Copyright Law

Demand letter claims ‘Bernie is my comrade’ T-shirt is a trademark violation

A T-shirt maker has received a letter claiming its “Bernie is my comrade” merchandise violates trademark and copyright rights of the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. Daniel McCall’s company Liberty Maniacs is selling the T-shirt and other merchandise, which includes photos of Bernie Sanders and “a rogues’ gallery of Socialist figures…

Apr 19, 2016 8:06 AM CDT

Suit claims ‘We Shall Overcome’ isn’t entitled to copyright protection

The lawyers who succeeded in putting the “Happy Birthday” song into the public domain are hoping their new lawsuit will do the same for “We Shall Overcome.” Ludlow Music Inc. and the Richmond Organization filed copyrights for the song in 1960, but the song had been in the public domain…

Apr 14, 2016 5:45 AM CDT

Judge allows infringement claim over Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’

A federal judge in Los Angeles has refused to toss a lawsuit claiming Led Zeppelin copied part of another band’s song in “Stairway to Heaven.” U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner allowed the copyright claim in a ruling on Friday, report Reuters, the Washington Post, the Associated Press and Bloomberg…

Apr 12, 2016 8:32 AM CDT

Copyright suit over well-known Mapplethorpe ‘self-portraits’ seeks $65M

Well-known photographs of deceased artist Robert Mapplethorpe that have for decades been identified, shown and sold as self-portraits were in fact taken by someone else, a federal copyright suit contends. Filed in Manhattan this week, it alleges that fellow photographer James R. “Bobby” Miller actually took the four photos at…

Apr 8, 2016 1:25 PM CDT

Fox Rothschild is sanctioned $25K for alterations in discovery documents

A federal judge in California has ordered Fox Rothschild to pay a $25,000 sanction for altering some discovery documents in a copyright suit. In a March 28 order (PDF), U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee said Fox Rothschild lawyers had altered invoice information to reflect only the amounts related to the…

Apr 7, 2016 5:45 AM CDT

Google and Oracle lawyers won’t conduct research on potential jurors after judge’s ultimatum

Lawyers in a copyright battle between Google and Oracle have agreed they won’t research potential and empaneled jurors until after the trial. Lawyers revealed their decision on Thursday after the federal judge overseeing the trial said the legal teams should agree to a voluntary ban or should reveal their research…

Apr 1, 2016 7:14 AM CDT

Judge allows suit by refugees claiming copyright protection in interviews that led to screenplay

A federal judge in Atlanta is allowing a suit by 54 Sudanese refugees who say their interviews with a screenwriter about their persecution are subject to copyright protection. The refugees, known as “the Lost Boys,” sued screenwriters and producers of The Good Lie film starring Reese Witherspoon. In a March…

Mar 30, 2016 11:31 AM CDT

Google and Oracle lawyers who research jurors online must disclose it, judge rules

A federal judge has asked lawyers for Google and Oracle to voluntarily agree to a ban on Internet research on potential jurors or to disclose the extent of their online searches during jury selection. U.S. District Judge William Alsup offered that choice to lawyers in an order (PDF) on Friday,…

Mar 29, 2016 7:35 AM CDT

Fastcase improperly used electronic files and data, Casemaker says in new copyright suit salvo

Updated: After initially telling a law blogger last month that his company did not intend to fight a declaratory judgment action filed by a competing legal publisher, Casemaker CEO David Harriman has had a change of heart. Lawriter LLC, which does business as Casemaker, has filed an answer and counterclaim…

Mar 25, 2016 1:10 PM CDT

Paul McCartney seeks to recapture ownership of Beatles songs he wrote

There’s a benefit to longevity under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. As Paul McCartney is now taking steps to accomplish, the author of a song can recapture publishing rights after 56 years, if it was written before 1978, Billboard reports. Publishing rights can be recaptured after 35 years for…

Mar 22, 2016 2:45 PM CDT

Crowdfunded ‘Star Trek’ fan film violates Klingon language copyright, says lawsuit by major studios

Boldly going where no lawsuit has gone before, two movie studios are contending that a crowdfunded Star Trek fan film has violated copyright law by—among many other things—using the Klingon language. But the original complaint by Paramount Pictures Corp. and CBS Studios Inc. wasn’t detailed enough, Axanar Productions Inc. contended…

Mar 14, 2016 11:45 AM CDT

Holy hot rod! Supreme Court won’t review ruling giving Batmobile copyright protection

The U.S. Supreme Court this week let stand a federal appeals ruling that found the Batman’s Batmobile is entitled to copyright protection. The Supreme Court denied cert on Monday, report the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press and Bloomberg BNA’s Intellectual Property Blog. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court…

Mar 9, 2016 9:44 AM CST

Casemaker agrees state law isn’t copyrightable, won’t defend Fastcase suit

Saying that he is “mystified” by a lawsuit filed against Casemaker by a competitor after a reported takedown demand by Casemaker, the legal publisher’s CEO said the company will not defend the declaratory judgment action. The federal suit filed in Atlanta by Fastcase Inc. seeks “a declaration that state law…

Feb 18, 2016 2:00 PM CST

Fastcase sues Casemaker for takedown demand, says Georgia administrative rules can’t be copyrighted

In the latest battle over attempts to assign and enforce publishing rights over state law, two online legal research services are girding up for a federal court fight. Responding to a December takedown demand from Lawriter LLC, which does business as Casemaker, the competing Fastcase Inc. filed suit in federal…

Feb 8, 2016 1:35 PM CST

Video game violates copyright by using tattoos of NBA stars, suit alleges

A video game maker is facing a lawsuit that contends its use of tattoos of five basketball stars—including LeBron James and Kobe Bryant—is a copyright violation. The suit was filed Monday in Manhattan federal court by Solid Oak Sketches, which acquired licenses to the eight tattoos at issue from three…

Feb 3, 2016 10:32 AM CST