Law Commons^™

Contracts, Copyright And Preemption In A Digital World, I Trotter Hardy

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Copyright is designed to provide some form of protection against unauthorized use of original informational materials. The rapid shift of information production and distribution to electronic form, with its corresponding ease of copying, naturally makes copyright-dependent industries nervous. Much talk in the news and on the "net" these days is about the future of copyright law, a law developed in an age of print and now perhaps too tied to that medium to have ready application to today's information technology.

Multimedia Computing: Copyright Law's "Last Stand", Steven Pepe

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Interactive Computing: Joint Work Status For User And Programmer, Michelle Lynn Birnbaum

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Unconscious And The Law The Law And The Unconscious, Jorge Degregorio

Cardozo Law Review

The god Apollo, whose diverse gifts included the ability to interpret dreams, was recognized as the first author of the law, which was dictated through his oracle in Delphi. For his sacred person, dreams were laws and laws, dreams. Let us invent a story in order to fill in the missing pages of the myth:

Laws, as well as the power to decipher the soul's mysteries from dreams, were bestowed upon the Androgyns by the god. Once they acquired the power of law and of dream interpretation, they attempted to scale Olympus and sit on the gods' stage. Zeus, presiding …

Drawing The Boundary Between Copyright And Contract: Copyright Preemption Of Software License Terms, Maureen A. O'Rourke

Faculty Scholarship

The Copyright Act of 19761 (the "Act") sought to clarify the boundary between federal and state enforcement of proprietary rights in works of authorship by specifically addressing federal preemption of state law causes of action in § 301 of the Act. Unfortunately, § 301 is not a model of clarity, and its legislative history is also cloudy. Consequently, the courts have had some difficulty in formulating consistent decisional guidelines in preemption cases. This difficulty has perhaps been most evident in cases in which the particular preemption issue is based not on a state statute but on state enforcement of private …

Assertive Modesty: An Economics Of Intangibles, Wendy J. Gordon

Faculty Scholarship

At the center of our Symposium stand two papers: "A Manifesto Concerning the Legal Protection of Computer Programs" (Manifesto) and "Legal Hybrids: Between the Patent and Copyright Paradigms" (Legal Hybrids). Both are stimulating. Both are lengthy. As a result, my primary role is that of a guide: this Comment will summarize the authors' proposals, analyze certain aspects in greater detail, and outline their explicit and implicit methodologies. Part I of the Comment describes the papers' positions and methodologies. Part II highlights some of the papers' many contributions to the literature, and offers some other evaluative observations.

The Uncertain Future Of Computer Software Users’ Rights In The Aftermath Of Mai Systems, Michael E. Johnson

Duke Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Arts As A Cultural And Economic Factor In World Trade, Stanley S. Madeja

Northern Illinois University Law Review

The author begins by reviewing the cultural vision reflected in the United Nations Charter. The author analyzes the growth and development in the arts and arts industry since 1945, and discusses the arts as both an economic force in the United States and as a commodity in world trade. The author concludes with a discussion regarding ownership of the arts and culture, intellectual property rights, and copyrights in the field of electronic imaging.

Mickey Mouse Emeritus: Character Protection And The Public Domain, Jessica Litman

University of Miami Entertainment & Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

Licensing And Merchandising Of Characters: Art Law Topic For Aals 1994, Phillip Edwards Page

University of Miami Entertainment & Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Methuselah Factor: When Characters Outlive Their Copyrights, Leslie A. Kurtz

University of Miami Entertainment & Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

Payment Demands For Spurious Copyrights: Four Causes Of Action, Paul J. Heald

Scholarly Works

“COPYING IS ILLEGAL” declares the final page of the chorus from the Bach cantata lying to the right of my computer. The slogan is ingeniously printed in gray across the entire page so that it will show up clearly if any photocopies are made. The first page of the text contains the copyright symbol and the name and address of the “sole selling agent” of the putative copyright owner. Apparently, the copyright claimant would prefer to sell additional copies of the music rather than receive royalties for copying done by users. “ALL COPYING IS ILLEGAL” states the edition of Shakespeare's …

Overview Of Potential Intellectual Property Protection For Biotechnology, Kate H. Murashige

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Murashige compares the function and value of copyright, patent and trade secret laws in recovering investments in developing genome-related biotechnology.

Stolen From Stardust And Air: Idea Theft In The Entertainment Industry And A Proposal For A Concept Initiator Credit, Robert M. Winteringham

Federal Communications Law Journal

In the entertainment industry idea theft is rampant. Because copyright protects only fixed expressions, a legal remedy does not always exist to stop the unattributed and unrewarded use of plot ideas. By incorporating elements from existing copyright and contract law, this Note proposes the creation of a "concept initiator" credit to protect fully developed ideas even where copyright cannot attach. The Author argues that the credit and the three-part test to determine when the credit applies will protect ideas from theft without drastically increasing the number of frivolous lawsuits.

