Copyright decision is a win for milkshake lovers and the right to repair

The Library of Congress—which houses the Copyright Office—has ruled that any technician can repair some commercial food preparation equipment, including the McDonald’s ice cream machines. The decision could decrease the amount of time McDonald’s restaurants have to wait for an expert to fix the devices.

Nov 1, 2024 2:15 PM CDT

California signs deal with Kaplan for bar exam with plan for potential copyright issues

Despite concerns about copyright issues, the State Bar of California and Kaplan Exam Services signed an agreement allowing the company best known for test prep to create multiple-choice, essays and performance test questions for a California Bar Exam for use starting in February 2025.

Aug 15, 2024 2:52 PM CDT

Record labels sue two startups for training AI models on their songs

The world’s biggest record labels are suing two artificial intelligence startups, taking an aggressive stance to protect their intellectual property against technology that makes it easy for people to generate music based on existing songs.

Jun 24, 2024 3:00 PM CDT

As copyright concerns halt California’s plan for Kaplan bar exam, non-NCBE options being explored

The State Bar of California says it will continue to explore options outside of the National Conference of Board Examiners’ bar exam offerings after putting on a hold a plan to create a proprietary exam with Kaplan North America.

Jun 20, 2024 3:11 PM CDT

Kim Kardashian sued for claiming ‘low-grade’ knockoff furniture was made by artist Donald Judd

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian claimed on video that she had purchased “Donald Judd tables” that were in fact “cheap knockoffs,” leading consumers to think that the source of the furniture was the nonprofit foundation dedicated to the artist’s legacy, according to a lawsuit filed this week.

Mar 28, 2024 11:20 AM CDT

Swift Justice: Students learn about the law through Taylor Swift cases

In at least two law schools, Taylor Swift is the subject of a class available to students wanting to gain practical knowledge about the law by studying her various legal entanglements and how she emerged stronger.

Feb 14, 2024 8:32 AM CST

George Carlin’s estate sues over AI comedy special

Jan 29, 2024 10:35 AM CST

AI-generated music is everywhere; is any of it legal?

There has been an explosion of AI-generated music featuring the living or resurrecting the dead. But as artists push the limits of parody, fair use, right of publicity, infringement and authorship, there is one overarching question: Is any of this stuff legal?

Jan 18, 2024 3:50 PM CST

BigLaw firm’s motion was copied ‘nearly verbatim,’ boutique firm alleges in copyright lawsuit

Updated: A boutique law firm alleges that Winston & Strawn infringed its copyright by filing a motion to dismiss that has a “striking resemblance” to the boutique firm’s motion.

Jan 2, 2024 12:15 PM CST

Dec. 8, 1993: Supreme Court listens to John Fogerty

In late October 1988, John Fogerty—the voice and focus of the meteoric rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival—took the witness stand in a San Francisco courtroom. He also took his guitar.

Dec 1, 2023 12:10 AM CST

Was Ted Nugent country singer? 4th Circuit judges clueless

Two federal appeals judges confessed during oral arguments Tuesday that they weren’t familiar with a rock musician known for the 1977 song “Cat Scratch Fever.”

Oct 26, 2023 1:29 PM CDT

Artistic Advocacy: Copyright Claims Board offers access to justice to creative community

Pursuing copyright claims through the U.S. federal court system is expensive and time-consuming—too burdensome for creators with claims of modest amounts. Without effective legal rights and remedies, the perpetual theft of these creatives’ copyrighted works can threaten the worth of their professional endeavors. However, in June, the ABA commemorated an important milestone that addresses the challenges faced by these creators.

Oct 1, 2023 12:30 AM CDT

Grisham, other legal novelists among authors suing OpenAI for using their copyrighted work

Several legal novelists, including John Grisham and Scott Turow, are among 17 authors joining with the Authors Guild in a proposed class action lawsuit against the artificial intelligence program OpenAI.

Sep 21, 2023 2:32 PM CDT

DC Circuit decision is victory for public-access group that posts technical standards online

A nonprofit group isn’t liable for copyright infringement when it posts technical standards online that have been developed by private groups and then incorporated into government regulations, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Sep 13, 2023 3:47 PM CDT

Copyright Law and Generative AI: What a mess

“A lot of these [copyright] issues have existed for some time,” says a partner and chair of the software and IT practice at Knobbe Martens in its Seattle office. “It’s coming to the forefront of communications because of the availability [of generative AI].”

Aug 30, 2023 8:18 AM CDT