NEWs and events

On November 5, 2024, Michael Friedland will speak at the Orange County Bar Association's program, Key Issues When Employees Leave: Complying with California's Non-Compete Laws While Protecting Trade Secrets in Newport Beach.  The program will take place from 12p-2p.  To register, visit www.ocbar.org.  

On August 27, 2024, Michael Friedland was among five alumni invited to speak to Harvard Law School's incoming class of first year law students to share experiences and advice.  The event was reported by Harvard Law Today.  The article can be viewed here.

On August 6, 2024, Michael Friedland moderated a discussion on the role of the U.S. International Trade Commission in patent infringement disputes. Professors Jorge L. Contreras of the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, F. Scott Keiff of the George Washington University Law School, and Michael Doane of the University of Akron School of Law discussed the pros and cons of the ITC's patent jurisdiction and whether any changes are warranted in light of technology markets and supply chains that are increasingly global in scope.

On June 29, 2024, Michael Friedland spoke as part of a panel at the Orange County Bar Association's Artificial Intelligence Symposium at UC Irvine on the topic "Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property." The panel was moderated by Nancy Olson of Olson Stein and also featured Vikas Bhargava of Knobbe Martens.

On June 21, 2024, The Recorder and Law.com published Michael Friedland's article, "AI Can't Be an Inventor, but Can It Be a Patent Killer?" The article can be viewed here.  

On June 19, 2024, Michael Friedland participated in a webinar on the Supreme Court's recent decision in Vidal v. Elster, Case No. 22-704 (Jun. 13, 2024) with John Farmer of Leading-Edge Law Group.  In the decision, the Supreme Court held unanimously that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's rejection of the trademark application for the mark TRUMP TOO SMALL did not violate the First Amendment.  The panel discussed the background leading to Vidal v. Elster, reviewed the Court's decision, and discussed its implications for trademark law and free speech.

On May 21, 2024, Law360 quoted Michael Friedland in its article, "Questions Abound as Fed. Circ. Scraps Design Patent Tests." The article discussed the impact of the Federal Circuit's May 21, 2024 en banc decision in LKQ Corp. v. GM Global Technology Operations. In the decision, the court set aside the existing test for determining whether design patents are invalid as obvious, making it easier to challenge their validity. The article can be viewed here.

On May 16, 2024, Michael Friedland moderated a panel discussion on the topic, "Is Patent Eligibility Doctrine in Need of Reform?"  The panel featured the Hon. Randall Rader, Chief Judge (ret.), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; Kristen Osenga, Austin E. Owen Research Scholar & Professor of Law, The University of Richmond School of Law; and Joseph Matal, Clear IP, LLC.

On May 14, 2024, Judge John Holcomb of the Central District of California and Michael Friedland spoke to the Federalist Society's Orange County Lawyers Chapter on the topic, "When Rights Collide: Law at the Intersection of the First Amendment, IP, and AI."   To view the PowerPoint for the presentation, visit here.

The Federal Bar Association/OC published Michael Friedland's article, "Is There Trademark Life After Copyright Death" in its Spring 2024 edition.  The article can be viewed here. 

On April 2, 2024, Law360 published Michael Friedland's article as part of its "unusual extracurricular activities" series.  The article, "Serving as a Sheriff's Deputy Made Me a Better Lawyer," can be viewed here.

On March 24, 2024, Patexia listed Michael Friedland's move to co-found Friedland Cianfrani as one of the top patent litigator lateral moves of 2023. The article can be viewed here.

On March 20, 2024, Law360 announced that it has selected Michael Friedland to become a member of its 2024 Intellectual Property Editorial Advisory Board.

Michael Friedland and Judge John Holcomb of the Central District of California spoke to the Los Angeles Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society on the topic "IP, AI, and the First Amendment" on March 18, 2024 at the California Club.  To view the PowerPoint for the presentation, visit here.

The Recorder published Special Counsel David Kim's article, "Copyright Fair Use and the Dark Knight" on March 7, 2024.  The article discusses copyright's fair use doctrine by applying the doctrine to five hypothetical works inspired by the original Batman comic.  To view the article, visit Copyright Fair Use and The Dark Knight | The Recorder (law.com)

The Trademark Lawyer Magazine featured partner Michael Friedland's article, "What's a Mouse to Do?" in its issue published on March 4, 2024.  The article discusses the expiration of the original copyright for Mickey Mouse, how that expiration might impact Mickey Mouse's invaluable trademark rights, and what trademark owners should do to maximize their trademark rights as their copyrights begin to expire.  To view the issue, visit here. 

Friedland Cianfrani is extremely proud to announce that experienced IP litigator David G. Kim has joined the firm as Special Counsel.  Mr. Kim is a 2015 graduate of Harvard Law School.  He received his bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 2009.  Mr. Kim has extensive experience in patent, trademark, and trade secret litigation, as well as specialized IP proceedings including Hatch-Waxman actions, Section 337 investigations at the ITC, IPR proceedings before the PTAB, and opposition and cancellation proceedings before the TTAB.  "We're excited to welcome David to our firm," said hiring partner Joe Cianfrani.  "David is an outstanding counselor, advocate, and team player.  We're so glad to have him join us as we continue to build our practice."  To view Mr. Kim's profile, visit here.

We are pleased to have been part of the team that successfully represented Z-Shade Co. and Costco before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Caravan Canopy brought suit against Z-Shade and Costco, among others, alleging infringement of a patent purporting to cover certain tents commonly used at sporting and other outdoor events. Michael Friedland was lead counsel for Z-Shade and Costco in the district court litigation. The defendants challenged the patent through the inter partes review process at the Patent Trials and Appeals Board and succeeded in invalidating all asserted claims. The plaintiff appealed that decision. Just one day after oral argument, the Federal Circuit issued its ruling affirming the PTAB’s decision, confirming the invalidity of the patent, and effectively terminating the infringement case. Mr. Friedland was part of the team that represented the defendants in the appeal, along with Lauren Katzenellenbogen of Knobbe Martens and Bill Brown of Brown Wegner.  Caravan Canopy International v. Z-Shade Co., Ltd., et al., Case No. 2022-1642 (Fed. Cir. Dec. 6, 2023).

On October 16, 2023, Michael Friedland moderated a discussion with Judge John Holcomb of the Central District of California, Lauren Katzenellenbogen of Knobbe Martens, and Christina Rayburn of Hueston Hennigan on IP litigation in the Central District of California.  The discussion was presented to a joint meeting of the Harvard Law School, Harvard Business School, and MIT Alumni associations of Orange County.  

On August 21, 2023, Michael Friedland was a panelist with the nation's leading design patent expert Joel Delman of Informed Innovation on the topic, "Design Patent Protection and Enforcement: What Every IP Practitioner Should Know."  The panel was presented to the Orange County Bar Association's IP & Technology Law Section.