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By Bloomberg

Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc, maker of luxury sports cars and all-terrain vehicles, has applied for a patent on an invention that would control a vehicle’s rear window wiper through the driver’s eye movement.

According to application 20150066293, rear-window wiper speeds are now set using a control switch that covers a preprogrammed frequency of swipes made across the window. The disadvantage is that when the driver looks into the rear-view mirror, the window may not be clear because of the timing of the swiping cycle.

Jaguar said this may be dangerous because the driver must look down and readjust the switch governing the cycle, causing a moment’s inattention.

The invention uses tracking sensors to monitor the behavior of the driver and the driver’s gaze. According to the application, the sensors may be installed in the vehicle’s headlining, dashboard or steering wheel. The sensors may comprise a camera, an infrared sensor or an optical sensor.

The British company filed its application in March 2013.

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Trade Secrets/Industrial Espionage

Alcoa Sues Universal Alloy, Claims Trade Secrets Misappropriated

Alcoa Inc., the New York-based maker of lightweight metals, sued a Georgia competitor for trade-secret misappropriation.

According to the complaint filed April 30 in federal court, Universal Alloy Corp. of Canton, Georgia, is accused of hiring key Alcoa employees in order to acquire trade secrets related to the production of aluminum aerospace extrusion parts used by Boeing Co.

Alcoa said Universal wanted a piece of the business and knew that only Alcoa had the expertise. The Georgia company sought out Alcoa employees who had access to the trade secrets and “used them for the express purpose of replicating” the process, according to court papers.

After acquiring the secrets, Universal marketed itself as a new, low-cost supplier of the parts, Alcoa said in its pleadings. The New York company said it’s harmed by Universal’s actions and wants court orders barring it from using the secrets, as well as money damages, litigation costs and attorney fees. Alcoa asked that the damages be tripled to punish Universal.

Universal didn’t respond immediately to a phone request for comment on the lawsuit.

The case is Alcoa Inc., v. Universal Alloy Corp, 1:15- cv-01466, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia (Atlanta).

Copyright

Williams, Thicke Seek New Trial Over ‘Got to Give It Up’

In the case brought by the heirs of the late Marvin Gaye, Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke have asked a court for a new trial.

In their May 1 filing, the two musicians said a jury’s verdict that their 2013 hit “Blurred Lines” infringed Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up” was unsupported “by any evidence, let alone substantial evidence.” They said evidentiary and legal errors in the jury instructions prevented them from receiving a fair trial.

The two are seeking a June 29 hearing on the request. In March, a jury awarded the heirs $7.4 million in compensation, saying “Blurred Lines” was too similar to Gaye’s song.

The case is Williams v. Bridgeport Music Inc., 13-cv-06004, U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Los Angeles).

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Trademark

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Says Village Can Use Name

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Plc backed down after demanding a residents’ association in the village of Copthorne remove the name from its Web address and quit using it, the Plymouth Herald reported.

Brand-protection officials acting on behalf of the hotel chain sent the demand to the Copthorne Village Association on April 16, threatening legal action, according to the newspaper.

The association reminded the company that the village of Copthorne is so ancient that it was mentioned in legal documents in 1086 and that the chain began using “Copthorne” after it took over a hotel by that name in 1972.

The chain apologized and said the warning letter was sent in error, according to the Herald.

Kendall, Kylie Jenner Follow Sister’s Lead, Register Names

Kendall and Kylie Jenner, best known as sisters of Kim Kardashian and the daughters of Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner, applied to register their names as U.S. trademarks.

In a series of filings on April 17, they specify that the marks would be used for handbags and a variety of hair accessories. The marks would also be used “in the fields of entertainment, fashion and pop culture” and “entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a celebrity, actress and model,” they said.

The applications were filed for Kendall Jenner Inc. and Kylie Jenner Inc. through Boulevard Management Inc. of Woodland Hills, California. Kim Kardashian’s name has been a registered U.S. trademark since 2011, according to the database of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Court Bars Texas Breweries From Using Alamo Image on Labels

Ruling in a trademark dispute between two Texas breweries, a federal court said neither was entitled to use the image of the roofline of the Alamo on their labels.

The case began in March 2014 when Alamo Beer Co. of San Antonio sued Old 300 Brewing LLC of Rosenberg, Texas, which does business as Texian Brewing. Alamo Beer objected to the use of a drawing of the Alamo’s roofline on the Texian label, claiming this infringed the trade dress of the Alamo labels.

In a consent order and final judgment filed April 28, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery said the use of the image of the Alamo on product labels is likely to harm the Alamo marks held by the state. He said consumers anticipate that products bearing the Alamo marks are used with permission of the state.

The state has a series of Alamo-related trademarks covering the name and image of the site of a successful siege by Mexican troops during the Texas Revolution.

In addition to ordering the breweries not to use the image of the Alamo roofline, he ordered Texian to cancel registered trademark 4,469,758, which covers the design of a label featuring the roofline.

The case is Alamo Beer Co. v. Old 300 Brewing LLC, 5:15- cv-00285, U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas (San Antonio).