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Marc Palmer is an associate in the Litigation Department. He earned his J.D. from Boston College Law School, where he was an articles editor of the Boston College Law Review. While in law school, he interned at an automotive startup working on intellectual property and technology licensing matters. Prior to law school, Marc worked as a mechanical design engineer in the industrial gases industry.

Making do on its promise to “use every tool” in its arsenal to regulate artificial intelligence (‘AI”), the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) unanimously approved a resolution on November 21, 2023 authorizing the use of compulsory process in non-public investigations involving AI-related products and services. 

The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts recently denied a motion by Philips North America seeking leave of the Court to amend its claims of patent infringement against Fitbit to include several additional products finding Philips did not act diligently. This case serves as a reminder of the importance of timeliness in any litigation, but especially when a party’s diligence is a factor the court must consider.

The United State Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently affirmed a decision by the United States District Court for the Central District of California, setting aside a judgment and injunction in a patent infringement case due to material misrepresentations on the part of the prevailing party discovered after the final judgment was issued. This case serves as a reminder of the importance of making honest and factually accurate statements to a court and the severe consequences that can stem from failing to do so.

A federal court recently issued a decision approving a class action settlement resolving litigation stemming from five Yahoo! data breaches that occurred from 2012 to 2016 and affected at least 194 million Yahoo! customers. The company agreed to establish a $117.5 million settlement fund and institute numerous business practice changes designed to prevent future data breaches. Of particular interest in the approval order, however, was the Court’s comparison of the instant settlement to a prior in-district data breach settlement. A review of the approval order provides insight into the factors judges analyze to ensure settlements are reasonable, proper, and in the best interests of the class.