Moving the Needle: Solid Oak Sketches, LLC v. Visual Concepts, LLC and the Copyright Quagmire of Tattoos in Video Games
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York this month, a group of tattoo artists (through a licensing entity) sued the developer, publisher, and marketer of the immensely popular NBA 2K16 video game over digital depictions of tattoos the artists had inked on the real-life basketball players
CDAS Files Amicus Brief in Fox Television Stations Inc. v. FilmOn X
Yesterday, CDAS submitted an amicus brief in a high-profile case involving the distribution of television programming over the Internet. The brief, on behalf of the Copyright Alliance, was filed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the appellants in the case captioned Fox Television Stations Inc. v. FilmOn X. This is the
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CDAS FILES AMICUS BRIEF IN AUTHORS GUILD ET AL. V. GOOGLE, INC.
CDAS attorneys Nancy E. Wolff, Eleanor M. Lackman, Alex Gigante, and Brittany L. Kaplan filed an Amicus Curiae brief on behalf of the Text and Academic Authors Association; Western Writers of America, Inc.; The National Association of Science Writers, Inc.; and The Dramatists Guild in The Authors Guild et al. v. Google, Inc. The brief
Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP is Pleased to Announce that Scott J. Sholder has Become a Partner of the Firm
Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP is pleased to announce that Scott J. Sholder has become a Partner of the Firm Scott J. Sholder is a partner in the firm’s Litigation Group. Scott represents individuals and companies in the entertainment, traditional and digital media, sports, and consumer products industries. His practice focuses on matters involving
In re: Tam Take Two: Federal Circuit Strikes Down Disparagement Provision of Lanham Act § 2(a)
In May we reported that a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had affirmed the USPTO’s denial of a registration for the trademark “THE SLANTS” to refer to an all-Asian-American rock band, but had, in a prescient “additional views” opinion, prompted en banc reconsideration. A majority of the full Federal
Biro v. Condé Nast: The “Plausibility” of Actual Malice Allegations in Public-Figure Defamation Cases
On Tuesday the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that public-figure plaintiffs in defamation cases must set forth plausible allegations, at the pleadings stage, that media defendants acted with actual malice. Heralded as a victory for the media industry and First Amendment rights, the court in Biro v. Condé Nast, et al.
Copyright Termination Is Comin’ To Town Law360, New York
After sorting through the tangled 80-year history behind the song “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” the Second Circuit recently held that rights to the Christmas classic will revert back to the songwriter’s heirs on Dec. 15, 2016. Rights to the composition, written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, are currently held by EMI
California Imposes Strict Requirements on Collection and Use of Student Data in SOPIPA
Continuing to establish itself as the most progressive state in the data privacy arena, California has passed the Student Online Personal Information Protection Act (“SOPIPA”). The law imposes some of the strongest restrictions on the use of students’ information online to date. SOPIPA will become effective January 1, 2016 and website operators, app developers and
Rock the Vote: Public Performance of Music on the Campaign Trail
Election season is upon us, and while music may not be the first thing that comes to mind amidst scandals, poll numbers, and innumerable primary debates, politicians’ use of theme songs almost inevitably becomes a hot-button issue for musicians, recording artists, and lawyers. Two presidential candidates have already angered artists who feel their music was
CDAS Attorneys Appointed to 2016-2017 INTA Committees
Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams and Sheppard LLP Partner, Eleanor M. Lackman, and Associate, Joshua Wolkoff, have been appointed to International Trademark Association (INTA) committees for the 2016-17 term. Ms. Lackman will serve on the International Amicus Committee. The committee provides expertise concerning trademark and other IP-related laws to courts and trademark offices around the world through