Features

Supreme Court on APIs and Fair Use
Google didn't get an answer from the U.S. Supreme Court on whether the Java Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) it copied from Sun Microsystems were copyrightable. But it got just about everything else it could have hoped for in a decision that ended its 11-year copyright clash with Sun's successor, Oracle.
Features

Supreme Court Leaves As Many Questions As It Answers In 'Google v. Oracle'
The Court cleared Google of copyright infringement in terminating a 16-year long dispute as to whether Google's Android mobile platform had infringed Oracle's Java programming language's copyright. However, the Court did not answer the question of whether specific components of computer software qualifies for copyright protection at all.
Features

2d Cir. Issues Two Notable Copyright Fair Use Decisions
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit recently issued decisions in two closely watched copyright fair use cases involving photographs. In the…
Features

Not Your Property, Your Business: When Customized Products Become the Business of Rights Holders and Courts
In some instances the appearance of third-party intellectual property on items purchased, owned and customized by the purchaser may be legal under the doctrines of first sale and fair use.
Features

11th Circuit Rules for Stephen King In Suit Over Dark Tower Series
Vincent Cox of Ballard Spahr in Los Angeles and Scott Ponce of Holland & Knight in Miami prevailed recently in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh…
Features

Litigation Over Tom Clancy Works Involves Fundamental, But Complex Copyright Elements
Current copyright litigation in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland involving Clancy's widow Alexandra and his former wife Wanda King is complex, but involves fundamental issues of copyright ownership.
Features

'Stranger Things' Copyright Claim Survives Motion to Dismiss
In response to a copyright claim in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California that the Netflix series Stranger Things infringed on Irish Rover Entertainment's unpublished screenplays, Netflix and the other defendants filed a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, arguing that the works were not substantially similar as a matter of law.
Features

New COVID Relief Bill Brings Changes to Trademark and Copyright Practice
The new, more than 5,000-page spending bill, which includes the latest COVID-19 relief, had a few surprises under its cover. Two of those surprises focus directly on intellectual property and amount to sea changes in the trademark and copyright infringement realms.
Features

Copyright and Internet Content
Online publication impacts the duration of copyright protection among other purposes, including optimizing creative and ownership rights and the availability of statutory damages and attorney fees. Thus, it is important to determine when Internet distribution constitutes publication.
Features

New Small Claims Procedure for Copyright Disputes
The CASE Act fulfills the longstanding goal of the U.S. Copyright Office to establish a small claims court. The measure tasked the office with establishing the Copyright Claims Board and adopting governing regulations.
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