Posts Tagged: "cyber attacks"

Eighth Circuit Overturns Injunction for Harassment Allegedly Inspired by Patent Troll Rhetoric

On March 4, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit issued a ruling in Tumey v. Mycroft AI, Inc. in which the appellate court overturned the Western District of Missouri’s grant of injunctive relief to Tumey, a patent attorney representing a plaintiff asserting patent claims against Mycroft. The Eighth Circuit found that Tumey had not met the requisite standard of proof to show that Mycroft had engaged in cyber attacks and harassing phone calls targeting Tumey and his family to support injunctive relief. The appellate court also remanded the case with instructions to reassign the case to a different district court judge.

Reintroduced International Cybercrime Prevention Act Would Create New Cybercrime Violations, Increase Forfeiture and Injunctive Relief

On June 17, a bipartisan coalition of U.S. Senators, including Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) reintroduced the International Cybercrime Prevention Act for consideration by the upper house of Congress. If passed, the bill would enact provisions giving additional power to law enforcement for seizing devices used for cyber attacks as well as create new criminal violations for individuals who knowingly engage in cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure.

Global Threat Report Has Key Takeaways for IP-Intensive Companies

Cybersecurity is a concern for any business operating in the digital age, but companies with strong intellectual property divisions have some very specific security issues to handle. A recent conference on the subject of Chinese theft of American IP featured comments from Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Director Christopher Wray, who remarked that the FBI has been investigating about 1,000 alleged cases of IP theft from Chinese actors since the China Initiative was launched by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) in late 2018. Statistics provided by the FBI at that conference showed that technology theft cases involving China grew rapidly between 2008 and 2012, after which a steady rise has continued through 2020.

IP and Innovation on Capitol Hill: Week of February 11

This week on Capitol Hill, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives has planned a number of hearings on climate change and antitrust matters, especially where the T-Mobile/Sprint merger is concerned. In the Senate, cybersecurity takes center stage at the Senate Homeland Security and Energy Committees. Elsewhere in Washington, D.C., the Brookings Institution got the week started early with a look at the impacts of artificial intelligence on urban life; Inventing America hosts a half-day event looking at current issues in the U.S. patent system; and the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation examines the future of autonomous vehicles in the freight industry.

Capitol Hill Roundup

This week on Capitol Hill, the House of Representatives will host almost every hearing that will relate to technology and innovation, including three hearings originally scheduled for last week but moved due to the national day of mourning for former President George H. W. Bush. Hearings in the House will focus on topics including advanced fuels for next generation engines, efforts to speed the development of innovative medical treatments, legislation for freeing up broadband Internet spectrum for public use and government IT acquisition processes. Over in the Senate, there will be a hearing in the middle of the week on Chinese espionage that will explore how entities in that country have been involved in cyberattacks and Internet piracy against American targets.