Pokemon Go Home! How Will the Popular App Fare in the Wake of the Recent Class Action Nuisance Claims Brought Against Its Creators?

While some reports state that its wild popularity may be waning,[1] there is no denying that Pokemon Go, the “augmented reality” mobile game application developed by Niantic, Inc. and partially owned by Nintendo, was the digital hit of the summer of 2016. Since exploding onto the scene in early July, much cyber-ink has been spilled

New York Announces Expansion of Medical Marijuana Program

  In what many marijuana advocates and patients are viewing as a positive step forward, Governor Cuomo’s administration has announced its plans to adopt several key changes to New York’s medical marijuana program aimed at increasing the number of eligible participants under the program and the ability for such participants to obtain better treatment options

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”).

Second Circuit Revives Iron Man Theme Copyright Infringement Suit Against Sony

A recent Second Circuit opinion has revived songwriter Jack Urbont’s copyright infringement claim against Sony Music Entertainment, Razor Sharp Records, and rapper Dennis Coles (popularly known as Ghostface Killah). Urbont had brought suit in 2011 against Coles, along with Sony and Razor Sharp, alleging that Coles had improperly sampled Urbont’s “Iron Man Theme” (“Theme”) on

Stevens v. Corelogic, Inc.: Automated Metadata Scrubbing Does Not Violate CMI Provisions of the DMCA

In Stevens v. CoreLogic, Inc., the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California examined § 1202 of the Copyright Act, a part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act protecting the integrity of copyright management information (“CMI”), and  held that unintentional removal of metadata embedded in a photograph does not violate the statute.

CDAS Brings in Lindsay W. Bowen to Expand its Copyright, Entertainment and Litigation Practice

Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP (CDAS) is expanding its litigation, entertainment, and intellectual property practice with the strategic hire of litigator and entertainment attorney Lindsay W. Bowen, who has joined the firm as a partner. Lindsay’s practice focuses on the interplay between creativity and technology.  He represents individuals and companies, from household names to

Supreme Court Determines Objective Reasonableness Should Receive Substantial Weight in Assessing Fee Awards under the Copyright Act, But Not to Exclusion of Other Factors (Kirtsaeng v. Wiley)

For the first time in twenty-two years, the U.S. Supreme Court, in an opinion issued yesterday, addressed the question of when an award of attorney’s fees is appropriate under the U.S. Copyright Act. According to the Court, the objective reasonableness of a losing party’s legal positions should be given substantial weight within a broader analysis

#TRADEMARKS: Registration of Hashtag Marks

The #hashtag, once confined to Twitter, has become ubiquitous across virtually all social media platforms.  The hashtag (formerly known as the “pound” sign) has revolutionized the way information is organized, discovered, and shared online.  Social media users use hashtags – i.e., a keyword or phrase preceded by the hashtag symbol (#) – to identify social