Law Commons^™

Real-Life Protection For Fictional Trademarks, Benjamin M. Arrow

Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Pragmatic Incrementalism Of Common Law Intellectual Property, Shyamkrishna Balganesh

All Faculty Scholarship

‘Common law intellectual property’ refers to a set of judge-made legal regimes that create exclusionary entitlements in different kinds of intangibles. Principally the creation of courts, many of these regimes are older than their statutory counterparts and continue to co-exist with them. Surprisingly though, intellectual property scholarship has paid scant attention to the nuanced law-making mechanisms and techniques that these regimes employ to navigate through several of intellectual property law’s substantive and structural problems. Common law intellectual property regimes employ a process of rule development that this Article calls ‘pragmatic incrementalism’. It involves the use of pragmatic and minimalist techniques …

The Pragmatic Incrementalism Of Common Law Intellectual Property, Shyamkrishna Balganesh

Vanderbilt Law Review

Intellectual property is today thought to be principally of statutory origin. Discussions of the subject invariably revolve around a close scrutiny of the federal statutes involved. Indeed, the frequency with which Congress amends the patent and copyright statutes seems to leave little doubt that it alone determines intellectual property's precise content and coverage.' Nevertheless, there exists a rather robust body of state law that is almost entirely the creation of state courts and is directed at creating entitlements in information, ideas, expression, goodwill, one's image, and other related intangibles. These rights regimes are in turn collectively referred to as "common …

Everything Is Connected, Kembrew Mcleod

Kembrew McLeod

The article discusses U.S. copyright law and the copyright clearance system, focusing on the author's documentary film "Copyright Criminals," which aired on Public Broadcasting System (PBS). It explores sampling and collage in audiovisual media, commenting on use of the practice by hip-hop group Public Enemy. Other topics include the Washington, D.C. Center for Social Media, intellectual property, and fair use. The author also examines his book "Freedom of Expression®: Resistance and Repression in the Age of Intellectual Property" and a prank in which he successfully copyrighted the phrase "Freedom of Expression"

Speech In The Role Of Fiduciary Law And Trust In The Twenty-First Century, Wendy J. Gordon

Scholarship Chronologically

As someone who is not a specialist in the area, I am grateful to be included in today's conference. I wanted to be here to mark the admiration I have for Professor Frankel. Like Ken Simons, I have benefited from Tamar's knowledge base which is both deep and wide, her lively and inexhaustible curiosity, her imagination, and the immense intellectual stimulation she inevitably provides. Her new book under discussion today reveals some of her extraordinary powers, in its skillful use of materials from sources as diverse as Hammurabi and Grotius, from histories ancient and modem, traditions religious and secular, and …

The Ninth Circuit Lands A "Perfect 10" Applying Copyright Law To The Internet, Robert A. Mcfarlane

Golden Gate University Law Review

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued three landmark decisions in 2007 that addressed how copyright protections apply to images that can be accessed over the Internet. Internet publisher Perfect 10 initiated these lawsuits based on allegations that its registered copyrights were infringed when unauthorized copies of its photographs appeared on third-party websites where they could be viewed, downloaded, and purchased without payment to Perfect 10. This Article briefly summarizes the facts of these three cases, explains the central holdings of each decision, and then concludes with a discussion of the collective impact that the three decisions have on enforcement …

Making Virtual Copyright Work, Matthew R. Farley

Law Student Publications

This Article proposes measures that attempt to strike the balance between creation and access. The virtual-world community is not likely to persevere with the little copyright protection it currently enjoys. Creativity will dwindle and the rich, energetic settings that make virtual worlds so attractive to businesses and entertainers will follow suit. At the same time, because much of the creativity in virtual worlds is derivative in nature, virtual creators are also unlikely to benefit from strong copyright protections. Therefore, current interpretation of copyright law must be revisited and revised before applying it to virtual worlds. Part I details virtual worlds …

Equity And Efficiency In Intellectual Property Taxation, Xuan-Thao Nguyen, Jeffrey A. Maine

Faculty Publications

This article evaluates the Current US income tax regime governing intellectual property by focusing on the traditional principles of tax policy - tax fairness and efficiency. It highlights the shortcomings of the current tax system in fulfilling both of these tenets.

