Content in Quarantine: Copyright Best Practices During a Pandemic
At a time when we are stuck at home, working or “working” (or, sadly for many, not working) the tenet that content is king has never been more relevant. From Disney+ releasing “Frozen II” and “Onward” early to help placate restless youngsters, to DreamWorks releasing “Trolls World Tour” for “theatrical” in-house rental, to Instagram sensation
CDAS IP Group and Partner Nancy Wolff Recognized in Chambers USA 2020
The highly regarded “Guide to the Top Lawyers and Law Firms” described CDAS as a “highly skilled boutique offering excellent capabilities handling trademark and copyright infringement cases, as well as substantial portfolio management matters. [CDAS] exhibits expertise acting for market-leading entertainment, media and digital platform clients.” In addition to recognizing the firm for Intellectual Property:
Nancy Wolff Featured in ABA Grassroots Initiative Discussing the CASE Act
As part of ABA Day, Nancy participated in a CASE Act Introduction and discussed implications of The Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act of 2019 and its creation of the Copyright Claims Board as an alternative forum to pursue low-value claims of $30,000 or less. Listen to the panel here.
S.D.N.Y. Holds that Publishers May Embed Content Publicly Posted on Instagram Platform — (Sinclair v. Ziff Davis, LLC et al.)
Since the emergence of social media, courts, content creators, and publishers alike have been grappling with legal issues concerning the practice of “embedding” copyrighted content. Following the controversial February 2019 decision in Goldman v. Breitbart News, LLC – rejecting the Ninth Circuit’s “server test” and holding that an embed constitutes a “public display” exposing a
Allen v. Cooper: Supreme Court Upholds State Sovereign Immunity in Copyright Row Over State’s Unauthorized Use of Videos and Images of Blackbeard’s Famed Shipwreck
In a technical win for states facing federal claims under the Copyright Act, on Monday, March 23, 2020, the United States Supreme Court struck down the Copyright Clarification Act of 1990 (the “CRCA”), which had allowed states to be sued in federal court for copyright infringement. Allen v. Cooper, No. 18-877, 2020 WL 1325815 (U.S.
Moving the Needle Part II: Court Inks Decision in Favor of Defendants in Solid Oak Sketches, LLC v. 2K Games, Inc. (S.D.N.Y.)
Four years ago, we reported on a headline-worthy copyright infringement lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York dealing with tattoos in video games. The case was brought by a licensing entity for tattoo artists against the makers of the popular NBA 2K games over depictions of real-life basketball
Gray v. Perry: The Pendulum Swings on Copyright Infringement Verdict against Katy Perry
Following hot on the heels of the Ninth Circuit’s en banc decision clearing Led Zeppelin of copyright infringement allegations relating to the classic “Stairway to Heaven” (which we reported here), a California federal judge last week overturned a jury’s finding of copyright infringement against Katy Perry regarding the pop hit “Dark Horse.” Songwriters still nervous
Marc Hershberg was cited in the Fordham IPM&E Law Journal
“Anything You Can Use, I Can Use Better: Examining the Contours of Fair Use as an Affirmative Defense for Theatre Artists, Creators, and Producers,” by Benjamin Reiser, Fordham Intellectual Property Media & Entertainment Law Journal, Vol. XXX, No. 3 (2020). Find the article here.
Ninth Circuit Rules in Favor of Led Zeppelin, Laying A New Foundation for Music Cases to Follow
When the full Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on en banc rehearing issued its opinion in the appeal of the widely reported Led Zeppelin Stairway to Heaven case on March 9, 2020, the court took a substantial step in providing guidance for future copyright infringement claims based on allegations of “substantial similarity” between songs. The
Judge in Amateur Photojournalism Case Rejects Lack of Originality Argument
In a decision that will likely be seen as a victory for photojournalism, a judge in the Eastern District of New York recently rejected the legal argument that an iPhone photograph, taken by a passerby who was in the right place at the right time, lacked originality. The decision represents a turn away from what