Tag Archives: Copyright Protection
SiriusXM Settles Class Action Copyright Lawsuit for Nearly $100 Million
Recently, Rolling Stone reported on major class action copyright lawsuit that was settled by the multi-billion dollar broadcasting conglomerate SiriusXM. To settle the dispute, the company agreed to pay out $99 million to impacted plaintiffs. This lawsuit stems from the fact that the satellite radio company had been playing songs from before 1972 without… Read More »
Copyright Law: Works Made for Hire
Unlike with a patent, an original work does not need to be registered to have copyright protection. Original works have copyright protection from the very second that they are created. In most cases, the creator of the work is the one who owns the associated copyright. However, in cases where the original work was… Read More »
Supreme Court to Hear Copyright Case
Copyright cases rarely make it all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. However, the Palm Beach Post reports that the nation’s highest court has agreed to hear an appeal in the case of Varsity Brands inc vs Star Athletica. The case, which involves a company’s desire to copyright cheerleading uniforms,… Read More »
Federal Circuit May Allow Offensive Trademarks
A usually obscure trademark law doctrine has been in the news more and more over the past few months. 15 U.S.C. 1052(a) forbids the federal registration of a trademark, if that mark would disparage or offend certain groups of people. It was this section of the Lanham Act that recently resulted in the cancellation… Read More »
Newly Discovered Songbook May End Happy Birthday Copyright
“Happy Birthday to You” has been a traditional fixture at birthday parties for the better part of the last century, which is why it surprises many people that the song is actually covered by copyright law. While people singing at their family birthday parties probably do not have to worry about a cease and… Read More »
Copyright and Characters: When Fictional People Take on Lives of Their Own
Most people know that there is some type of legal protection for creative works like books, music, or movies, but the contours and limits of that copyright protection are a little murkier. For instance, one often litigated area of copyright law is how it applies to characters from creative works. For instance, when J.K…. Read More »
