The Philly Phanatic has been a mainstay of Philadelphia culture since he arrived on our shores in 1978. But did you know that the Phanatic has been the subject of numerous lawsuits? He’s even been called “the most sued mascot in baseball.” His most recent lawsuit involves the facts surrounding his birth. It’s a long, convoluted story so we’ll just briefly review the facts […]
Dear Doc: I know that you sometimes answer intellectual property questions that are not strictly about copyright, so here’s one for you… I know that folks may register just about any available word as a domain name on the Internet, using one of the many Top Level Domains (TLDs) like .com, .org, or .biz. I also […]
For the first time in over 100 years, on June 24, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case, Georgia v. Public Resource Org Inc., to decide “whether the government edicts doctrine extends to works that lack the force of law, such as annotations in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated [OCGA].” What is the “government edicts” […]
Dear Doc: I’ve heard that politicians who use music at their campaign appearances and in their Internet postings (Tweets, Memes, and other stuff) need to get permission from the music artists, and that sometimes, they don’t. What happens then? Signed,Dazed and Confused Dear D&C:The basic rule of copyright is that unless use of a […]
Dear Doc: I have heard that Congress is considering a new law that would create a small claims court for copyright infringement cases, particularly those that stem from infringement on the Internet. That sure sounds like it would help to stop unauthorized copying! Whaddya think? Signed,Well-intentioned. Dear Well: Have you ever shared a […]
Here is some news for old fogey music lovers (like me). Remember the Spencer Davis Group? Stevie Winwood was the sixteen year old lead singer belting out hits like “Gimme Some Lovin’.” In 1966, the song reached the number 2 hit single position in the U.S. According to Muff Winwood, the bassist, it was “conceived, arranged, and […]
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 […]
In many parts of the world, authors and artists also own “moral rights” in their works. Moral rights include the “right of attribution, the right to have a work published anonymously or pseudonymously, and the right to the integrity of the work.” The “right to integrity” means that right to object to the “distortion, or […]
Dear Doc:I heard that it’s now legal to take someone else’s photograph, mess with it, and sell it as your own. That can’t be right, right? Please tell me that the copyright law is not that insane. Signed, Every person who ever took a photo. Dear Every: Yes, I am afraid that copyright […]
Dear Doc: My cardiologist says that I need to cut out salt. My copyright lawyer says that salting is useful. What gives? Signed, Patient but Confused Dear PbC: No wonder you’re confused! You think that doctors and lawyers speak the same language?!? The Doc never heard anything so funny! Let’s get this […]
