Postage Stamps, Public Artworks and Copyright Infringement Dear Doc: I’ve heard that when the Post Office makes a mistake in printing a stamp, they can really increase in value. I’ve also heard that the USPS made a whopper of a mistake that is headed for court soon. What can you tell me? Signed, Phil […]
Copyright
Dear Doc: I know that there’s a court case over whether a monkey that took a selfie can own the copyright in the photo (or whether there even is a copyright on it.) I just read that computers are learning how to write music, paint pictures, and do lots of things that we humans think are creative. Can […]
Can State Governments Own Rights in Copyright?
May 12, 2017
Copyright
I was browsing through my copy of the “Copyright Law of the United States,” which I purchased from the Government Printing Office some years ago. I noticed that inside the opening pages where you would normally find a copyright notice, the page contained a quote from the United States Constitution: The Congress shall have Power… […]
Dear Doc: I saw that the Charging Bull sculpture near Wall Street has a new “companion” sculpture called “Fearless Girl”, and that the artist who created the bull is none-too-happy about it. He says that the new sculpture changes the meaning of his sculpture from what he intended: “the strength and power of the American […]
Ask Dr. Copyright — Copyright Week
February 16, 2017
Ask Dr. Copyright, Copyright, Intellectual Property
Dear Doc: I heard that January 16-20, 2017 was “Copyright Week”. Wow! Most of us get one day a year to celebrate. How does it feel to get a whole week? Signed, Putative N. Fringer Dear Mr. Fringer: I must say, it feels pretty darn good! Just think…a whole week when millions […]
Amazon Gets More Serious About Infringers
February 9, 2017
Copyright, Intellectual Property, Trademark
If you sell branded products on Amazon.com, you may know that infringement is rampant. You put up a product, it gets popular, and all of a sudden, like a many-headed hydra, other sites spring up selling “your” product at reduced prices. Getting Amazon to remove infringing products can be a challenge even for IP lawyers […]
Common-Law Copyright Redux
January 5, 2017
Copyright
Two years ago we wrote about Floe & Eddie, Inc.’s, attempt to obtain royalties from SiriusXM for performances of the Turtle’s pre-February 1972 sound recordings. Floe & Eddie filed claims in California, New York, and Florida seeking to obtain royalties for performances of their recordings under state common law. You may recall that for pre-February 1972 sound […]
The Liberation of “We Shall Overcome”
December 15, 2016
Copyright
It’s crazy that a standard tune such as “Happy Birthday” sung by millions worldwide in a multitude of languages could actually be claimed “private property” subject to copyright protection. Now we learn that another famous song, “We Shall Overcome” is also subject to a copyright dispute. The New York Times has reported extensively on the […]
Ask Dr. Copyright … Are Fashion Designs Protectable?
December 8, 2016
Copyright
Dear Doc: RAH, RAH, REE, KICK ‘EM IN THE KNEE RAH, RAH, RASS, KICK ‘EM IN THE OTHER KNEE!!!!! YAAAAAAYYYYY! GO TEAM!!!!! Uh…oh yeah! I got a question… I know that clothes can’t be protected by registering a copyright in them, but what about all those fancy stripes, circles, and doodads on my little cheerleader […]
Ask Dr. Copyright — Plagiarism vs. Infringement
September 7, 2016
Copyright
Dear Doc: I was, for reasons I do not want to explain, watching the Republican National Convention on television. I watched Malania Trump’s speech about her husband, THE DONALD, and thought that it was a very good speech, especially for someone who speaks five languages. It sounded pretty familiar, but it was not until I […]