Ask Dr. Copyright

Ask Dr. Copyright is a monthly column that tackles common misconceptions in the areas of intellectual property law especially, copyright.

25Sep 2023

Ask Dr. Copyright © About Genericized Trademarks

September 25, 2023 Lawrence Husick Ask Dr. Copyright, Trademark

Dear Doc: I know this is not strictly a copyright question, but it seems to me that I now spend my time Zooming, having Zooms, meeting friends for Zoomtails, Zoomshipping, and so forth. I even Zoom when I am on some other system, like FaceTime. Is Zoom in legal trouble here? Signed,Generically Worried Dear GW: […]

21Sep 2023

Ask Dr. Copyright © About Binding Contracts with the Thumbs UP

September 21, 2023 Lawrence Husick Ask Dr. Copyright, contract law, Internet Law

Dear Doc: What’s Up Doc? A thumb! So what does it take for a text message to become a legally binding contract? Signed,Sorta Worried Dear Sorta: One of the first things you learn in law school (provided you’re paying attention) is that in order to have a contract, you need an offer, acceptance of the […]

24Aug 2023

Ask Dr. Copyright © About AI

August 24, 2023 Lawrence Husick Ask Dr. Copyright

Dear Doc: I see that several artists and authors have sued artificial intelligence companies, claiming that using their writings, artwork, voices, etc. to train AI systems violates copyright. What do you think of that? Can they stop this whole AI thing using copyright law? Signed,Asking for an Artificial Friend Dear Asking: The Doc is skeptical […]

15Jun 2023

Ask Dr. Copyright © About Fair Use

June 15, 2023 Lawrence Husick Ask Dr. Copyright

Dear Doc: I know that you have written a boatload of articles about “appropriation art,” where someone just grabs the copyright-protected work of another person, changes it a bit, and then sells it for a boatload of money, never giving the first artist a penny, and how this was totally legal. So how come I […]

12Jun 2023

Ask Dr. Copyright about the Public Domain

June 12, 2023 Lawrence Husick Ask Dr. Copyright, Copyright

Dear Doc: I know that in the past you have said (complained, actually) that copyrights last far too long…for the life of the author plus another 75 years (or 95 years for corporate-authored works.) That said, it was not always the case that the term was so extensive. How can I know if a book […]

18May 2023

Ask Dr. Copyright © About Public Domain

May 18, 2023 Lawrence Husick Ask Dr. Copyright

Dear Doc: If something, a photo, music, a video, is in the “public domain,” then why must I pay for a license from Getty Images to use it? Shouldn’t it be free? Signed,Concerned Confused Citizen Dear CCC: You are, indeed, confused. You see, being in the “public domain” just means that there are no legal […]

08May 2023

Ask Dr. Copyright © About IP Licensing

May 8, 2023 Lawrence Husick Ask Dr. Copyright, Copyright

Dear Doc: It seems to me that every time I try to find out about intellectual property licensing, I end up more confused than ever. Are you able to help? Signed, Bothered and Bewildered Dear B&B: You are correct. Licensing is a complex area of business and of the law. Unfortunately, it is in the […]

20Apr 2023

Dear Doc: All this new artificial intelligence on the Internet looks like it can make life easier for authors. Why not have some help writing a first draft? Does the use of a system like ChatGPT have any effect on legal rights? Signed,Not an AI Dear NAAI: You sure stepped into the middle of a […]

10Apr 2023

Ask Dr. Copyright About Using Online Images

Dear Doc: Last month, you explained how to avoid legal issues concerning the use of music in podcasts. While that was interesting, many more ugly “lawyer letters” stem from use of images on websites and newsletters. Do you have any sage advice on how not to be on the receiving end of a nasty-gram from […]

27Mar 2023

Dear Doc: It seems that all anyone wants to talk about now is artificial intelligence. Are there copyright issues involved in AI? Signed, ChatGPT Dear Chat: The Doc has been thinking about this question for a long time. Back in the “dark ages” of computers (ca. 1983) we used to call the job of getting […]

Ask Dr. Copyright

Ask Dr. Copyright © About Genericized Trademarks

Ask Dr. Copyright © About Binding Contracts with the Thumbs UP

Ask Dr. Copyright © About AI

Ask Dr. Copyright © About Fair Use

Ask Dr. Copyright about the Public Domain

Ask Dr. Copyright © About Public Domain

Ask Dr. Copyright © About IP Licensing

Ask Dr. Copyright © About ChatGPT

Ask Dr. Copyright About Using Online Images

Ask Dr. Copyright © (or is it???)

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