• Trademark law in open-source hardware/software: Even if source code is open, using a trademarked name (e.g., “nmigen”, “Rust”, “USB”) for a fork or modified version can constitute infringement if it causes “confusion” about origin or quality; downstream distributors must avoid implying endorsement by the mark holder.

• Real-world liability examples: The USB-IF and Rust Foundation use trademark policies to shield themselves from lawsuits over unsafe or incompatible derivatives; failure to comply can expose maintainers to civil or even criminal liability under due-diligence rules when seeking large-scale investment.

• Rust Foundation trademark controversy: Debian and other distros currently ship 26+ patches to rustc yet are technically in violation of the Rust trademark policy, which forbids distributing modified versions under the original name without written permission, thereby hindering security backports and LTS releases.

• Investor-grade due diligence: When raising ~USD 40 M for a libre 3-D CPU-VPU-GPU hybrid, every upstream dependency must be vetted for legal cleanliness; omitting a trademark or copyright risk in disclosure documents can be prosecuted as investor fraud.

• Non-invasive optogenetics breakthrough: A new paper demonstrates red-shifted opsin gene delivery via adenovirus plus focused ultrasound microbubbles to transiently open the blood–brain barrier, enabling red-light neural activation without implanted fibers—an early step toward wireless brain–computer interfaces.