US Patents hit record, Mario’s comeback & more…Keep up to date with the latest intellectual property news in our weekly round-up…

US patents hit record 333,530 granted in 2019; IBM, Samsung lead the pack

IFI Claims, a company that tracks patent activity in the US, released its annual tally of IP work and noted that 2019 saw a new high-watermark of 333,530 patents granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Chinese court rules AI-written article is protected by copyright

A court in Shenzhen, China, has ruled that an article generated by AI is protected by copyright.

New Mario & Luigi trademark filed by Nintendo despite series’ studio closure

Nintendo has filed for a new trademark for the Mario & Luigi brand, despite the studio that develops the series – AlphaDream – having closed last year.

Ariana Grande hit with copyright suit over ‘7 Rings’

Ariana Grande was sued on Thursday by a hip-hop artist who claims she ripped off the chorus of his song for her hit “7 Rings”. Josh Stone, who performs as DOT, wrote and recorded “You Need I Got It” in 2017. He alleges that he took the song to music industry executives, including producer Tommy Brown, who has worked extensively with Grande.