Alt Legal IP News – Issue # 165
Bri Van Til | November 19, 2019
University Accepted
– When Penn Law changed its Twitter handle to @careylawupenn, a Penn Law student used @PennLaw to create a parody account, but the University has reclaimed the handle.
– The Michigan House of Representatives has introduced legislation to allow the state’s college athletes to receive compensation for the use of their likenesses.
– SUNY is suing three of its students for trademark infringement for allegedly suggesting that their enterprise is affiliated with the University.
– Do teachers and instructors own the rights to their own syllabi? The answer is kind of complicated.
Who’s Responsible for Infringement?
– A recent ruling found a landlord responsible for its tenants’ trademark infringement.
– Charter Communications is denying responsibility for users’ copyright infringement, saying they merely provide internet service.
– Law firm McCarter & English warns that sites that allow users to post or comment could be found liable for copyright infringement on the site, and they recommend site operators register their copyright agents to protect the companies against such claims.
Face the Music
– Guitar instructor Rick Beato’s instructional music videos have come under fire for possible copyright infringement, but he and his bass of users say the videos are free publicity for the artists.
– “Yes! We Have No Bananas” recently entered the public domain, but Universal Music is still claiming ownership of the song.
– Justin Bieber has filed a trademark application for “R&Bieber,” and Nirvana is suing Marc Jacobs, alleging the company infringed the band’s logo.
– Taylor Swift came out saying she was being barred from performing her own music, but her former record label, Big Machine, has relented and agreed to let her perform the songs American Music Awards.
Odds and Ends
– Clothing company Supreme is being sued for infringing another company’s camouflage print.
– Minnesota Public Radio sent an author a takedown request for summarizing and linking to an article on the station’s website. Uh oh!
– The Supreme Court is set to settle the epic showdown between Google and Oracle and perhaps even answer the question of whether copyright protects code.
– The USPTO is seeking public comments about IP filings related to artificial intelligence technology.