Recent massive data breaches and notorious instances of misuse of data lit fires under privacy advocates, particularly in Europe and California. In our April, 2018 newsletter, we told you about the European Union’s sweeping new privacy program known as the ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ (GDPR), effective May 25, 2018. The GDPR changes the landscape for […]
Intellectual Property
On April 23, 2018, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided that Naruto, the monkey who took a selfie, lacked standing to bring a law suit in under the Copyright Act. “We must determine whether a monkey may sue humans, corporations, and companies for damages and injunctive relief arising from claims of copyright infringement. Our […]
Science and the Court: Let’s Get Educated
November 9, 2017
Intellectual Property, Litigation
In the recent argument before the US Supreme Court about gerrymandering, Gill v. Whitford, a mathematical formula was presented to the judges that requires adding together two numbers (“wasted” vote totals) and dividing the sum by a third number (the total number of votes cast.) This formula is called the “Efficiency Gap” and lawyers told the justices […]
Ask Dr. Copyright about What is Intellectual Property
September 22, 2017
Intellectual Property
Dear Doc: At times, you write about copyrights. At other times, you write about patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and other legal mumbo-jumbo. I’m confused. What’s all of that got to do with intellectual property? Signed, Inquiring Client Dear Inqy: Back in the dark ages, when the Doc passed the bar, things were pretty clear. […]
Doing Business Abroad? Be Prepared!
September 8, 2017
Intellectual Property
Many small to medium size businesses go to great pains to protect their intellectual property under United States law. It makes sense given that they, typically, do not sell their goods and services beyond our national frontier. So they register trademarks and patents with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), register copyrights with […]
Is Google Guilty of “Genericide”?
June 9, 2017
Intellectual Property, Trademark
Is Google Guilty of “Genericide”? Mr. Chris Gillespie must have thought he had a brilliant idea when he registered multiple domain names that included the term “Google,” such as “googledisney.com,” “googleBarackObama.net,” “Googlenewtvs.com” and others. Did he truly believe that Google would not sue him? Or was this part of a grander scheme? Think about the […]
Dear Doc: You often write complicated articles about interesting and esoteric matters of intellectual property law. How about something at a more basic level that I can share with my children to help them understand what copyright is all about? Signed, Loco Parentis Dear Loco (and which among us parents is not loco […]
Late Breaking News: Ghostbusters Prevails Over Day of the Dead After Initial Defeat If you’re a vodka connoisseur, you probably know that Dan Aykroyd of Saturday Night Live, the Blues Brothers, and Ghostbusters fame partnered with another artist and Globefill, Inc. to manufacture and market vodka packaged in a skull shaped bottle and labeled as Crystal […]
Trademark owners have a duty to defend their trademarks against possible and actual infringement. Ignore infringers and your trademark rights may evaporate. Defending trademarks, however, is a full time job and not for the weak of heart (or wallet). The beverage industry is a breeding ground of intellectual property disputes and trademark owners aggressively defend […]
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 […]