Lawyer Ron Coleman on brands, the Internet & free speech
Newly discovered evidence [according to a court filing] “proves conclusively that Happy Birthday has been in the public domain since no later than 1922.” At... Read more
The AP reports that a small California (of course) company thinks it has a brilliant idea, a way to out-Netflix Netflix: Zediva Inc. is going... Read more
This post discusses what by all rights should be the most exciting case ever heard by any court anywhere. One of the plaintiffs is Darth... Read more
The other day, I received an email from a Registration Specialist, Literary Division at the U.S. Copyright Office. She’d written to ask me to submit... Read more
Over the weekend, all the nerdiest news outlets reported that Volpin Props—a company that makes props and replicas “mostly videogame related,” according to the outfit’s... Read more
In a case that has everyone seeing red — No, let me start over. And without the jokes. Because in a decision in Christian Louboutin... Read more
It was bound to happen sooner or later—and in fact it happened back in 2012. Someone sued to have “Google” declared generic and the registration... Read more
I, Matthew David Brozik, your dedicated lieutenant blawger, have written a novel. Actually, I’ve written three. And, also, this one—Taking Ivy Seriously—is really a novella,... Read more
"Judge Roberts, I remember Sputnik. I knew Sputnik. Sputnik was a friend of mine. Judge Roberts, the respondent’s system is no Sputnik." Read more
Have you ever read a decision and just marveled at the apparent restraint of the judges? “Why don’t they tell this party to shut up?”... Read more
[A woman] has filed a lawsuit claiming that Disney’s animated film about [a princess, her magical sister, and their talking snowman] took elements from her... Read more
There is a case so plainly inappropriate for a fair use defense, and this is that case. Read more
You might recall this previous post, addressing the nascent lawsuit brought by a corporate music publisher/exploiter and its principal (plaintiffs Next Decade Entertainment, Inc. &... Read more
Your blawger, he is conflicted. Part of me does not want to give the—ahem—geniuses behind the DUMB STARBUCKS stunt any more press, but the rest... Read more