Acta: Risks Of Third Party Enforcement For Access To Medicines, Brook K. Baker

Joint PIJIP/TLS Research Paper Series

In its current near-final draft form, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement [ACTA] being negotiated plurilaterally—and largely secretly—by a self-selected group of countries proposes to allow preliminary and final injunctive relief against third parties (third-party enforcement) to prevent infringement of intellectual property rights and/or to prevent infringing goods from entering into the channels of commerce. There is lingering uncertainty whether the relevant civil enforcement section will apply to the entire range of intellectual property rights or whether patents will be excluded. If patents are excluded, the dangers in ACTA would be reduced but not eliminated—new globalized forms of third-party enforcement would still …

Will Individuals Aboard The Cultural Pirate Ship Be Struck By The Acta's Cannon Ball?, Shalom Andrews

Joint PIJIP/TLS Research Paper Series

Combating internet piracy is a global challenge. Fundamentally, piracy lingers because it has become a culturally acceptable behaviour that is under-enforced. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is the latest enforcement measure aimed at sinking the pirate ship.

The first part of this paper will explore piracy as a cultural phenomenon and how it interacts with Australian civil and criminal law. Pirates, who have awareness that their plundering is wrong, convince themselves that: there are moral grounds for their escapades; there is a government conspiracy to reduce internet freedom; they are fighting globalisation by attacking the corporations who reap disproportionate booty, …

Strategies Under Pressure: Usa-China Copyright Dispute, Dexin Tian, Chin-Chung Chao

Communication Faculty Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the Chinese and American efforts in keeping the balance of innovation and copyright protection, with an emphasis on China’s strategies under Western, especially American pressure. The research findings are expected to enhance mutual efforts from the two countries to protect copyright and boost innovation and facilitate genuine communication between both sides in their decade-long intellectual property right (IPR) disputes.

Design/methodology/approach – For data collection, this study adopted in-depth interviews of 45 participants who were either copyright holders as publishers and authors, or ordinary consumers in China. Under the theoretical guidance …

Intellectual Property Law - Newcombe V. Adolf Coors Co., Nairi Chakalian

Golden Gate University Law Review

In Newcombe v. Adolf Coors Co., the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that a Major League baseball pitcher, retired for over thirty years, had valid publicity infringement claims against defendants who created an advertisement using a drawing of his stance. According to the court, a material factual issue existed as to whether the drawing of the stance in the advertisement conjured up images of the pitcher, even though the pitcher's face could not be identified from the drawing, and his name did not appear anywhere in the advertisement. Thus, the court found a subtle image …

Intellectual Property Law - Kendall-Jackson Winery V. E. & J. Gallo Winery, Rema M. Titcomb

Golden Gate University Law Review

In Kendall-Jackson v. Gallo,l the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that grape leaf designs on wine bottles are not protected as trademarks under the Lanham Trademark Act because of widespread use in the industry. Accordingly, the Ninth Circuit upheld the district court's decision to grant Gallo's summary judgment motion in favor of Gallo.

Intellectual Property Law - Dreamwerks Production Group, Inc. V. Skg Studio, Thomas J. Murphy

Golden Gate University Law Review

In Dreamwerks Production Group, Inc. v. SKG Studio the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit evaluated whether the trademarks "Dreamwerks" and "Dream Works" were likely to confuse the reasonable consumer. Traditionally, a well-known, senior trademark user will sue a lesser-known, junior trademark user in order to protect its goodwill and prevent customer confusion. In Dreamwerks, however, the parties' positions were reversed, with the lesser-known, senior user, Dreamwerks Production Group, suing the better-known, yet junior user, SKG Studio. The Ninth Circuit held that, like every other new company, SKG Studio was required to select a name that would …

Intellectual Property Law - Blockbuster Videos Inc. V. City Of Tempe, Mary L. Shapiro

Golden Gate University Law Review

In a matter of first impression, the United Sates Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in Blockbuster Videos, Inc. v. City of Tempe, considered whether section 1121(b) of the Lanham Act preempts a municipality's authority to require the alteration of a federally registered trademark. Based on the plain language of the statute, the court held that a local entity may not require the alteration of a trademark to enforce a zoning ordinance, though it may prohibit the display of the trademark.

