Features

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

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.

Features

Team Angry Filmworks' lawsuit seeking public domain status for science fiction hero "Buck Rogers" adventures is set to blast off now that the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania denied a request to dismiss filed by the trust that licenses Rogers material.

Features

One day after a federal judge in Atlanta ruled that the state of Georgia may copyright its official legal code and pursue infringers, a California public records activist who had made Georgia's code available for free to the general public began work on an appeal.

Features

A few days before the Second Circuit published its decision ordering the dismissal of Flo & Eddie's closely watched class-action lawsuit against Sirius XM Radio over the use by the satellite provider of pre-1972 sound recordings, the Georgia Supreme Court heard arguments in a class action case against iHeartMedia over its use of pre-1972 sound recordings.

Features

The creative story-telling that fueled the passion of fans inspired a number of them to expand the Star Trek universe on their own through "fan films," which can challenge the property owners' efforts to maintain the integrity and appeal of their franchise. If unchecked, unauthorized derivatives could lead to an eventual loss of the copyright and trademark rights that underlie the value of the property.

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Paul McCartney has long wanted to reclaim ownership of his share of the copyrights to "Love Me Do," "Ticket to Ride" and numerous other Beatles hits he co-wrote with John Lennon. But the unfavorable December 2016 decision by a British judge in a copyright termination dispute involving the 1980's hitmakers Duran Duran raised some doubts — at least in the minds of Sony/ATV Music Publishing and its counsel — about whether the U.S. copyright law rights can supersede valid contracts assigning away musical rights and also prevent Paul McCartney from exercising his termination rights.

Features

As 2017 commences, political protest against injustice is as relevant as ever in the United States. At the same time, a lawsuit concerning the copyright rights to the powerful anthem We Shall Overcome may proceed to trial. In November 2016, the case survived a motion to dismiss the copyright infringement claims.