Features
Waging Trademark War Against 'i-Pirates'
Trademark infringers have preyed on the fertile software marketplaces opened by companies like Apple and Google by offering apps for download under names that are identical or confusingly similar to other well-known brand names. These online trademark bandits are effectively engaging in a form of "i-piracy," whereby they attempt to profit from the goodwill associated with established trademarks by pirating those marks for use in their own knock-off apps.
Bit Parts
Members in Expos' When Music Act Gained Success Own Common Law Rights to Name<br>Right of Publicity and Trademark Rulings on "Dillinger Tommy Guns" in Videogames
Music Published On Internet Ruled 'U.S. Work'
A Finnish record company's claim that pop music producer Timbaland and pop star Nelly Furtado plagiarized its music was thrown out of court by a Miami, FL, federal magistrate in the Southern District of Florida.
Features
Trademark Letter Rulings from Customs Service Are Expeditious, But Under-Used Tool
The following article takes a general intellectual-property approach to trademark infringement from the perspectives of both trademark holders and product importers, while providing much useful, technical information for entertainment industry professionals.
TN Court of Appeals Considers Business Management Issues
The Tennessee Court of Appeals, at Nashville, reversed and remanded a trial court ruling against Clint Black in the country artist's suit against his former business manager. This case is notable not only for statute-of-limitations issues, but also involves business-management partnership liability, as well as the line between accounting and business management services.
First Circuit Finds Infringement in TV Sitcom
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit decided that actor Emmanuel "Sunshine" Logro'o and a TV production in which he was a principal infringed on the copyright for the plaintiff production company's TV situation comedy.
Features
Parsing the Copyright Preemption Issue in Claims for Breach of Implied-in-Fact Contracts
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently reconfirmed the long-established principle that, under California law, an implied-in-fact contract claim over an alleged promise to pay for use of an idea or concept isn't preempted by federal copyright law.
Taxing Online Sales
Illinois Gov. Patrick Quinn signed the Main Street Fairness Act into law to collect sales tax revenues from a retail market traditionally beyond the states' reach ' the world of online commerce ' by focusing on the role of local online marketing affiliates. But the measure has been harshly criticized by online merchants who contend it is an unconstitutional intrusion on interstate commerce, and by policy analysts who question its ability to raise tax revenues.
Features
Internet Crime and the Elderly
The same technology that provides the means for customers in various market sectors to truly interact with merchants also allows a similar force multiplication for Internet criminals, including charlatans and other rogues who prey on some of the most vulnerable among us ' the elderly.
Open Source Commands Allure
The prospect of "free" software, through the open source movement, seems like a CFO's dream come true. After all, why shouldn't a firm get a critical asset at no cost? In other words, why pay a monthly licensing or maintenance fee when something that appears to work well can possibly be had at no cost online? Unfortunately, the real world has taught us all that "free" can be very expensive.
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