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Articles 1 - 21 of 21
Full-Text Articles in Law
That Thing Ain't Human: The Artificiality Of "Human Authorship" And The Intelligence In Expanding Copyright Authorship To Fully-Autonomous Ai, Ernest Oleksy
Cleveland State Law Review
The U.S. Copyright Review Board (the "Board") decided that works entirely created by fully-autonomous artificial intelligence ("AI") are not entitled to copyright protections. The Board based its decision on a copyrightability requirement referred to as “human authorship.” However, the Copyright Act of 1976 (the "Act") never mentions a “human” requirement to copyright authorship, nor do most of the Board’s cited authorities. Denying authorship to intellectually-impressive and economically-valuable works under a poorly-established legal subelement is antithetical to copyright law’s history and to Congress’s constitutional mandate to “promote . . . [the] useful [a]rts . . . .” It leaves creators who …
Problems In The Copyright Industry: Making The Case For A Corrected Case Act, Megan Grantham
Problems In The Copyright Industry: Making The Case For A Corrected Case Act, Megan Grantham
Et Cetera
In 2020, Congress passed the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act, which established a small claims court system within the United States Copyright Office, called the Copyright Claims Board. This new board hears cases of copyright violations involving damages of $30,000 or less. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on December 27, 2020, and the board officially began hearing claims in June 2022. This was meant to benefit smaller creators who do not have the means to pursue their copyright claims in costly federal court. While small or independent creators should indeed have access to a means of …
Overdressed & Underprotected: The Not-So Glamorous Side Of The United States Fashion Industry Without Explicit Copyright Protection, Anna Huttner
Cleveland State Law Review
The complexity of fashion designs goes far beyond what is currently trending in Vogue. Intellectual property laws should seek to provide designers with an opportunity to completely protect their work, as well as ensure that fashion designers’ designs will not be replicated and sold for a fraction of the price. Inherent limitations with alternate forms of intellectual property protection emphasize the need for a bright-line rule for copyright protection over fashion designs. To best protect new designers and small brands within the U.S. fashion industry, there must be a standard that explicitly includes and defines accessibility to copyright protection …
America's Broken Copyright Law: How Marvel And Sony Sparked Public Debate Surrounding The United States' "Broken" Copyright Law And How Congress Can Prevent A Copyright Small Claims Court From Making It Worse, Izaak Horstemeier-Zrnich
America's Broken Copyright Law: How Marvel And Sony Sparked Public Debate Surrounding The United States' "Broken" Copyright Law And How Congress Can Prevent A Copyright Small Claims Court From Making It Worse, Izaak Horstemeier-Zrnich
Cleveland State Law Review
Following failed discussions between Marvel and Sony regarding the use of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, comic fans were left curious as to how Spider-Man could remain outside of the public domain after decades of the character’s existence. The comic community came to realize that Marvel was restricted in the use of its own character because of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 and the Supreme Court’s decision in Eldred v. Ashcroft. This realization sparked an online conversation regarding the United States’ lengthy copyright terms, and what many refer to as a “broken” copyright system. …
Sight And Sound In The Legal Writing Classroom: Engaging Students Through Use Of Contemporary Issues, Karin M. Mika
Sight And Sound In The Legal Writing Classroom: Engaging Students Through Use Of Contemporary Issues, Karin M. Mika
Law Faculty Articles and Essays
Using the Fair Use Act as the basis of a research problem done in conjunction with YouTube music videos presents a variety of ways to demonstrate the range of situations in which the Fair Use Act might apply. Karin Mika discusses ways to force students to think in depth about various scenarios while comparing and contrasting them. As an example, when comparing two similar musical compositions using a Fair Use factor analysis, one need only concentrate on the notes and the various choruses in the songs. However, when combining a song with a video, the nature of the composition changes. …
The Tangled Web Of Plagiarism Litigation: Sorting Out The Legal Issues, Ralph D. Mawdsley
The Tangled Web Of Plagiarism Litigation: Sorting Out The Legal Issues, Ralph D. Mawdsley
Law Faculty Articles and Essays
The purpose of this article is to explore the increasing complexity of plagiarism litigation in the United States. A determination as to when attribution is necessary in order to avoid a charge of plagiarism raises questions of intent and subject matter specific questions of general knowledge, as well as constitutional and contractual questions of fairness, tort questions of defamation, and questions of fair use under copyright law or misrepresentation under the Lanham Act. Most of the reported cases still involve students who contest discipline from their respective academic institutions--discipline that can range from a course penalty to expulsion from the …
