IP News
Highlights of the latest intellectual property news from around the country.
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: The Tale of a Retroactively Vacated Consent Injunction
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, apparently in response to plaintiff's plans to use the criminal law system to press for a civil resolution of its motion for contempt, vacated L'Oreal USA Inc.'s 20-year injunction against a re-seller of genuine hair care products.
Features
Bit Parts
No Implied Covenant Breach in Cussler's Rejection of Screenplays<br>No Copyright Infringement Found in <i>God of War</i> Video Game<br>Second Circuit Affirms Judgment for Malmsteen Against Business Managers
Features
i4i L.P. v. Microsoft Corp.
The Federal Circuit's recent decision in <i>i4i L.P. v. Microsoft Corp.</i>, on appeal from the Eastern District of Texas, contains valuable lessons on a number of procedural issues, particularly on the importance of timely motions during trial in order to preserve matters for appeal.
Practice Notes
A Look at Legal Work On Haitian Relief Song<br>Negotiating Olympics Stars' Sponsorship, Endorsement Deals<br>In-House Counsel's Responsibilities at Tennis Association
Features
Cameo Clips
MUSIC ROYALTY CLAIMS/MOTION TO RENEW<br>FILM, TV RIGHTS GRANTS/LICENSOR'S COMPENSATION
How Veoh Networks Battled Universal over File-Sharing
The nation's major record labels have never been shy about enforcing their copyrights in court. And over the last decade, music industry lawsuits targeting individual consumers accused of illegal file sharing stirred controversy and criticism in certain quarters. At the same time, efforts by these copyright holders to wring hefty settlements out of Silicon Valley tech start-ups via litigation ' or, in some cases, to snuff them out altogether ' has gotten less attention.
Features
Sony Denied Implied License for Miller Songs
The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee confirmed its earlier ruling that Roger Miller Music and Miller's widow Mary own the renewal-term copyrights to the performer/songwriter's 1964 and post-1964 compositions, which include some of his biggest hits.
Features
JA Apparel v. Abboud
Cases involving family name disputes have historically presented challenges for courts, as they frequently require balancing competing interests of businesses and individuals. A particularly interesting permutation of such disputes involves well-known individuals who convey certain rights in their family name in a particular field to a third party and then later seek to re-enter the same field. A trio of recent decisions on this subject features the famous clothing designer, Joseph Abboud.
Battle over Bob Marley Merchandise Involves Significant 'Image' Issues
High consumer interest in merchandise bearing indicia of deceased celebrity icons has spawned a constantly evolving litigation genre for determining the extent of rights of the icons' estates. The estate of reggae-music legend Bob Marley, who died in 1981, is among the most frequently litigated in the field.
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