Can Artists Legally Stop Trump from Using Their Music?
Within the deluge of articles and news reports regarding the Trump campaign and the recent election, the most unlikely headline of the bunch to catch my eye involved the Village…
How Tattoos Could Ruin Copyright Law
Did you know that a temporary tattoo almost blocked a major motion picture from coming to theaters near you? In Whitmill v. Warner Bros. Ent. Inc., No. 4:11-cv-752 (E.D. Mo.…
The Intellectual Property Legacy of Justice Ginsburg
On Friday, September 25, 2020, the legal world lost the iconic Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court of the United States. Justice Ginsburg had a long and prolific…
Williams v. Gaye Rules that Blurred Lines Infringes on the Copyright in “Got to Give it Up”
On Wednesday, March 21, 2018, the Ninth Circuit ruled that the song hit song, Blurred Lines by artists, Pharell Williams, Robin Thicke and Clifford Harris Jr, infringed on the copyright…
Anderson Corp. v. GED Integrated Sol., Inc.: The Future of AIA Derivation Proceedings
Under the pre-AIA first-to-invent regime, interference proceedings were available to contest which of two (or more) parties invented the claimed subject matter first. With the AIA’s shift to a first-to-file…
YouTube’s Demonetization Debate: How Smaller YouTubers are Disproportionately Affected
I have been vaguely aware of YouTube’s practice of “demonetization” for some time, that which has something to do with ad revenues. However, it wasn’t until a recent tragedy at…
Machine Learning, Blockchain and an Inefficient Patent System
The digitalization of information and the implementation of computer-based processes in society has fundamentally changed how humans interact with the world and one another. Now, almost everyone in the US…
Is Using a Shared Netflix Password a Federal Crime?
Following the Ninth Circuit’s ruling in United States v. Nosal, 844 F.3d 1024 (9th Cir. 2016) (“Nosal II”), several commentators in the media queried whether using a borrowed password for…
Life in the Fast Lane? The Death of Net Neutrality
On Feb. 22nd, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a new rule overturning net neutrality. Aptly named the “Restoring Internet Freedom” order, it directly repealed the previous “Open Internet Order”…
Self-Driving Cars: Negligence, Product Liability, and Warranties
Nearly 1.3 million people die in car accidents each year, amounting to an average of roughly 3,287 deaths a day. Hopefully, with the advent of self-driving cars, that number will…