Blawg Review #186

Blawg Review #186 is up at Res Ipsa -- click here to read it.  Befitting a blog that focuses on the use of technology in the law, there is plenty of IP content:

  • Traverse Legal has a great post, including a podcast, (click here to read/listen to it) explaining that while it is possible to register your marks without a lawyer, the smart decision is to use a lawyer that is an expert in the field.
     
  • IP's What's Up makes the argument that open source licenses are a powerful use of a copyright -- click here to read it.
     
  • The mighty IPKat looks at the best IP advice provided by its readers in response to a recent contest -- click here to read the advice and IP Kat's thoughts.

Finally, it is not directly IP-related, but the Review also looks at an interesting technology debate that is occupying the legal blogosphere -- the value of Twitter as a legal marketing tool.  Calling himself a curmudgeon, David Giacalone at f/k/a argues against Twitter, or at least questions its business development value  -- click here to read the post, which has generated significant discussion and response.  LexBlog's Kevin O'Keefe responded strongly arguing Twitter's value -- click here to read it.  O'Keefe's arguments for Twitter boil down to the fact that Twitter is a powerful networking tool.  It allows colleagues around the country and world with common backgrounds and issues to find each other and engage in far-reaching conversations.  And building networks builds both professional satisfaction and business.  I agree with O'Keefe  whole-heartedly.  But I also understand Giacalone's uncertainty and lack of comfort with Twitter  It takes most lawyers multiple tries to get Twitter and more than that to get comfortable using it.  Hopefully, Giacalone will keep trying and figure it out eventually.

Blawg Review #178

Blawg Review #178 is up at Peter Black's Freedom to Differ -- click here to read it.  Black also cross-posted each link in this week's Review on Twitter.  I admit that I have not grasped the full power of Twitter, but I am working on it.  And I do grasp the power of Black's Review.  It is well done and contains lots of interesting links.

Blawg Review #177 -- Back to Business

Blawg Review #177 is up at Small Business Trends -- click here to read it.  Small Business Trends is a business blog and, so focuses its review on legal angles on business issues.  The Review covers a number of intellectual property issues, including UsefulArt's post about India's first trademark on a sound.  There is also considerable coverage of a hot legal blog topic, the use of Twitter by lawyers and businesses for marketing.

Patent Auction Generates $11.4M

Last Thursday, Ocean Tomo held its third live patent auction in Chicago.  According to the Chicago Sun-Times report, nearly 300 people attended the auction live (I understand others bid by telephone) and that 50 patents were offered for bidding, generating $11.4M.  The Sun-Times also reports that Telecommunications Corp. sold a video-on-demand patent portfolio for $2.75M.  And the Infinite Monkey Theorem blog reports that an anonymous bidder paid $2.6M for a mobile social networking patent.  According to the IMT blog, the patent "bridge[s] the online into the real world, the patent's main claim covers the use of mobile location information in conjunction with online information. This is a broad application which provide a location-based boost to gaming as well as networking sites like MySpace or upstart mobile IM players like Twitter."

Ocean Tomo's next live patent auction will be in Chicago this October.