Features
Twists and Turns of Copyright Litigation Over <i>Jersey Boys</i> Musical Reach Latest Stage
Since 2007, the development of the musical has been the source of protracted litigation that reached its latest stage in June 2017.
Features
<b><i>Online Extra</b></i><br> 9th Circuit 'Dancing Baby' Decision Will Stand
The Supreme Court let stand a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decision that said issuers of takedown notices aren't liable under the DMCA unless they actually knew that the material did not infringe their copyright, or were willfully blind to that knowledge.
Columns & Departments
Supreme Court News
'Disparaging' Trademarks Decision<br>High Court Declines Takedown Notice/Fair Use Case
Columns & Departments
Bit Parts
Mash-Up of Dr. Seuss/Star Trek Components Is a Fair Use
Features
Drake Wins on Sampling Fair Use; Plaintiffs' Song Ownership Muddy
While copyright registration normally constitutes prima facie evidence of copyright ownership, the court noted that the estate had registered the song copyright 31 years after it was originally published and only in response to the defendants' sampling of the song on Drake's album.
Features
Supreme Court Won't Take 'Who's on First' Copyright Case
First the copyright infringement case over the use of Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First" routine in a Broadway play was dismissed by a New York federal judge. Then it rounded the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, but was tagged out again. Now, in its third at bat, the lawsuit struck out with the U.S. Supreme Court declining to review the case.
Features
Angry Fed. Judge Throws Out Song Infringement Suit
A Miami company's decision to defend a small-potatoes copyright case all the way to trial paid off when the case was dismissed after a few hours — by an angry federal judge.
Features
Fourth Circuit to Weigh ISP Copyright Liability for Peer-to-Peer File Sharing by Subscribers
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals is gearing up to hear argument in <i>BMG Rights Management v. Cox Communications</i>, one of the first attempts by the music industry to hold an ISP liable for unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing by its subscribers.
Features
Can Instagram Post of Photo Become Transformative?
An enlarged print of an Instagram post containing a copyrighted photo counts as a transformative use, an attorney for "appropriation artist" Richard Prince — whose use of other artists' material in his own works has made him no stranger to the courts — argued before a New York federal judge in April.
Features
Supreme Court Rules on Design of a Useful Article
Fashion, furniture, and other design-oriented companies will take note of the Supreme Court's recent decision in <i>Star Athletica, L.L.C. v. Varsity Brands, Inc.</i>, which resolved a division among the federal circuits on the issue of the separability of designs of useful articles under the Copyright Act.
Need Help?
- Prefer an IP authenticated environment? Request a transition or call 800-756-8993.
- Need other assistance? email Customer Service or call 1-877-256-2472.
MOST POPULAR STORIES
- Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar InvestigationsThis article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.Read More ›
- The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year LaterThe DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.Read More ›
- The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance ProgramsThe parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.Read More ›
- Lionsgate GC Who Resigned Without 'Good Reason' Got Severance PayAdd another plot twist to the storyline surrounding Corii Berg, who unexpectedly quit as general counsel of the film studio Lionsgate in December, even though he was under contract through June 2023.Read More ›
- Join Us For a Twitter Chat: Do We Need Offices Anymore?When we think about how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the legal industry, one (frankly huge) question comes to mind: Do we really need offices anymore? As many are still working from home, meeting with clients over Zoom and some even conducting jury trials online, life of commuting to and from work seems farther away than February.Read More ›
