North America: Intellectual Property

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California granted summary judgment under Section 101 in a patent case involving automated vineyard irrigation systems, finding the claims directed to the abstract idea...

Generative AI is rapidly transforming patent litigation workflows, from legal research and claim charts to deposition preparation and prior-art searching. As courts, bar associations, and the USPTO grapple with disclosure requirements, patent litigators face a critical challenge: understanding when and how to explain AI's role in their work while maintaining professional duties of competence, confidentiality, and verification.

AI-generated performers like Tilly Norwood and Xania Monet are creating real revenue streams through licensing, streaming, and brand partnerships. How should creators, managers, and agencies structure ownership, navigate international tax obligations, and build sustainable business models around digital talent that exists entirely as intellectual property?