How Will Courts Handle A “Poor Man’s Copyright”?

I recently came across a complaint (in Vernon v. CBS) referencing a “poor man’s copyright,” and I couldn’t recall seeing the term in a legal filing or document before. This made me curious about whether any courts had discussed the…

Santa Clara-Duke-USPTO Quality Conferences / Call for Participants

[Note: my colleague Colleen Chien has circulated this call for participation. I won’t be directly involved in either event, but they look terrific. I’m sharing it here in case you or someone in your network wants to participate. Please follow…

Q1 2016 Quick Links, Part 4 (Copyright, Marketing and More)

Q1 2016 Quick Links, Part 4 (Copyright, Marketing and More)

Copyright * Naruto v. Slater: “Naruto is not an “author” within the meaning of the Copyright Act.” I heart Naruto! * Handshoe v. Abel, 1:14-cv-00159-KS-MTP (S.D. Miss. Jan. 8, 2016) (cites omitted): Given that there is no dispute that the…

2H 2015 Quick Links, Part 2 (Patents, Trademarks, Other IP)

2H 2015 Quick Links, Part 2 (Patents, Trademarks, Other IP)

Patents * ClearCorrect Operating, LLC v. International Trade Com’n, 2015 WL 6875205 (Fed. Cir. Nov. 10, 2015): ITC has jurisdiction only over “material things,” not digital content. An obvious but much needed ruling. * Washington Post: Patents are a terrible…

Is Amazon Liable For IP Violations By Its Marketplace Vendors? (Forbes Cross-Post)

Is Amazon Liable For IP Violations By Its Marketplace Vendors? (Forbes Cross-Post)

Animal-shaped pillows are cute and fluffy, except when they spur litigation. Recently, the Milo & Gabby brand sued Amazon for IP infringement because merchants allegedly sold knockoffs of its “Cozy Companion Pillowcases.” Amazon has successfully avoided IP liability for its…

Q2 2015 Quick Links, Part 1 (IP, Marketing and More)

Q2 2015 Quick Links, Part 1 (IP, Marketing and More)

Copyright * The dominant media storyline about the Mayweather-Pacquiao boxing match was the fight’s widespread illicit availability on the livestreaming apps Periscope and Meerkat. But this should have been the dominant storyline instead: An estimated 4.4 million viewers paid a…

Top 10 Internet Law Developments of 2014 (Forbes Cross-Post)

Top 10 Internet Law Developments of 2014 (Forbes Cross-Post)

It’s time for my annual recap of the top Internet Law developments of the year. #10: Copyright Fair Use Tilts To Defense. Larry Lessig has famously said that “fair use in America simply means the right to hire a lawyer…

Q2 2014 Quick Links, Part 1 (IP)

Q2 2014 Quick Links, Part 1 (IP)

Trademark * Barton Beebe has posted a new free casebook, Trademark Law: An Open-Source Casebook. Quite possibly the new gold standard of trademark casebooks. Check it out! * Hollywood, Esq.: Chubby Checker Settles Penis Size App Lawsuit. Prior blog post. *…

Q1 2014 Quick Links, Part 1 (IP)

Q1 2014 Quick Links, Part 1 (IP)

Copyright * Perfect 10, Inc. v. Giganews, Inc., No. 11-7098 (C.D. Cal. Jan. 29, 2014). Upholding Giganews’ policy of terminating repeat infringers. The ruling also is critical of Perfect 10’s method of sending takedown notices, saying that Perfect 10 may have had…