Life is Beautiful, but Trademark Overreach is Not: Attempted Monopolization of Unused Trademarks Costs Mr. Brainwash His Ability to Sue
In a trademark and copyright infringement case brought by Amusement Art, LLC (“Amusement Art”), a company owned by artist Thierry Guetta, most commonly known as Mr. Brainwash, against Life is Beautiful, LLC (“LIB”), a California federal judge ruled that Amusement Art fraudulently utilized the trademark registration system to attempt to secure a monopoly over its
Maintaining the Status Quo: DOJ Rejects ASCAP and BMI’s Proposed Changes to 1941 Antitrust Consent Decrees
On August 4, 2016, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) released a statement[1] concluding that the 1941 antitrust consent decrees governing music performance rights organizations (“PROs”) would remain in effect, rejecting the requested changes from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (“ASCAP”) and Broadcast Music, Inc. (“BMI”).