I’ve posted in the past about bankruptcy asset sales and how parties with executory contracts need to keep track of bankruptcy cases to protect their rights. Steve Jakubowski of The Bankruptcy Litigation Blog has an entertaining and informative post about a recent Court of Appeals decision involving rappers, recording companies, copyrights, and bankruptcy that raises some
intellectual property
Bankruptcy Asset Sales: What Parties With Contracts Should Watch For
In many corporate bankruptcy cases, the debtor will use the bankruptcy process to sell its assets and to assume and assign valuable leases, executory contracts, and licenses (see earlier posts on what happens to leases in bankruptcy, to executory contracts, and to intellectual property licenses, a special type of executory contract).
This post discusses some…
Trademark Licensor In Bankruptcy: Special Risk For Licensees
In an earlier post I discussed how a recent district court case gave trademark owners a leg up when a licensee files for bankruptcy. This begs the question: Does the advantage switch back to the licensee if the trademark owner files for bankruptcy? The answer generally, and perhaps surprisingly, is no.
Limited protection of Section 365(n).
Infringement Claims: Is Bankruptcy The End Of The Line?
Defending intellectual property ("IP") litigation can be expensive and, if unsuccessful, often crippling for the defendant’s business. Sometimes an accused infringer facing IP litigation will seek bankruptcy protection to invoke the automatic stay. Unless lifted by the bankruptcy court, the automatic stay will prevent further litigation against the debtor, outside of the bankruptcy claims process, for…
Trademark Licensees In Bankruptcy: A Leg Up For Trademark Owners?
Apparently, until last November, no court had been called upon to resolve whether a trademark licensee in bankruptcy can assume, or assume and assign, a non-exclusive trademark license without the trademark owner’s consent.
The decision. We got the first answer to that question in a case called In re: N.C.P. Marketing Group, Inc.…
Intellectual Property Licenses: What Happens In Bankruptcy?
The major role intellectual property, or "IP," plays in our economy makes intellectual property licenses an especially significant type of executory contract. Whether you are a licensor or licensee, it’s important to know what can happen to IP licenses when a bankruptcy is filed.
Licensor in bankruptcy. A licensor in bankruptcy (or its bankruptcy…