Avtorskoye Pravo [Author's Law]: The Reform Of Russian Copyright Law Toward An International Standard, Christopher Boffey

Maryland Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

Digital Image Reproduction, Distribution And Protection: Legal Remedies And Industrywide Alternatives, Jonathan A. Franklin

Librarians' Articles

Section II of this article describes the existing legal claims and remedies available to creators and distributors of stock photos who are confronted with the unauthorized use of their images. Section III discusses the alternatives to individual licensing and enforcement actions. After concluding that a centralized computer distribution and accounting system would best'serve the creators and distributors, section IV suggests how existing industry standards can help tailor the implementation of the collecting society model. Section V briefly discusses the international implications of such a distribution scheme, focusing on the problems of variable copyright terms and foreign collecting societies.

This article …

Note: The Copyrightability Of Nonliteral Elements Of Computer Programs, Julian Velasco

Journal Articles

The goal of copyright law is "[t]o promote the Progress of Science and Useful Arts." It is premised on the assumption that "encourag[ing] . . . individual effort by personal gain is the best way to advance public welfare through the talents of authors . . ." In order to "promote progress," however, copyright law must respond to changes in technology.

One issue that has been problematic for the courts is whether and to what extent the nonliteral elements of computer programs are copyrightable. Nonliteral elements are aspects of the computer program other than the written code itself. Although it …

Digital Image Reproduction, Distribution And Protection: Legal Remedies And Industrywide Alternatives , Jonathan A. Franklin

Santa Clara High Technology Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Proprietary Rights In Digital Data, Maureen A. O'Rourke

Faculty Scholarship

The Clinton Administration in 1993 announced its intention to develop a National ; Information Infrastructure (NII), an "information superhighway" designed to make electronic digital information more widely available and accessible to the public. This announcement has . ~ stimulated a national debate over how best to define and enforce an appropriate set of proprietary rights in digital information. That debate should begin with an analysis and assessment of the current state of the law of digital data. While that law resembles a moving target, general trends may be identified. The current framework provides the background against which NIL may be …

What's Art Got To Do With It?, Wendy J. Gordon

Scholarship Chronologically

I would like to thank the Cardozo LR for their invitation to speak, and all those who have taken the time to discuss this issue w[ith] me in the recent past, including my commentator Marci Hamilton. I also thank the audience for its attendance and attention, and I look forward to the criticisms/reactions from all of you and from Prof Hamilton.

The Joint Work Dilemma: The Separately Copyrightable Contribution Requirement And Co-Ownership Principle, Nancy Perkins Spyke

University of Miami Entertainment & Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

Campbell V. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., And The Economic Approach To Parody: An Appeal To The Supreme Court, Joseph E. Sullivan

University of Miami Entertainment & Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

Banning The Cultural Exclusion: Free Trade And Copyrighted Goods, Stacie I. Strong

Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law

No abstract provided.

Copyright And "The Exclusive Right" Of Authors, L. Ray Patterson

Scholarly Works

The purpose of this essay is to define and explore the meaning of "the exclusive Right" in the Intellectual Property Clause of the United States Constitution as related to the promotion of learning, the public domain, and authors. Without a clear understanding of this key term, one is likely to be unaware that lower federal courts are continually making rulings contrary to both the Copyright Clause and the Copyright Act. The classic example is the judicially created sweat-of-the-brow copyright, which in 1991 -- after seventy-five years of precedent -- the Supreme Court decreed to be unconstitutional. Other bad precedents, such …

Copyright In Legal Documents, David Vaver

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Original legal documents and forms have long enjoyed copyright protection. After looking at Commonwealth and U.S. decisions, the author discusses the nature, extent, and desirability of protection. An examination of the technicalities of copyright protection reveals a law drafted in broad generalities and ill-suited to respond adequately to the common practices arising from this class and, by implication, other classes of creative work. The author concludes by suggesting practical ways in which legislators, lawyers, and judges can solve some of the copyright problems generated through the use of legal documents.

Byte After Byte, The Courts Nibble Away At Copyright Protection Of Software, Virginia Ann Johnson

Georgia State University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Recent Developments In Copyright Protection For Computer Software In The United States And Japan, Yutaka Nakamura

Washington International Law Journal

Many current legal issues pertaining to copyright of computer software involve defining the scope of protection of non-literal expression, such as "user interface" and "look and feel," in contrast to literal expression, such as "source code," to which ownership may be more clearly attributed. Superficially, it appears that the case law pertaining to non-literal expression is developing differently in Japan and the United States. This comment demonstrates that, however, while Japanese and U.S. courts have been applying formally different analytical criteria, the decisions of both have been similar in seeking equity-oriented solutions.

Past And Current Trends In The Evolution Of Design Protection Law – A Comment, J.H. Reichman

Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Trends And Developments In The European Community Affecting The Motion Picture Industry, Bernard R. Sorkin

Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Status Of Certain Recent Copyright Developments In The European Community, Joachim Fleury

Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.