Features

Beach Boys Songs Written Decades Ago Triggered Current Quarrel With Lawyers
There's current litigation in the ongoing Beach Boys litigation saga. A lawsuit filed in 2019 against Nevada residents Mike Love and his wife Jacquelyne in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada that alleges inaccurate payment by the Loves under the retainer agreement and seeks $84.5 million in damages.
Features

Supreme Court's Breyer Ruling on Mistakes In Copyright Registrations
The Ninth Circuit had ruled in 2020 that §411(b)(1)(A) of the federal Copyright Act excuses inadvertent mistakes of fact on copyright registrations but not mistakes of law. The Supreme Court has now ruled 6-3 that the provision covers both mistakes of facts and law.
Features

Comic Legends' Estates Say Pandora Streamed Routines Without License
In dual lawsuits, the estates of Robin Williams and George Carlin accuse Pandora Media of willfully infringing the legendary comedians' registered copyrights in their "spoken word compositions" — their standup routines — by streaming the sound recordings that embody those routines without a license to use these works.
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Bit Parts
Both Sides' Summary Judgment Motions Denied in Copyright Infringement Suit Over Jimi Hendrix Photo Summary Judgment Granted for Defendant in Copyright Infringement Suit Over "Gimme Some Lovin'"
Features

Issues Addressed In Supreme Court 'Unicolors' Argument
Some of the major issues the court addressed in the Unicolors oral argument, and some questions that are likely to remain open no matter the outcome.
Features

Ninth Circuit Finally Resolves Pre-1972 Sound Recordings Royalties Issue
The Ninth Circuit ruling in Flo & Eddie may turn out to be last stop on the long and winding road the owners of pre-1972 recordings have traveled in their efforts to obtain compensation for public performances through platforms like Sirius.
Features

Recent Rulings on 'Embedding' Foreshadow Circuit Split: What Does That Mean For Content Use Now?
When and how can you display someone else's visual content on your website without running afoul of copyright law? When and how can someone else display your visual content? A recent ruling out of the Southern District of New York may upend the current paradigm.
Features

Where Does Content Use Stand Now After Recent Rulings on 'Embedding' Foreshadow Circuit Split?
When and how can you display someone else's visual content on your website without running afoul of copyright law? When and how can someone else display your visual content? A recent ruling out of the Southern District of New York may upend the current paradigm.
Features

U.S. Supreme Court Considers Copyright Registration of Multiple Works
The 'Unicolors' case highlights the value of copyright registration, not only for creators who rely on the exclusivity of their content for making a living, but also for anyone with copyright eligible works in their IP portfolio.
Features

Litigation Over Skater Girl Film Transferred to CA
When Atlanta filmmaker-turned-plaintiff Raymond Pirtle Jr. filed a copyright infringement suit against CA-based Netflix in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, he pitted him against seasoned attorneys, representing a corporate giant in a case that has both sides claiming early incremental victories.
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