U.S. justices square the helix on gene patents
By Reynolds Holding
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.
The U.S. Supreme Court has managed to square the helix on human gene patents. The justices ruled on Thursday that companies can hold exclusive rights to synthetic DNA molecules but not naturally occurring ones. The unanimous decision should allow biotechnology companies to reap rewards for their work without stifling the research of others.
Apple patent case exposes trade arbiter’s flaws
By Reynolds Holding
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.
A patent ruling against Apple exposes serious flaws with America’s trade arbiter. A U.S. ban on imports of older iPhones and iPads is a big win for rival Samsung – and yet another example of the International Trade Commission being too quick to block products on dubious grounds. President Barack Obama has proposed tightening ITC standards. He could start by nixing this decision.
Wall Street could use some court consistency
(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions
expressed are his own.)
By Reynolds Holding
NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) – Are insider
traders guilty if they don’t know whether a source was paid? Is
it securities fraud if a lie creates no personal gain? In New
York, it all depends on the judge presiding. With the fates of
SAC Capital hedgies, a former Citigroup (C.N: Quote, Profile, Research) banker and others
hanging in the balance, Wall Street could use some consistency
from the courts.
Breakingviews-New Skilling sentence puts watchdogs in hot seat
(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions
expressed are his own.)
By Reynolds Holding
NEW YORK, May 8 (Reuters Breakingviews) – Jeffrey Skilling’s
shorter sentence could put America’s financial watchdogs in the
hot seat. The former Enron chief executive may get a decade
sliced from his 24-year prison term. But he’ll still serve more
time than just about anyone behind the financial crisis. Unlike
Skilling’s conduct, Wall Street’s misdeeds may not have been
criminal. That won’t stop critics of the U.S. Justice Department
from baying for banker blood.
Google shooting blanks in smartphone patent wars
By Reynolds Holding
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.
Google is shooting blanks in the smartphone patent wars. Buying Motorola Mobility and its cache of inventions was meant to shield the search giant’s Android operating system from legal attack. But judges and regulators are defusing the patent arsenal, saying the underlying technology must be licensed on reasonable terms. While bad for Google shareholders, it’s a bonus for innovation.
Breakingviews-Google shooting blanks in smartphone patent wars
(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions
expressed are his own.)
By Reynolds Holding
NEW YORK, May 2 (Reuters Breakingviews) – Google (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) is
shooting blanks in the smartphone patent wars. Buying Motorola
Mobility and its cache of inventions was meant to shield the
search giant’s Android operating system from legal attack. But
judges and regulators are defusing the patent arsenal, saying
the underlying technology must be licensed on reasonable terms.
While bad for Google shareholders, it’s a bonus for innovation.
U.S. courts make mark in Argentina creditor spat
(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions
expressed are his own.)
By Reynolds Holding
NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters Breakingviews) – U.S. courts
have made a clear mark in Argentina’s spat with holdout
creditors. Judges have, unusually, tried to broker a deal
between the Latin American nation and hedge funds still
objecting to debt swaps last decade. Ordering Argentina to honor
its agreements and pushing other countries to clarify theirs
were also useful moves. Elliott Management affiliate NML Capital
and other hedgies are winning this case, but the rule of law is
coming out ahead.
Time to pull the plug on NY’s Hank Greenberg suit
By Reynolds Holding
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.
It’s time to pull the plug on New York’s lawsuit against Hank Greenberg. The case accusing the former AIG boss of defrauding investors has already outlasted two of the state’s attorneys general. After losing a ruling Wednesday, a third should call it quits. His office is plenty busy pursuing financial-crisis cases and other scams. It doesn’t need this eight-year-old distraction.
Owners deserve right to resell book, byte or bean
By Reynolds Holding
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.
Americans should have the right to resell their property, be it books, digital bytes or beans. Yet U.S. courts are all over the map on the issue of what can be sold and resold. Judges have ruled that peddling dusty old tomes is fine, but digital tunes are different. The jury is still out on genetically altered legumes. Why so complicated? The relevant law is broad enough to satisfy consumers and rights holders alike.
Besieged boards need updated defender-in-chief
By Reynolds Holding
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.
America’s corporate boards could use a Martin Lipton 2.0. Over a long career, the New York lawyer has become synonymous on Wall Street with takeover defense. But with shareholder activism ascendant and often on target, his contrarian screeds sound increasingly dated. This week’s M&A confab in New Orleans could put them further to the test.
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