Category: Copyrights

Fearless Girl

Fearless Girl Must Stay

We teach girls to shrink themselves To make themselves smaller We say to girls “You can have ambition But not too much You should aim to be successful But not too successful Otherwise you will threaten the man” – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie In honor of…

FedEx Can Keep On Copying for Creative Commons Licensee

Fed Ex Office and Print Services recently scored a victory in Great Minds v. FedEx Office and Print Services, Inc., securing dismissal of a copyright infringement action based on the copying of educational materials for school districts.  The case provides a useful reminder about the…

German Copyright Law Sets Limitations on Exclusive Licenses

Authors and creators in Germany are given a leg up in dealing with the copyright industry and their publishers. The new rules introduced into German copyright law late last year focus on “full buy-out’ contracts where rights are granted to the publisher exclusively in consideration…

Copyrighting a Dream

This week we celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King’s mission was to teach our nation the value of tolerance and mutual respect regardless of each person’s differences.  These lessons still ring true today as they did 50 years…

Of Klingons and Copyrights: Trekkie Fan Film Hits Fair Use Flameout

A Star-Trek fan-film is boldly headed to a jury trial to determine whether Axanar Productions—the company behind the fan-film—is liable for copyright infringement.  Paramount Pictures and CBS Studios sued Axanar Productions in December 2015 after it created a 20 minute fan-film that was based in…

Usher’s Still in the Clear in Copyright Suit

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed the dismissal on summary judgment of copyright infringement claims brought by Daniel Marino (not that Dan Marino) against Usher and nineteen other defendants in Marino v. Usher.  The decision underscores the bedrock principle that joint authors cannot sue…

Dear Fashion Santa, Let Me Explain…

We only want one thing for Christmas this year: clear and unambiguous terms for ownership of intellectual property. We know you’ll understand after the year you’ve been having. #FashionSanta was the social media sensation of the 2015 holiday season. Children and adults alike (including Canada’s…