Law Commons^™

Distinguishing Literary Ideas And Expressions With Elements Of Alternate Worlds, Joshua Jeng

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

Copyrightability Of Leed-Certified Buildings: Approaching The Awcpa To Promote Green Architecture, Stephen Accursio Maniscalco

St. John's Law Review

(Excerpt)

Part I of this Note discusses green architecture, the history and structure of the LEED certification system, and the history and structure of the AWCPA. Part II discusses the approaches courts have taken in applying the AWCPA. Finally, Part III explores ways that LEED may affect courts’ analyses. It explains why and how courts may deny copyright protection in many elements of LEED-certified architectural works. It then proposes a reading of the AWCPA that will provide appropriate copyright protection to green buildings that are original in design. This Note argues that courts should not consider green market demands, the …

Locking Out Locke: A New Natural Copyright Law, Joseph A. Gerber

Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal

For decades lawyers, professors, philosophers, and law students have been trapped in an endless, two-sided debate regarding the justification for copyright law in the United States. On one side stand the utilitarians, who argue that modern American copyright law amounts to nothing more than positive law2 in the form of an economic incentive for authors to express themselves creatively. Natural law theorists, on the other hand, argue that there is some- thing more substantial behind the current copyright regime—that copyright is not merely a formulation of positive law, but a recogni- tion of philosophical principles of ownership inherent in the …

Intellectual Property Checklist For Marketing The Recording Artist Online, Amy J. Everhart

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

Copyright And Contract Law: Regulating User Contracts: The State Of The Art And A Research Agenda, Estelle Derclaye, Marcella Favale

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

The Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act At Twenty: Has Full Protection Made A Difference?, David E. Shipley

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

Scenes From The Copyright Office, Brian L. Frye

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Distance Education And Intellectual Property: The Realities Of Copyright Law And The Culture Of Higher Education, Michele J. Le Moal-Gray

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Redefining The Rico Statute: Potential Avenues For Improvement, David Scouten

Senior Honors Theses

The civil application of the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) has been misapplied by the lower courts, but the statute can be improved by incorporating elements that will make the statute a better tool for justice. It is evident from examining the procedural limitations of the statute and important case law that the securities fraud gap, terrorism financing, and difficulties for indirect victims are three critical subjects that need to be addressed by enhancing RICO. Flaws and shortcomings of the RICO statute have led to inconsistencies in court rulings. The expansive language of RICO can be limited to …

Lights! Camera! Infringement? Exploring The Boundaries Of Whether Fan Films Violate Copyrights, Jyme Mariani

Akron Intellectual Property Journal

This Thesis examines the situation that de los Rios and other fan filmmakers face because of the inherent conflict fan films have with the original author’s intellectual property rights. It outlines the culture and specifics of fan fiction and the different subgenres within it and their relationship with one another. This Thesis also traces the origins of fan films to gain a better understanding of why filmmakers create them and the potential legal battles that have developed over time. The potential legal issues discussed address the rights of the original author and how courts have interpreted copyright protection for individual …

Andy Warhol's Pantry, Brian L. Frye

Akron Intellectual Property Journal

This Article examines Andy Warhol’s use of food and food products as a metaphor for commerce and consumption. It observes that Warhol’s use of images and marks was often inconsistent with copyright and trademark doctrine, and suggests that the fair use doctrine should incorporate a “Warhol test.”

Food Patents: The Unintended Consequences, Jay Dratler Jr.

Akron Intellectual Property Journal

This short paper explores the unintended consequences of this strong economic incentive. The underlying assumptions of patent law and its economic incentive are that innovation is good, and newer is better. But is that always so? Science and history suggest maybe not, for some very fundamental reasons. And there are reasons to believe that the risks of unintended consequences of innovation in food may be more hazardous than those in other fields of innovation.