Copyright Protection In Factual Compilations: Feist Publications V. Rural Telephone Service Company "Altruism Expressed In Copyright Law", Sherrie Callis

Golden Gate University Law Review

In the wake of Feist, copyright practitioners are scrambling to determine what it all means, and how best to protect their client's intellectual property rights and interests. While different views are presented, an expression of dismay is common. This note will address the question: are the copyright practitioners justified in their concern? Part I will outline the Constitutional underpinnings of copyright protection. More specifically, this Part will discuss the two theories underlying the case law in the circuit courts of appeal, including a discussion of their legal philosophies. Part II will examine the Court's decision in Feist. Part III will …

From Facts To Form: Extension And Application Of The Feist "Practical Inevitability" Test And Creativity Standard, Joseph P. Hart

Golden Gate University Law Review

This Note will analyze the results of extending the "practical inevitability" test and creativity standard in the holding of Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co. from works involving the compilation of facts to other works including computer programs, sculpture, signs, fabric patterns and chinaware patterns. It will also discuss the Copyright Office's review of copyright applications for functional objects. The Note will continue with an analysis of the ramifications of the policy of judicial deference to the Register of Copyright's decision on creativity when reviewing a copyright denial. It will conclude with a discussion of the judicial policy …

Security Interests In Intellectual Property: Recent Developments, Douglas C. Maclellan

Golden Gate University Law Review

This Note will examine the parameters of conflict in light of some recent cases addressing security interests in copyright, patent, and trademark. Part I will review the purpose and substance of the filing provisions of Article Nine. Part II will examine the scope of Article Nine's authority, particularly where it conflicts with the federal recordation provisions. Part III will analyze several recent cases to determine the present extent of Article Nine's authority. Part IV will discuss the need to reform the federal statutes to clarify the rights of parties in secured transactions in intellectual property.

In Re Dillon: Prima Facie Obviousness Of Chemical Claims, Gregory L. Bradley

Golden Gate University Law Review

After reviewing the facts of the Dillon case, this paper will illustrate, by analysis of prior caselaw, that Dillon has not revived the Hass-Henze doctrine of structural obviousness. Rather, Dillon will be revealed as having molded many years of sometimes inconsistent precedent into a coherent standard for prima facie obviousness. Subsequently, the legitimacy of the Dillon standard with respect to chemical compound, composition and process claims will be considered. Finally, the effect of Dillon on patent prosecution costs, and other policy considerations, will be discussed.

Public Interest Representation In Global Ip Policy Institutions, Jeremy Malcolm

Joint PIJIP/TLS Research Paper Series

This paper compares the institutional and procedural arrangements that a range of global institutions make for civil society representation and input into policy development processes on intellectual property issues. The context for this analysis comes from two sets of norms for multi-stakeholder public policy development that exist in other regimes of governance: those of the Aarhus Convention (for environmental matters), and those of the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society (for Internet governance). These global norms, along with the actual practices of the institutions involved in global governance of intellectual property rights, are then contrasted with the proposed new institutional …

Flouting The Elmo Necessity And Denying The Local Roots Of Interpretation: "Anthropology's" Quarrel With Acta And Authoritarian Ip Regimes, Alexander S. Dent

Joint PIJIP/TLS Research Paper Series

This paper uses an anthropological definition of culture to examine the intensification of intellectual property policing, coupled with an expansion of its definition. These are ACTA’s aims. I argue that acts of sharing lie at the root of communication; humans must share in order to learn. Furthermore, symbols change their meaning as they circulate in different cultural contexts. Therefore, in denying the fundamental importance of sharing and local interpretation, ACTA will not only fail spectacularly as a policy document. It will also fuel a “war” on file-sharers, users of generic medicines, and manufacturers, sellers, and buyers of imitative goods and …

Fish Or Fowl? The Nature Of Wto Dispute Resolution Under Trips, Anne Hiaring

Annual Survey of International & Comparative Law

This note discusses the procedure of dispute resolution in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The note goes on to discuss WTO disputes involving intellectual property to date and the possible impacts of the WTO dispute resolution procedures on the determination of substantive issues of intellectual property law, using dispute WS 160 involving the Fairness in Music Licensing Act, as an example. The note concludes that the same concerns about lack of due process and inability of amici to appear in the proceedings that cause concern in the environmental field are also causes of concern with respect to intellectual property rights …

