New Copyright Rule Is Good News for Filmmakers
The US Copyright Office recently published a rule that allows broader use of video clips from previous works in fictional films....
Intellectual Property News
Tinder and Bumble Spat about Who Owns the Swipe
Match, which owns the dating app Tinder, has sued rival app Bumble, claiming theft of its intellectual property....
Friday the 13th Writer Gets Rights Back from Producer
In a case that may have major repercussions in Hollywood, a federal judge has ruled that the screenwriter of the original 1980 horror movie  Friday the 13th movie own the copyright in his ...
Aretha Franklin Was Paid Nothing for “Respect” on the Radio
Aretha Franklin, known as the "Queen of Soul" passed away in August at the age of 76.Her first number one hit, and perhaps the song she's best known for, was "Respect"....
Court Says Artists Cannot Get Royalties on Resales
A federal appeals court in San Francisco has ruled that visual artists may not collect royalties when their works are resold....
Uber and Waymo Settle Trade Secret Dispute
The allegedly stolen technology relates to lidar, light detection and ranging sensors for helping self-driving cars see their surroundings....
Is Your T-Shirt Protected by the First Amendment?
Clothing can be protected by the First Amendment right to free speech....
Court Rules That Bawdy "Grinch" Play Is Fair Use
A New York federal court has ruled that a play based on the Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas constituted fair use and thus did not infringe the copyright of the original children's bo...
Could You Go to Jail for “Borrowing” an HBO Password?
Afederal appeals court ruled that using someone else's password to log into a computer network was a crime under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)....
Court Says Open Source Licenses Can Be Enforced
A federal court in Northern California has denied a request to dismiss a lawsuit involving the alleged infringement of an "open source" software license....
"Spinal Tap" Lawsuit Shines a Light on "Hollywood Accounting"
Hollywood accounting refers to financial practices that can make movies that earn hundreds of millions of dollars somehow end up with zero profits – or even a loss....
Sons Fight over Audrey Hepburn’s Gowns and Image
The late movie star Audrey Hepburn was known for her beauty and glamour....
Paul McCartney Goes to Court to Reclaim Beatles Copyrights
Sir Paul McCartney is taking steps to reclaim ownership of the copyrights to Beatles songs that were signed away decades ago....
Louis Vuitton Loses Cases over Parody Tote Bags
What's piracy and what's parody?...
Court Rules that Online Streaming Services Do Not Qualify for Cheap Cable License Rights
The Ninth Circuit has reversed a federal judge's decision that online streaming services should be considered the equivalent of cable networks and thus entitled to cheap compulsory licenses of copyrig...
The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Movie Posters, and Public Domain
A long-running dispute over art from vintage movie poster has finally ended with a victory for the Warner Bros. movie studio....
Can You “Own” the Color White? The Trademark Board Says “Yes”
When most people think of trademarks, they probably think about the Nike "swoosh," or the word "Reebok." But trademarks can be much more than just words and symbols....
Startup Olaplex Alleges L'Oréal Knocked Off Its Products
The California startup Olaplex has sued L'Oréal, alleging that the U.S. unit of the French company, home to brands such as Lancôme and Kiehl's, copied an award-winning hair product and its relat...
Ninth Circuit Says Sims Flash Drive Design May Be Eligible for Copyright
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a flash drive design based on a symbol that appears in The Sims video game might be original enough to qualify for copyright protection....
Golden Girls Puppet Parody Leads To Lawsuit
A dispute over rival Golden Girls puppet parodies has led to the filing of a lawsuit....
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