Impact of Mickey Mouse on public domain. The latest artificial intelligence and intellectual property cases - Thaler lost again. Nirvana Nevermind baby gets day in court. Tolkien estate and more.
ChatGPT Risks for Compliance Programs
Why Did Godzilla & James Bond Need Congress' Protection?
New Happy Birthday Song, Copyright-Free
Every year, the world celebrates the first of January as Public Domain Day, marking the release of copyrighted works into the public domain. In 2024, we saw popular intellectual properties enter the public domain, including...more
I saw this question online and decided to answer it here on my blog. It raises some very interesting and timely questions about the scope and reach of copyright law in our modern age. Many people want to know, is police...more
If you know me well, you know that I am an admitted Disney fanatic. So, you can imagine my initial horror when I heard media rumblings that Disney was losing its copyright to my favorite mouse, Mickey. Upon further...more
Mickey Mouse is one of the most prolific cartoon characters of all time. Walt Disney incorporated in 1923 and first aired a video of Mickey Mouse (which I shall refer to as Mickey Mouse 1.0) in the short cartoon "Steamboat...more
According to their website they are an IP enforcement law firm that helps artists protect their content. We know them from pursuing many copyright infringement cases dealing with all kinds of photograpy. They list offices...more
There will be no special rules for your industry. What gets decided in the next six months to a year about artificial intelligence (AI) legislation, and regulatory action on copyrights and AI, will apply with equal force to...more
In order to avoid being a victim of a “copyright troll,” businesses need to be vigilant about the content they post on social media, websites and other promotional materials...more
At heart, and still, I am a non-singing Jersey Boy, and one who grew up reading Sherlock Holmes stories and watching Star Trek, the Original Series (before it even needed that modifier), in reruns in the 1970s while also...more
With most K-12 schools moving to exclusively online educational programming necessitated by shelter-in-place and other limitations imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers want to know if, when, and how they can use...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 other...more
Great photographs of your product are essential to a successful Amazon listing. Following certain basic rules is critical to keeping your listing from being shut down. In addition to satisfying the minimum requirements so...more
Most of us have at least a basic understanding of the laws that impact our daily lives. We understand, for example, that drivers are supposed to carry vehicle insurance and that they shouldn’t run a red light. We might be...more
Introduction - •Music copyrights: –Musical works – sheet music and lyrics •Author is generally composer/lyricist and controls •Can be administered through a music publisher - ...more
1. Poor Man’s patent/copyright: mail yourself a copy of what you want protected and don’t open it.The sealed information can then be used to prove ownership of the intellectual property contained in it. While this may...more
Copyright Opinions - Second Circuit Permits Distribution of Cloud-Based Samples, But Declines to Consider “Novel” Cloud Storage Infringement Issue: Smith v. Barnesandnoble.com, LLC, No. 15-3508 (2d Cir. October 6,...more
As a fan of modern art, I am looking forward to the dinner reception at next week’s Annual Meeting of the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), which will be held at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. As a member of...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
Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First?” brings back memories of my seventh-grade talent show where I performed the routine with Brandon Berry at Atascocita Middle School. I can’t remember if we won second or third place —...more
Have you ever noticed how people rarely sing “Happy Birthday to You” in movies and television? Instead, people usually sing “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” even though no one actually sings that song in real life. ...more