BizTech Law Blog
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals recently struck down a regulation from the Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA") mandating registration of all drones. The Court found that the registration requirement was too intrusive and overstepped the bounds of the FAA. The petitioner argued that the registration requirement imposed by the FAA violated the statute's clear instruction not to promulgate any rule or regulation relating to model aircraft. The Court found the argument persuasive and vacated the registration rule to the extent it applies to model aircraft used by hobbyist.
On June 5, 2017, the United States Supreme Court held that employee benefit plans established by church-affiliated organizations are church plans pursuant to the church plan exemption under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”).
On March 22, 2017, in a 6-2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a ruling by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Star Athletica LLC v. Varsity Brands Inc. that two-dimensional graphic designs are entitled to copyright protection as “pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works” under the copyright law for useful articles under certain circumstances. It is the first time that the Supreme Court has addressed copyright protection for apparel, and the ruling bolsters legal protections for members of the fashion and apparel industries.
