Alt Legal IP News – Issue #62
Hannah Samendinger | November 08, 2017
Check out our latest episode of Alt Trademarks. I spoke with Erik Pelton about his unique practice, being an examiner, and mentoring young attorneys. Check out the episode here (be sure to check out his new website too).
Turn on the TV!
– CBS has sued a photographer for copyright infringement for publishing stills from a TV show.
– Take a trip down (law school) memory lane with these #nameacivillawtvshow ideas.
– A producer from the Cosby Show is suing BBC because they used clips from the show in their Cosby documentary, Bill Cosby: Fall of an American Icon.
Power of a Patent
– A woman is patenting her bed bug solution that eliminates the need to throw away (or burn) all of your belongings.
– Patent protection helped one Shark Tank inventor go from TV to $30M in sales.
– The EFF’s stupid patent of the month covers a “printing and publishing system” that uses a “communication network.”
Will You Remember Me?
– An appeal court held that the London Taxi Company’s black cab shape is not distinctive enough to warrant trademark protection.
– What happens when you build your brand around lack of memory?
– The Turtles lost a copyright battle in Florida after the court held that the state does not recognize copyrights in pre-1972 music recordings.
Odds and Ends
– Check out this fascinating read on the impact copyright law can have on the implicit biases in AI.
– TGI Fridays is the lastest company to send a funny cease and desist as a reaction to the use of their intellectual property.
– What can Lebron James teach us about trademark law?
– This rare Idaho based copyright case with an unusual fair use analysis is worth checking out.
– We recently interviewed Emily Wilkinson and Sam Mazzeo of Wilkinson Mazzeo. Check out the interview, where we discuss their practice, social media strategy, and new billboard here.
– Just a reminder: If you haven’t yet today… vote!