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Showing 27 posts in Copyright.

Under the Bridge – The Rise of Copyright Trolls in the Intellectual Property Space

Copyright Infringement NoticeThrough tactical litigation practices, copyright trolls rely on copyright law to allege infringement and threaten major statutory damages upon unsuspecting defendants. The term “copyright troll” is an unflattering nickname for someone who manipulates the intellectual property (“IP”) laws to force a “toll” by way of a settlement payout on market participants. Read More ›

Categories: Alerts and Updates, Billing/Payment, Compliance, Copyright, Intellectual Property, Lawsuit, Trademarks

Legal Insights Into Businesses Using AI

Legal Insights Into Businesses Using AI
Legal Insights Into Businesses Using AI

The AI Revolution is here! Startups across our region are using AI tools in innovative new ways. But could there be legal pitfalls you haven’t considered? Read More ›

Categories: Copyright, Cybersecurity, Did you Know?, Intellectual Property, Liability, Technology

What to Consider Before Filing a Patent

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This blog has since been updated with new information

What is eligible for patent protection?

In the U.S., what is known as a "general utility patent" or what most people typically imagine a patent to be, protects the use and function of an invention. Processes, machines, articles of manufacture and compositions of matter are all patent eligible. You cannot get a patent for an abstract idea or something that you discover in nature; you have to have a true physical invention or a process that creates a transformation of some kind in order to be eligible. Read More ›

Categories: Copyright, Intellectual Property

Legal Essentials: How to Select a Trademark for your Business

Planning on starting your own business? One of the first things that you should do is select a trademark. Read More ›

Categories: Copyright, Trademarks

Copyright is “In Fashion” Following Supreme Court’s Decision Upholding Protection for Cheerleading Uniform Design

Cheerleading UniformOn 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. Read More ›

Categories: Copyright, Intellectual Property

Big Hollywood Studios Win Injunction Against Streamer VidAngel in Copyright Infringement Case

A big legal battle has been breVidAngel Logowing between upstart video streamer VidAngel and Hollywood heavyweights Disney, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox. So far, the studios have scored a clean knockdown, if not a knockout.

VidAngel describes itself as a family-friendly video streamer that allows users the ability to filter language, nudity and violence from movies and TV shows. Its business model involves selling new movies to customers for $20, allowing customers to select which snippets of content to edit out, and then buying movies back for $19. The price VidAngel will pay to buy back the content diminishes by a dollar for each day the buyer keeps it. In other words, VidAngel does not license the movies from the studios who hold the copyrights to the content like, for example, Netflix does.

The big studios took notice, and in June filed suit, alleging that VidAngel was operating as an “unlicensed [video on demand] streaming service.” Among other claims, the studios requested that the court grant an injunction blocking VidAngel from continuing to stream films. VidAngel fired back with counterclaims alleging antitrust violations by the studios. Read More ›

Categories: Copyright, Intellectual Property, Technology

Action Required to Keep Your DMCA Safe Harbor Protection

The U.S. Copyright Office recently implemented new rules (the “Rules”) governing the designation and maintenance of Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) agent information under a new electronic system. The Rules went into effect on December 1, 2016, so electronic designations should be filed as soon as possible. Service providers who fail to submit electronic designations will be ineligible for the safe harbor protections from copyright-infringement liability provided by the DMCA. Read More ›

Categories: Copyright, Intellectual Property, News

Lights, Camera, Action: Legal Considerations for the Entertainment Industry

legal considerationsOrganizations within the entertainment industry have a unique set of legal considerations. To better understand these considerations, Attorney John Mashni is presenting an introductory and advanced level course on the "Legal Aspects of a Feature Film," and a course on "The Law of Music" to the NALA Paralegal Association at their annual conference and expo. The NALA annual conference is taking place in Las Vegas July 13 through July 15. Read More ›

Categories: Copyright, Intellectual Property

Copyright Basics: 3 Tips for Small Businesses

When it comes to copyrights, there are several common mistakes small businesses can make. If you are putting together marketing materials or a website and you download a photo online, often times that photo is protected by a copyright and is owned by someone else. This could lead to copyright infringement. Learn about a few other common copyright mistakes in the video below.

Categories: Copyright, Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property: Copyrights

Business owners need to understand copyrights. The video below continues Foster Swift's Legal Basics for Business Video Series by explaining the basics of copyrights. Learn more about copyrights and how they are important to your business in this short video clip.

Categories: Copyright, Intellectual Property