Copyright Protection: The Force Could Not Keep Han Solo Alive, But Can It Protect Him From Authors’ Derivative Works?, Micah Uptegrove

Missouri Law Review

This Note is meant to address the issues surrounding the rights copyright holders have in their characters and what rights they should be given. These existing rights are so valuable that it is likely that major companies such as Disney are going to continue to try to extend copyright duration; this method has worked repeatedly in the past to protect their fictional characters. The extension of copyright duration through statutes is an attempt to navigate the issue that the U.S. Constitution technically only allows for copyrights to be protected for a “limited time.” If companies such as Disney can get …

Some Key Things U.S. Entrepreneurs Need To Know About The Law And Lawyers, Lawrence J. Trautman, Anthony J. Luppino, Malika Simmons

Faculty Works

New business formation is a powerful economic engine that creates jobs. Diverse legal issues are encountered as a start-up entity approaches formation, initial capitalization and fundraising, arrangements with employees and independent contractors, and relationships with other third parties. The endeavors of a typical start-up in the United States will likely implicate many of the following areas of law: intellectual property; business organizations; tax laws; employment and labor laws; securities regulation; contracts and licensing agreements; commercial sales; debtor-creditor relations; real estate law; health and safety laws/codes; permits and licenses; environmental protection; industry specific regulatory laws and approval processes; tort/personal injury, products …

A Sui Generis System Of Protection For Exceptionally Original Fashion Designs

Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review

Despite the robust nature of the fashion industry, which has been largely unprotected by copyright, there is a clamor among certain sectors for stronger protection for fashion designs and the apparel manufactured from these designs. This article acknowledges that full-dress copyright protection is unnecessary, impracticable, and harmful; however, it proposes a middle-ground: a sui generis system of protection that only protects fashion designs and pieces of apparel that are exceptionally original, and does so only against other articles that are substantially identical.

This article provides a standard (“exceptionally original”) that will protect a fashion design only if it meets certain …

"If That's The Way It Must Be, Okay": Campbell V. Acuff-Rose On Rewind

Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review

The 1994 Supreme Court case Campbell v. Acuff-Rose established broad protections for parody in U.S. copyright law. While the case is well known, the facts behind the case are not. None of the three courts that heard the case were told that the alleged parody by 2 Live Crew appeared only on a “sanitized” version of the group’s controversial album. Thus the work had a heightened commercial purpose: filling up a meager album so that album could serve as a market stopgap for its controversial cousin. Although commercial purpose is a key factor in the fair use calculus, no court …

The Knottiest Problem: Unraveling Arising Under Jurisdiction In Copyright Cases, Zoe Niesel, Bethany A. Corbin

Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Scenes From The Copyright Office, Brian L. Frye

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

This essay uses a series of vignettes drawn from Billy Joel’s career to describe his encounters with copyright law. It begins by examining the ownership of the copyright in Joel’s songs. It continues by considering the authorship of Joel’s songs, and it concludes by evaluating certain infringement actions filed against Joel. This Essay observes that Joel’s encounters with copyright law were confusing and frustrating, but also quite typical. The banality of his experiences captures the uncertainty and incoherence of copyright doctrine.

Resolving Priority Disputes In Intellectual Property Collateral, Paul Heald

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

Redigi And The Resale Of Digital Media: The Courts Reject A Digital First Sale Doctrine And Sustain The Imbalance Between Copyright Owners And Consumers, Monica L. Dobson

Akron Intellectual Property Journal

Part II of this comment will explain the history of the first sale doctrine, observe how Congress has modified the doctrine over time, and examine how the courts have interpreted the doctrine in light of various technological innovations. Part III will address the problems associated with digital media and examine the concerns of both copyright owners and consumers surrounding a digital first sale doctrine. Part IV will discuss the recent federal district court case, Capitol Records, LLC v. ReDigi Inc., which dealt with the issue of the first sale doctrine’s applicability to digital media, and explain why the court …

Computer Bulletin Boards And The Green Paper, Timothy F. Bliss

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

Brief Amicus Curiae Of Eleven Copyright Law Professors In Princeton University Press V. Michigan Document Services, Inc, L. Ray Patterson

