Intellectual Property Law Commons^™

Is There Ever A Reason To Know? A Comparison Of The Contributory Liability "Knowledge" Standard For Websites Hosting Infringed Trademarked Content Versus Infringed Copyrighted Content, Rachel N. Agress

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

The doctrines of contributory copyright liability and contributory trademark liability are both based on the confluence of basic tort liability and the policy goal of encouraging innovation and commerce. Because the two concepts sometimes conflict, courts have struggled to create a comprehensive body of law to reach a reconciliation. The doctrine of contributory copyright liability evolved through a rich body of case law that was subsequently supplemented by the legislatively enacted Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). In contrast, the doctrine of contributory trademark liability is a purely common law doctrine and has not witnessed legislative intervention. This article posits that …