Eleanor M. Lackman Joins “IP Licensing Issues” Panel at PLI
Eleanor M. Lackman joins the “IP Licensing Issues” panel, part of Practising Law Institute’s IP Issues in Business Transactions 2013 program. The program runs for two full days, Thursday, January 3 and Friday, January 4, 2013, beginning at 9:00am, in New York City. Ms. Lackman’s panel, “IP Licensing Issues,” is on Thursday, January 3 at
Nancy E. Wolff – “What You Need to Know About Copyright”
CDAS partner Nancy E. Wolff joins the panel “What You Need to Know About Copyright, Licensing and Image/Footage Usage Trends” presented by Visual Connections, Wednesday, October 24, 10am, at The Altman Building, 135 West 18 Street, New York City. The panel will discuss a variety of copyright issues including fair use, orphan works, royalty free,
Monge v. Maya Magazines, Inc.: A Fair Use “Telenovela”:
On August 14, 2012, the majority of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in Monge v. Maya Magazines, Inc., Nos. 10-56710, 11-55483 (9th Cir. 2012), reversed the decision of the District Court for the Central District of California and held that a tabloid’s publication of copyrighted photographs without permission was not a fair use under
Court Upholds Right to License Celebrity Images
This week the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissals of two right of publicity claims against Corbis Corp. — Shirley Jones v. Corbis Corp. and Alberghetti v. Corbis Corp. In the Jones case, the court held that Shirley Jones, star of the TV show “The Partridge Family,” had given her implicit consent to
Postal Disservice: No Stamp of Approval for Just One Side of a “Hypothetical Negotiation”
Our nation’s great capitol is home to many museums, national monuments, and of course the White House. In addition to all these symbols of American history is The Column. The Column, the centerpiece of the National Mall, is a collection of nineteen steel structures commemorating Korean War Veterans. Tourists gather around these statues with their
Copyright Protection for Food – Perishable?
Kim Seng Co. v. J & A Importers, Inc., 810 F. Supp. 2d 1046 (C.D. Cal. 2011) In Kim Seng Co. v. J & A Importers, Inc., a California District Court considered the copyrightability of a food display. Kim Seng Co., (“Kim Seng”), a Chinese-Vietnam food supply company sued another Chinese-Vietnam food supplier, J &
Artist Wins Touchdown Against University for his Paintings
An artist’s right to incorporate trademarks in expressive works pits the artist’s fundamental right of freedom of expression guaranteed by the First Amendment, against the desire of a trademark owner to aggressively control the licensing of merchandise based on its trademarks. And when the artwork involves a much-loved college sports team, the tension runs deep.
Buzz Aldrin Grounded
The Topps Company recently released a set of “American Heroes” trading cards which include well-known politicians, actors, athletes, scientists and events. Famed astronaut Buzz Aldrin attempted to block the release of certain cards believing the cards improperly incorporate his name, likeness and image in a commercial manner. The cards in question include the famous “Visor
Good Day for Green Day: Judge Rules in Favor of Fair Use
In a lawsuit against the band Green Day, by Derek Seltzer (an L.A. Based Artist), the U.S. District Court Judge ruled in favor of Green Day in a motion for summary judgment on the basis of their fair use defense. Seltzer accused Green Day of violating his intellectual property rights through their unauthorized use of,
What’s Protectable?: Claim of Copyright Infringement of LaChapelle’s Photos in Rihanna’s ‘S&M’
Shira Scheindlin, a U.S. District Court Judge in the Southern District of New York, recently denied Robin “Rihanna” Fenty’s (“Rihanna”) Motion to Dismiss the copyright infringement element of a claim instituted by famed photographer David LaChapelle regarding Rihanna’s highly sensationalized ‘S&M’ video. LaChapelle asserts that the protectable elements of eight of his photographs were used