Brief Amici Curiae Of The Progressive Intellectual Property Law Association And The Union For The Public Domain In Partial Support Of Petitioners, Eldred V. Ashcroft, 537 U.S. 186 (2003), Michael H. Davis
Law Faculty Briefs and Court Documents
This case affords this Court a unique opportunity to do more by doing less. Judicial restraint generally impels this Court to decide only essential constitutional issues. Here the issues are uniquely situated so that the decision of only one issue—that of retrospective extensions—will do far more than merely defer the remaining issue of prospective extensions, but will render that issue permanently beyond any need of judicial review. If this Court decides that retrospective extensions are unconstitutional, it will not only be able to avoid deciding the other issue today of whether a prospective extension violates the “limited times” Constitutional provision3 …
Extending Copyright And The Constitution: "Have I Stayed Too Long", Michael H. Davis
Extending Copyright And The Constitution: "Have I Stayed Too Long", Michael H. Davis
Law Faculty Articles and Essays
On October 27, 1998, President Clinton signed into law the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, Pub. L. No. 105-298, 112 Stat. 2827 (hereinafter the “Bono Law”). The Bono Law extended the term of copyright protection by an additional twenty years, both prospectively and retrospectively. The former is probably constitutionally proper; the latter is almost certainly forbidden by the Constitution's copyright clause. But most criticism5 has not forcefully distinguished between retrospective as opposed to prospective extension and so far has failed to convince either Congress or the courts of any constitutional infirmity. This is because most critics agree-or …
The Screenwriter's Indestructible Right To Terminate Her Assignment Of Copyright: Once A Story Is 'Pitched' A Studio Can Never Obtain All Copyrights In The Story, Michael Henry Davis
The Screenwriter's Indestructible Right To Terminate Her Assignment Of Copyright: Once A Story Is 'Pitched' A Studio Can Never Obtain All Copyrights In The Story, Michael Henry Davis
Law Faculty Articles and Essays
It is probably not quite fraud, though it comes terribly close to it, when motion picture and television production companies convince their writers to part with the rights to their stories when they sign with the companies. Despite contracts that claim the writer has no rights to the resulting script (either because the author has assigned his rights “in perpetuity” or because he has agreed to produce a “workfor hire”), U.S. copyright law provides many authors, perhaps the vast majority of them, with a future right that cannot be lost and can always be regained, irrespective of any written contract …
Year 2000 Hurdles And Controversies, Michael D. Schindler
Year 2000 Hurdles And Controversies, Michael D. Schindler
Cleveland State Law Review
This article examines the hurdles and controversies of the Year 2000 problem. First, some background on the "Millennium Bug" explains the nature of the problem, how to fix it, and what it will cost. Next, the article discusses recent Year 2000 litigation. Then the article suggests that companies should implement a legal strategy to avoid potential liability by performing a legal audit of the Year 2000 problem. Additionally, the UCC and case law analysis are used to explain possible causes of action and who the plaintiffs and defendants will be. Other key legal issues analyzed are SEC disclosure requirements, insurance …
The Unauthorized Dissemination Of Celebrity Images On The Internet ... In The Flesh, Navin Katyal
The Unauthorized Dissemination Of Celebrity Images On The Internet ... In The Flesh, Navin Katyal
Cleveland State Law Review
This paper will explore and analyze the unauthorized use and dissemination of celebrity images over the Internet as a violation of the copyrights of either the celebrity themselves, or the cinematographic' rights of the film production studio(s). The analysis will focus on the Copyright Act of both Canada and the United States and will be covered in three parts. Part I will define the basic nomenclature of the Internet and explain the applicability of copyright law to the Internet. Part II will focus on methods in which the celebrity and film studio can protect their copyright 'On-line' through the American-defined …
The Effect Of Lilly V. Medtronics On The Scope Of 35 Usc 271(E)(1): The Patent Infringement Exemption - Broad Or Narrow, Ajay S. Pathak
The Effect Of Lilly V. Medtronics On The Scope Of 35 Usc 271(E)(1): The Patent Infringement Exemption - Broad Or Narrow, Ajay S. Pathak
Journal of Law and Health
This article undertakes to examine, critically, the case history, legislative history, and the construction of sections 101, 201, and 202 of the Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 in an effort to analyze the Supreme Court's recent decision in Lilly v. Medtronics and to discern how the scope of section 271(e)(1) is likely to be treated in future cases in light of that recent Supreme Court decision.
