Copyright Law

Joke Book Publisher Settles Jay Leno Lawsuit

Jay Leno and other comedians have settled a copyright infringement lawsuit against publishers that printed their jokes without permission. Editor Judy Brown and her publishers have agreed to stop publishing the joke books and to pay an undisclosed amount to the comedians, according to a press release. Brown also issued…

Jan 24, 2008 3:21 PM CST

Corporate ‘Photonapping’ Raises Legal Issues

Corporations that are “photonapping” snapshots posted by private individuals on websites are running into legal problems, the Washington Post reports. In one case, the family of Dallas 15-year-old Alison Chang sued after a photo of her flashing a peace sign and a goofy grin became part of an ad campaign…

Jan 9, 2008 5:05 PM CST

Seinfelds Sued Over Cookbook Spat

The author of a children’s cookbook called The Sneaky Chef, with healthy recipes for kids using pureed vegetables, has filed a suit that contends a cookbook written by Jerry Seinfeld’s wife infringes her copyright. The plaintiff, Missy Chase Lapine, had done extensive research to find ways to camouflage fruits and…

Jan 8, 2008 7:50 PM CST

Due to Copyright Law Generation Gap, Future Protection is Murky

Once upon a time, as far as relative old-timers at least in their 40s and 50s are concerned, many Americans felt that certain obvious copyright violations were not only illegal but wrong. A subsequent sea change in technology, though, has not only made the moral issue of copying much murkier,…

Dec 20, 2007 11:28 PM CST

Oregon ‘Ground Zero’ in RIAA Battle Against File-Sharing

Updated: Oregon’s attorney general is going to bat, yet again, for university students being targeted by the U.S. recording industry. In filings this week, Attorney General Hardy Myers’ office said the Recording Industry Association of America’s litigation tactics may violate his state’s data-mining laws, Bloomberg News reports. And his office…

Nov 30, 2007 8:47 PM CST

Plaintiff to RIAA: Download This!

Accused of online music theft, Oregon woman strikes back

Nov 1, 2007 8:14 PM CDT

Industry Pact Sets Video Clip Posting Rules

A coalition of Internet and mainstream media groups have agreed to a new system of preventing copyright violations concerning video clips posted on user-generated sites such as MySpace. Participating members will use special software to detect and block video postings on Internet sites that may violate copyright laws, reports the…

Oct 19, 2007 5:58 PM CDT

Damages ‘Offensive’ in Music Piracy Case, Motion Says

The lawyer for a woman assessed $222,000 in damages for illegally sharing downloaded music contends in a motion for a new trial that the amount is constitutionally excessive. The judgment against Jammie Thomas for illegally sharing two dozen songs amounts to $9,250 for each recording. Her lawyer, Brian Toder of…

Oct 16, 2007 2:15 PM CDT

Mary J. Blige Infringement Suit Revived

A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit by a songwriter who claims hip-hop soul singer Mary J. Blige stole two of her songs. Sharice Davis claims Blige’s songs “L.O.V.E.” and “Keep it Moving” infringe on her copyrights, the New York Law Journal reports. The songs were on Blige’s triple…

Oct 8, 2007 11:52 AM CDT

Record Labels Win Anti-Piracy Verdict

In a huge win for the recording industry, a federal jury in Minnesota decided that a woman who illegally downloaded music owes a whopping $222,000 for copyright infringement. The Los Angeles Times reports that Thursday’s victory could embolden the industry to target consumers in its four-year battle against rampant Internet…

Oct 5, 2007 9:52 AM CDT

A Denial and a Low-Budget Defense in RIAA Trial

The woman accused of sharing a couple dozen copyrighted songs on the KaZaA file sharing service says she didn’t do it, but she can’t afford an expert to explain why the computer evidence suggests otherwise. Jammie Thomas testified yesterday that she has never even heard of KaZaA, the Duluth News…

Oct 4, 2007 2:51 PM CDT

Accused File-Sharer Won’t Back Down

Jammie Thomas is among 26,000 or so people who were sued by the music industry as part of a campaign to stop the illegal sharing of online music files. But the 30-year-old single mother from Brainerd, Minn., is the only defendant whose case has made it to trial, Wired reports.…

Oct 2, 2007 2:57 PM CDT

Nursing Homes Sue Over PI Firm’s Ad

A personal injury law firm has been sued by the owners of a nursing home chain prominently mentioned in the law firm’s Web site advertising. Genesis Healthcare Corp. contends McHugh Fuller Law Group misappropriated its trademark and logo by including these brands on a Web page seeking plaintiffs interested in…

Sep 7, 2007 5:27 PM CDT

Suit Claims Right to Choreography

A lawsuit against the New Dance Group claims choreographers or their heirs have the right to control performances of dances first staged by the New York company in the 1930s and ’40s. The suit claims the choreographers own the dances, with copyright registrations in some cases that prove their claims,…

Sep 4, 2007 6:01 PM CDT

Designers Sue Over Knockoffs

More than 20 designers concerned about knockoffs of their fashions have filed lawsuits against the clothing chain Forever 21. Other stores have been sued as well, the New York Times reports. The designers are hoping to expand laws that bar counterfeit goods to prevent sales of clothing that copies their…

Sep 4, 2007 4:18 PM CDT