14 pages in PDF], at page 4, states that "The petition for a writ of certiorari is granted limited to the following Question: ``Did the Court of Appeals err in reversing the District Court's dismissal of respondent's antitrust claims?´´"
3/10. The Supreme Court denied certiorari in Nartron v. STMicroelectronics, a trademark case involving the use of the term "smart power" in connection with semiconductors. See, Order List [14 pages in PDF], at page 6. The courts below ruled that "smart power" is a generic term in the semiconductor industry.
Background. Nartron makes electronic devices including sensors, acoustic devices, displays, controls, harnesses and connectors, lamps, flashers and switches. STMicroelectronics (ST) makes semiconductors, including products that combine power and intelligence on a single integrated circuit chip.
Nartron began using "Smart power" in 1978. It obtained a federally registered trademark for "Smart power" for "electrical relay assemblies in combination with electrical logic components and parts thereof" in 1982. Nartron broadened the identification of its goods to "electrical power circuits in combination with electrical logic circuits and parts thereof" in 1986. ST has used "smart power" since 1988. So have others in the semiconductor industry. It is used to refer to technology that combines power transistors and control circuitry on a single integrated circuit.
District Court. Narton filed a complaint in 1998 in U.S. District Court (EDMich) against ST alleging wilfull infringement in violation of 15 U.S.C. §§ 1051-1127, unfair competition in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a), dilution of the distinctive and valuable quality of the "Smart power" trademark in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 1125(c), and unfair competition and trademark infringement in violation of Michigan common law.
ST moved for summary judgment on Narton's trademark infringement claim on the grounds that "smart power" is a generic term not subject to protection, and that Narton's suit is barred by the doctrine of laches, due to its unreasonable delay of 11 years in filing suit. The District Court granted summary judgment to ST on both grounds.
Appeals Court. Nartron appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals (6thCir), which issued its opinion affirming the District Court on October 1, 2002, on the grounds of genericness and laches. It wrote that "ST produced overwhelming evidence, which Nartron failed to rebut, that the term ``smart power,´´ as used by ST and other participants in the semiconductor industry, denotes a type of technology, not goods associated with Nartron." It also found that Natron's eleven year delay in brining suit was too long.
See, story titled "6th Circuit Rules on "Smart Power" Trademark", TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 521, October 2, 2002.
3/10. The Department of Defense (DOD) published a notice in the Federal Register stating that it is establishing a Technology and Privacy Advisory Committee (TAPAC). The DOD stated that "The TAPAC will advise the Secretary of Defense concerning the legal and policy considerations implicated by the application of pattern queries/data correlation technology to counter-terrorism and counter-intelligence missions."
The notice also states that "The Panel will consist of up to 14 members selected on the basis of their preeminence in the fields of constitutional law and public policy relating to communication and information management."
The DARPA web site has described the TIA as a project that "will imagine, develop, apply, integrate, demonstrate and transition information technologies, components and prototype, closed-loop, information systems that will counter asymmetric threats by achieving total information awareness useful for preemption; national security warning; and national security decision making."
The DOD stated in February that the members of the outside advisory committee will include Newton Minow (Northwestern University), Floyd Abrams (Cahill Gordon & Reindel), Zoe Baird (President of the Markle Foundation), Griffin Bell (King & Spalding), Gerhard Casper (Stanford University Law School), William Coleman (Chief Customer Advocate of BEA), and Lloyd Cutler (Wilmer Cutler & Pickering).
For more information, contact Lisa Davis, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics), at 703 697-0051. See, Federal Register, March 10, 2003, Vol. 68, No. 46, at Page 11384.
3/10. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge announced his intent to name Pamela Turner to be the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. She is currently SVP for Government Relations at the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA).
3/10. Audrey Spivack was named Associate Director of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Office of Media Relations. She worked for the FCC since 1976. See, FCC release [PDF].
3/10. Thomas Bennett was named to the newly created position of Assistant Inspector General for Universal Service Fund (USF) Oversight at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Thomas Cline was named Assistant Inspector General for Audits. Robert Shipp was named to the newly created position of Director of Contract and Performance Audits. See, FCC release [PDF].
3/10. The Supreme Court denied a petition for rehearing in Eldred v. Ashcroft. See, Order List [14 pages in PDF], at page 11. On January 15, 2003, the Court issued its opinion [89 pages in PDF] upholding the constitutionality of the Copyright Term Extension Act, which retroactively extended the maximum duration of copyrights. This is No. 01-618. See, TLJ story titled "Supreme Court Upholds CTEA in Eldred v. Ashcroft", January 15, 2003.
3/10. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it has amended Section 1.17 of its rules to prohibit written and oral statements of fact that are intentionally incorrect or misleading and written statements of fact that are made without a reasonable basis for believing that the statement is correct and not misleading. See, FCC release [PDF].
Rescheduled for March 21. 12:15 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Transactional Practice Committee will host a brown bag lunch. The topic will be FCC antitrust merger reviews. The speakers will include Jim Bird (head of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Office of General Counsel's (OGC) Transactional Team) and Jim Barker (Latham & Watkins). For more information, contact Lauren Kravetz at 202 418-7944 or lkravetz@fcc.gov. This event had originally been scheduled for February 19, but was postponed due to snow.

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