Ipq; Summer 2010

IPQ; the Maryland IP Law Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Lawyers Acting Badly, Or Not? Misconduct In Ip Litigation: Recent Examples And The Questions They Raise, Lisa Dolak

College of Law - Faculty Scholarship

Misconduct in civil litigation is not a new phenomenon. Nor is it confined to particular types of cases. Because of their characteristic intensity. however, intellectual property cases may be more likely to inspire bad behavior than other types of cases. The associated pressures seem, on occasion, to lead litigants and trial lawyers to succumb to the temptation to step outside the bounds of vigorous advocacy.

Trial and appellate judges in a number of recent IP cases have wrestled with the issue of whether certain litigation tactics crossed the line between advocacy and abuse. For example, trial judges have recently rebuked …

Die Institutionalisierung Von Wissensbeständen In Österreich. Die Diskrepanz Zwischen Wirtschaftlicher Realität Und Politik (The Institutionalization Of Knowledge In Austria: Coming To Grips Between Economic Reality & Policy), Roya Ghafele

Roya Ghafele

The University Act 2002 redefines ownership structures over intellectual property in Austria, thus paving the way for enhanced knowledge transfer and knowledge commercialization from public research institutions. This study discusses the various featers of the different models of generating and leveraging knowledge. It does so, by explaining the characteristics of technology markets and assesses the strengths and weaknesses of proprietary versus open knowledge generation from a perspective of new institutional economics. Particular emphasis is being put on the preservation of the public interest, deemed particularly important in the context of publicly funded research. The paper concludes by offering a rough …

Accounting For Intellectual Property?, Roya Ghafele

Roya Ghafele

Accounting constitutes a very specific form of language, which is highly standardized, mathematical in nature and seeks to uniformly and systematically describe events while avoiding expressions of individual creativity or explicit political positions. In this sense, accounting is a social, cultural and historical artefact rather than a natural or technical phenomenon and can therefore be viewed as the decisive instrument to create and maintain imagined business communities. On the balance sheet, IP experiences a specific form of authorization. It is represented in the discourse of accounting by ‘intangibles’, an imprecise term associated with the increasingly observed ‘gap between the market …

Convergence And Incongruence: Trademark Law And Icann’S Introduction Of New Generic Top-Level Domains, Christine Haight Farley

Christine Haight Farley

This paper demonstrates how problematic convergences between Internet technology, the demands of a burgeoning e-market and trademark laws have created myriad issues in international governance of domain names. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the body that governs internet's infrastructure, recently approved a new policy that would allow it to accept applications for additional generic top-level domains (gTLDs). What ICANN contemplates is a uniform system to approve generic top level domains that is expected to have profound implications. Under this new plan anyone can apply for a new gTLD at any time and it could be literally …

Getting To Best Practices - A Personal Voyage Around Fair Use, Peter Jaszi

Articles in Law Reviews & Other Academic Journals

These days, I view fair use as a central feature of the law around our information ecology - its presence reminding us, from day to day, that there is more to copyright than maximization, and that innovation happens when the doctrinal settings are loose enough to permit a good deal of "play" (literally and figuratively) in the system. But before the mid-1990s I thought little about the fair use doctrine and did less. As I suspect may be true of other copyright lawyers of my generation (and the ones preceding it, I spent most of my professional career taking fair …

Ipq; Spring 2010

IPQ; the Maryland IP Law Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Particularizing Patent Pleading: Pleading Patent Infringement In A Post-Twombly World, Jonathan L. Moore

Law Student Publications

The Supreme Court's recent jurisprudence has reinvigorated the role of pleading in civil litigation. As a result, in order to survive a motion to dismiss, plaintiffs must now include more detailed allegations that demonstrate a plausible entitlement to relief. This article examines how these changes interact with the pleading requirements for patent infringement litigation. In recent years, the number of patent infringement lawsuits has increased dramatically, in part because of lax notice pleading requirements. This patent litigation explosion imposes exorbitant costs on defendants and has a detrimental effect on innovation. As courts begin to apply the new plausibility pleading regime, …