The Rejection Of Executory Contracts Under The Intellectual Property Bankruptcy Protection Act Of 1988, John J. Fry
The Rejection Of Executory Contracts Under The Intellectual Property Bankruptcy Protection Act Of 1988, John J. Fry
Cleveland State Law Review
In October of 1988, Congress enacted the Intellectual Property Bankruptcy Protection Act. The Act is intended to "promote the development and licensing of intellectual property by providing certainty to licensees in situations where the licensor files bankruptcy and seeks to reject the license as an executory contract by providing the licensee an "assurance of being able to continue to use the licensed intellectual property after rejection, while debtors/licensors will still be able to free themselves of burdensome obligations." The Act adds a new subsection to 11 U.S.C. §365 which allows the licensee of intellectual property under an executory contract to …
Righting The Titled Scale: Expansion Of Artists' Rights In The United States, Colleen P. Battle
Righting The Titled Scale: Expansion Of Artists' Rights In The United States, Colleen P. Battle
Cleveland State Law Review
This Note focuses on the expansion of artists' rights in the United States, specifically the moral rights of paternity and integrity. It explores the history of judicial denial of moral rights and the attempt to gain protection through traditional causes of action. The Note then analyzes barriers to adoption of the moral rights doctrine, with emphasis on the challenge to traditional property concepts. The California Art Preservation Act of 1980 and the 1984 Artists' Authorship Act of New York are discussed and evaluated. This Note recommends adoption of the California statute as the model for future artists' rights legislation and …
The Emergence Of Art Law, James J. Fishman
The Emergence Of Art Law, James J. Fishman
Cleveland State Law Review
It is the purpose of this Article to examine the practical and legal origins of the field of art law, and to highlight principal legal questions which are of significant concern to the visual artist.
The Film Collector, The Fbi, And The Copyright Act, Francis M. Nevins Jr.
The Film Collector, The Fbi, And The Copyright Act, Francis M. Nevins Jr.
Cleveland State Law Review
We are presently in the early middle stages of a media revolution which will reach its climax when films, in one form or another, will be found in people's homes and under consumers' control in much the same way as books and phonograph records. Although the availability of home videotaping equipment represents a giant step forward in the process, the revolution began long before the invention of the Betamax. For well over twenty years hobbyist film collectors, currently between 20,000 and 120,000 in number, have been purchasing sixteen and thirty-five millimeter prints of both copyrighted and public domain films, and …
Cable, Copyright, Communications: Controversy, Lee Fisher, Sam Salah
Cable, Copyright, Communications: Controversy, Lee Fisher, Sam Salah
Cleveland State Law Review
This Note will examine the efforts of the courts, the legislature, and the Federal Communications Com-mission (FCC) to apply the Copyright Act of 1909 to the technological developments of the twentieth century. It is submitted that the significance of Teleprompter lies not in the Court's determination that there was no copyright infringement -for that finding will soon be negated by upcoming copyright law revision -but in the inability of the Court to discard past inflexible and unrealistic approaches to the 1909 Copyright Act. Offered is a different method of viewing cable communications in terms of the Copyright Act, which recognizes …
Common Law Copyright, And Conversation, Frank J. Nawalanic
Common Law Copyright, And Conversation, Frank J. Nawalanic
Cleveland State Law Review
Assume that "A" is a well known author and literary figure and that "B" is an author in his own right, but far less known than "A". "A" and "B" meet socially and engage in a stimulating conversation wherein thoughts and ideas are freely expressed and conclusions drawn. Sometime thereafter, "B" publishes excerpts from this conversation and "A" strongly desires to prevent such from being published and receiving publicity. To prevent publication of their conversation, "A" could proceed against "B" under several different causes of action. He could possibly allege breach of a fiduciary relationship, breach of implied contract, invasion …
Music And Law: Copyrighting A Musical Idea, Irving B. Marks, Robert M. Phillips
Music And Law: Copyrighting A Musical Idea, Irving B. Marks, Robert M. Phillips
Cleveland State Law Review
The law of music copyright, although now quite old, is still relatively young in its development and refinement when compared to other segments of the copyright law. The impediment in its progress is partially due to the technicalities inherent in the discipline itself, and also to the lack of musical sophistication on the part of most law making bodies. Modern day electronic developments in recording and storing sound will do much to facilitate and broaden the scope of the law. Its implementation through a Music-Legal Board of Experts could be the effective step needed in order to overcome the present …
Copyright And Design Patents - The Common Zone Between, Albert P. Sharpe Iii
Copyright And Design Patents - The Common Zone Between, Albert P. Sharpe Iii
Cleveland State Law Review
The overlapping of our present-day Copyright and Design Patent Laws, apparently initially created by random legislative development and recently aggravated by the decision of the Supreme Court in Mazar v. Stein, has resulted in a legal morass of substantial proportions. The purpose of this paper is to explore briefly the influence which gave rise to this situation, to discuss the present state of the law and its practical impact upon the practicing patent advocate, and finally to review and evaluate proposed legislation, past and present, in an effort to determine the possible course of future developments.
Enforcement Of Intellectual Property Rights, Albert R. Teare
Enforcement Of Intellectual Property Rights, Albert R. Teare
Cleveland State Law Review
Wrongful use or appropriation of the property of another is a tort. The owner of a patent has a remedy by civil action for infringement of his patent, and the District Courts of the United States have original jurisdiction of any civil action arising under any act of Congress relating to patents, trademarks and copyrights.