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 […]
Dear Doc: Lately I have been reading a lot about “deep fakes”, which seem to be photos and videos that have been edited for propaganda purposes. Isn’t it against the law to do that? Why don’t the copyright police put an end to such deceptions so that the public may once again be able to […]
Dear Doc: As part of my profession, I often create things that I present to my clients. For example, I may create a floor plan or an interior design drawing. I may create renderings of what a project will look like when completed. I create bills of materials, supplier lists, written specifications, and all sorts […]
This week the European Parliament approved a controversial copyright law, the “Copyright Directive” (“Directive”), that may have serious implications for both providers and consumers of online content in Europe. While this may not be relevant to most of our readership, it may be an important testing ground for changes in US copyright law. For example, […]
In October 2018 we wrote about Anish Kapoor’s lawsuit against the National Rifle Association (“NRA”) for copyright infringement. You may recall that the NRA published a video called the “Clenched Fist of Truth,” a controversial video about the “liberal insurgency… destroying American Society.” In the video, were fleeting images of various sculptural and architectural works, […]
If one of your electronic car components fails or your cell phone dies, good luck getting it fixed or even diagnosed by a third party. Your auto mechanic may not have the tools to diagnose the problem (and can’t get them) and good luck finding a third party to repair your cell phone. Folks have […]
