Dear Doc: I’ve heard the expression, “Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread.” Attributed to Alexander Pope, in An Essay on Criticism, dated 1709. What does this have to do with copyright law? Signed,All’s Fair Dear AF: In the coming Supreme Court term, the Court has agreed to hear a case which may, at […]
Ask Dr. Copyright
Ask Dr. Copyright is a monthly column that tackles common misconceptions in the areas of intellectual property law especially, copyright.
Dear Doc: I have heard that in times of war, intellectual property may be seized to support the war effort. Is that going to happen to Russia? Signed,Vodka (and Ukraine) Lover Dear Lover: Yes, war can be a messy affair, and that extends all the way to intellectual property rights. During World War I (the […]
Ask Dr. Copyright © about Trademarks (huh?)
March 17, 2022
Ask Dr. Copyright
Numbers are routinely used to name products but that there are so many of them that it takes a lot of marketing to make a number distinctive.
Ask Dr. Copyright © About the Copyright Claims Board
December 16, 2021
Ask Dr. Copyright, Copyright
Dear Doc: Last month, you promised to follow up with some of the rules under which the new Copyright Claims Board (CCB) plans to hear “small claims” copyright cases. So? Signed,Still Sick of Being Ripped Off Dear SSoBRO: As the Doc said last month, the Copyright Claims Board (CCB) will be a three-judge panel within […]
Ask Dr. Copyright © About the Copyright Claims Board
November 18, 2021
Ask Dr. Copyright, Copyright
Dear Doc: I’ve heard that copyright cases are going to be tried in the Copyright Office, and not in federal district courts. What gives? Is this good for authors, songwriters, artists and other creative folks? Signed,Sick of Being Ripped Off Dear Victim: What you have heard is partially correct. Big changes are on the way […]
Ask Dr. Copyright© About the “Right to Repair”
August 26, 2021
Ask Dr. Copyright
Dear Doc: For years, it’s been nearly impossible to do repairs on some kinds of equipment. For instance, unless you had a handheld computer that cost over $4,000, it was impossible to diagnose and fix a GM-Saab automobile. The same is true of John Deere farm equipment. Manufacturers use copyright and trade secrecy laws to […]
Ask Dr. Copyright © about NFT’s
May 27, 2021
Ask Dr. Copyright
Dear Doc: What the heck is an NFT and what does it have to do with copyrights? Signed.Dazed and Confused Dear D&C: That is a very good question. Which is why the Doc will provide you with an answer, and also offer you the chance to purchase a unique and priceless version of the answer, […]
Dear Doc: It’s a year into the pandemic, and it seems that most “information workers” are working virtually, while most “essential workers” are still bravely showing up every day. Apart from the unfairness in that, and the fact that if we had all just locked down for several weeks at the start we could have […]
Ask Dr. Copyright © About You’ll Boldly Go
February 25, 2021
Ask Dr. Copyright
Dear Doc (hope you’re well and alive): I heard of a case that’s just jive.You can go, but not boldlySaid the judge, rather coldlyFar too Seuss, your project, contrived. Signed,ComicMix Dear CM: I suppose that you are asking about a recent court decision in a dispute about the book “Oh, the Places You’ll Boldly Go!”, a mashup […]
Ask Dr. Copyright About Bringing Lawsuits
January 28, 2021
Ask Dr. Copyright
Dear Doc: I’ve heard you say many times that Americans have a right to sue each other for any reason, so lawyers can’t tell their clients that they won’t get sued, only that in a properly adjudicated case, they have a high probability of prevailing. Aren’t there ANY limits on lawsuits? Signed,Fed Up Dear FU: […]