Account

Sign in to access your account and subscription

Sixth Circuit Ruling on 'Atomic Dog' Samples Protects Small Segments of Musical Compositions

The Sixth Circuit for the first time explicitly embraces the "fragmented literal similarity" test for determining whether there is substantial similarity between two works.

14 minute read November 25, 2009 at 01:40 PM
By
Stan Soocher
Sixth Circuit Ruling on 'Atomic Dog' Samples Protects Small Segments of Musical Compositions

Only a minimal amount of creativity is required for copyright protection. What that minimum may be has been a recurring issue in copyright litigation, with many battles fought over whether a segment of a song is protectable.

This premium content is locked for LawJournalNewsletters subscribers only

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE SINGLE SOURCE OF OBJECTIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS, PRACTICAL INSIGHTS, AND NEWS IN LawJournalNewsletters

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

Already have an account? Sign In Now

For enterprise-wide or corporate access, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or call 1-877-256-2473.

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2026 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Continue Reading

Adverse Possessor Provided Insufficient Evidence to Support TackingTown’s Installation of Guardrails Did Not Constitute a TakingMortgagee Entitled to Deficiency JudgmentLandowner Adequately Alleged Trespass During Renovation

August 13, 2026

Agentic AI introduces risks that are novel and complex, but the most effective response is a familiar one. Zero Trust answers the problem of when an AI agent misfires on its own by constraining what an agent can do rather than betting on how it will behave.

August 01, 2026