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

To Promote The Progress Of Science And Useful Arts: The Background And Origin Of The Intellectual Property Clause Of The United States Constitution, Edward C. Walterscheid

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

Toward More Universal Protection Of Intangible Cultural Property, Cathryn A. Berryman

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

Checks, Balance And Judicial Wizardry: Constitutional Delegation And Congressional Legislation, Robert I. Reis

Akron Intellectual Property Journal

Recent Supreme Court activity regarding "intellectual property" may lead some to believe the increase in cases has some further meaning beyond the decisions themselves. The interests they represent and the source of power to enact legislation in the field raise distinct issues that may inform of current judicial interest and concern. These don't necessarily delineate the constitutional role of the Court relative to the delegation under Article I, Section Eight, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution. A gathering of cases using conventional search resources and techniques yielded 666 patent cases and 73 copyright cases. This essay is not intended …

Threatening The Founding Ideal Of A Republic Of Letters: An Assessment Of The Supreme Court's Copyright Decisions Over The First Decade Of The Twenty-First Century, Susanna Frederick Fischer

Akron Intellectual Property Journal

Disregard for the social value of a modern Republic of Letters like that so revered by Madison and Jefferson is a conspicuous hallmark of the Supreme Court's recent copyright case law. The four decisions in which the Court has issued full opinions since 2001 (New York Times Co. v. Tasini (2001), Eldred v. Ashcroft (2003), MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd. (2005), and Reed Elsevier, Inc. v. Muchnick (2010)) indicate that a majority of the Court does not share with Jefferson and Madison a belief in the civic importance of protecting widespread public access to creative works and knowledge. …

Extending Copyright Misuse To An Affirmative Cause Of Action, Michael E. Rubinstein

Akron Intellectual Property Journal

This Comment will discuss the copyright misuse doctrine. Part I will introduce Redbox, explain how its business model functions, and describe the history between Redbox and the movie studios involved in the recent litigation. Part II will provide a history and background of the copyright misuse doctrine and how it has been applied in the various circuit courts that have adopted the doctrine. Part II will also touch upon the first sale doctrine, which will be applied to the litigation between Redbox and the studios. Part III will present a proposal for extending the copyright misuse doctrine into an affirmative …

What Blogging Might Teach About Cybernorms, Jacqueline D. Lipton

Akron Intellectual Property Journal

While the literature on social norms as online regulators has achieved some prominence in the cyberlaw area, there is still scant examination of particular online norms and of the ways in which norms interact with other forms of regulation. The aim of this article is to reverse that trend by providing a detailed examination of one apparently emerging norm in the blogosphere-the norm against "hijacking" a blog post by hyperlinking to another blog in the comment feed for the original blog post. For example, consider a situation where Blogger A posts her advice for cooking a souffle and allows readers …

How (Not) To Discourage The Unscrupulous Copyist, Peter Ludwig

Akron Intellectual Property Journal

This article explores how the U.S. and Japanese courts implement the doctrine of equivalents when determining patent infringement. The doctrine of equivalents is a balance of, on one hand, the public's interest to know the metes and bounds of the patent, and on the other hand, the private interest of the patentee to be granted a sufficient scope for the granted patent. After comparing and contrasting the implementation of the doctrine in Japan and the United States, I propose a new method that places the burden on the patent practitioner, before infringement proceedings begin, to determine the proper scope of …

Fashion Design Protection: The Eternal Plight Of The "Soft Sculpture", Kimberly A. Harchuck

Akron Intellectual Property Journal

This writing begs to answer the ninety-year-old question of whether or not fashion designs should be protected by law. In answering this question, Section II explores design protection in the United States and the actions taken for almost a full century in determining the legal protection of fashion. Section III discusses the many facets of fashion design, as information technology and art. Section IV reviews the evolution of copying, its benefits and detriments, and the theories proposing protection against copies. Section V addresses current U.S. intellectual property laws affecting fashion as well as the protections of individual European countries and …