The Briefing: Millions at Stake – How 2 Live Crew Beat Bankruptcy to Reclaim Their Music
Williams Mullen's Trending Now - An IP Podcast - Intellectual Contracts
Protecting IP Through Employment Law
The 90s hip-hop group 2 Live Crew won big in their copyright case against Lil’ Joe Records. Scott Hervey and Jamie Lincenberg break down copyright termination rights, bankruptcy, and what it means for artists reclaiming their...more
For the high-growth startups we represent (and into which our venture capital clients invest), intellectual property (IP) is typically the core asset driving the company’s value. Ensuring that the company’s IP is properly...more
Last month the District Court for the Central District of California granted the defendant’s motion for summary judgment in the case San Diego Gulls Hockey Club, LLC v ECHL, Inc.. The league’s win resolves the league’s...more
The minor hockey league ECHL iced a win over the San Diego Gulls hockey club earlier this month when a judge in the Central District of California granted ECHL’s motion for summary judgment dismissing all of the Gulls’...more
On the latest episode of Williams Mullen's Trending Now - An IP Podcast, Amy Pruett is joined by Janet Cho and Ed White to discuss approaches to IP-related agreements during a pandemic....more
As businesses consider how to transition to a "new normal," a thorough review of intellectual property (IP) assets and a protocol for managing those assets should be part of the planning process. For many companies, the...more
Suppose that you have an assignment of a copyright or a security agreement for a copyright. Are you required to record this assignment or security agreement against the copyright registration? Should you record this...more
1980 was a momentous year. Not only was it the year in which the Rubik’s Cube was first released, it was also when approximately 350 million people worldwide finally learned who shot J.R. on TV’s “Dallas” (spoiler alert: it...more
Back to Basics: A Primer on Intellectual Property Rights in Video Games - In this series, we discuss some of the fundamental concepts of intellectual property law as they relate specifically to video game companies and...more
The Second Circuit issued a remarkable decision on termination rights under Sections 203 and 304(c) of the Copyright Act that seemingly, whether knowingly or otherwise, limits the Act’s extraterritorial reach. Ennio Morricone...more
This handout provides an entry level discussion of intellectual property and sets out IP action steps. TABLE OF CONTENTS - Introduction - Trademarks - Copyrights - Patents - Trade Secrets - Keep Attorneys From...more
Musical scores incorporated into films are usually produced with the specific film in mind. In the U.S., we call such works “works made for hire,” meaning that the artist does not retain authorship rights to the music....more
You are in negotiations with a copyright owner to obtain a license to her work, which you want to publish, distribute, and/or license yourself. You want to ensure that you have the right to enforce the copyright against...more
Are you starting a new company or business venture? Launching an exciting new product or expanding into a new business line? Congratulations. Just remember, if you wind up with a high-growth opportunity, it can often pay big...more
In a digital society dominated by the saying, “there’s an app for that,” copyright protection is essential. Paying to have a work created does not automatically vest ownership of the copyright in the paying party. When making...more
Addressing the termination right given to authors and their heirs under the Copyright Act, the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit concluded that four siblings could use their right to terminate the transfer their...more
In This Presentation: Overview of Messes to Avoid: • Split Ownership • Agreements to Agree • Agreements with Unclear/Improper: – relation to prior agreements – term – royalty rate – execution ...more
With the growth of mobile apps, non-tech companies face the challenge of creating apps to promote and sell their services or goods. Because the creation of an app can be a one-time project, hiring an independent software...more
In a significant rebuff of the California State Board of Equalization (BOE), the California Second District Court of Appeal held that a manufacturer’s sale of software on tangible media was exempt from sales tax under the...more
As a leader of a start-up company, you are probably aware of the importance of protecting your company’s innovative products, services and technologies through patent filings. If you are savvy, you are also aware of the...more
Revisiting the issue of a copyright co-owner’s right to grant an exclusive right to a third party, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit clarified its prior ruling in Sybersound v. UAV, and explained that a...more
The High Court of Justice of England and Wales recently delivered its judgment in a case relating to the ownership of the copyright of the ‘halo’ logo (the “Dude Logo”) used on the well-known brand of ‘Innocent’ smoothies...more