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 […]
Dear Doc: Barry Pincus sang, “I write the songs” back in 1975. (You probably know Barry as Manilow. But Bruce Johnston (of Beach Boys fame) actually wrote “I Write the Songs”, and it was first recorded by The Captain and Tennille (who were more famous for “Muskrat Love” which, it seems, was a favorite of […]
The National Rifle Association (“NRA”) conjures up many things for many people: gun lobby, gun rights, 2nd Amendment, just to recite a few. It’s name, however, has rarely arisen in the intellectual property context until recently. Here is some background. One of Chicago’s famous public sculptures, “Cloud Gate”, affectionately known as the “Bean”, is an […]
Dear Doc: I heard that it may not be legal to take a photo of a city skyline, and to use that photo. Or maybe it is. Can you help me to understand what’s going on in the law? Signed, Insel IdimsDear Mr. Idims:You are correct. Two recent cases involving photographs of the Philadelphia and […]
