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Courts have said time and again that the fair use doctrine may be “‘the most troublesome in the whole law of copyright.’” See, e.g., Oracle Am., Inc. v. Google Inc., 886 F.3d 1179, 1191 (Fed. Cir. 2018) [internal citations omitted], rev’d on other grounds, 141 S. Ct. 1183 (2021). The Supreme Court’s May 18, 2023 decision, which seeks to clarify what is or is not “transformative use” under the law, affirmed The Andy Warhol Found. for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith, 11 F.4th 26 (2d Cir. 2021), finding no fair use. In the process, the Supreme Court adds a new layer of analysis in deciding what is or is not fair. The decision has also generated considerable controversy between Justice Sotomayor, who wrote for the majority, and Justice Kagan, who wrote a stinging dissent. What is clear is that the label “transformative” is no longer a get-out-of-jail-free card; instead, a new balance must be struck between the new use and the exclusive right of authors to make derivative works, and part of that balance includes a clearer focus on the statutory fair use factors (education, comment and criticism) as well as the commercial nature or not of the new work. As a practical matter, how much the decision changes in this “troublesome” area remains to be seen.
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Fourth Circuit Weighs In on Fair Use and Copyright Registration Validity
By Thomas Kjellberg and Robert W. Clarida
In Philpot v. Independent Journal Review, the Fourth Circuit found no fair use or copyright validity for a concert photographer's use of a photo of Ted Nugent as part of a collection.
USPTO Issues New Guidance On Rejecting Patent Claims for Obviousness
By Rob Maier
The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently published new guidance explaining the requirements for patent examiners to reject patent claims for obviousness in view of what was already known in the prior art.
“Holy Fair Use, Batman”: Copyright, Fair Use and the Dark Knight
By David G. Kim and Michael K. Friedland
The copyright for the original versions of Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse have expired. Now, members of the public can create — and are busy creating — their own works based on these beloved characters. Suppose, though, we want to tell stories using Batman for which the copyright does not expire until 2035. We’ll review five hypothetical works inspired by the original Batman comic and analyze them under fair use.
Intellectual Property In Legal Tech: Lessons from Recent Cases
By Brian Mack, Kevin Keller and Olga V. Mack
As technology continues to permeate the legal industry, the significance of IP in safeguarding innovations, ensuring fair competition, and fostering a culture of creative legal solutions becomes paramount.