Intellectual Property Law Commons^™

The Right To Creative Illegitimacy: Art And The Fallacy Of Proprietary Legitimation, John Baldacchino

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

When we speak of the arts, and more so when one engages with the arts as a practitioner in their various contexts, the questions of legitimacy and legitimation take a very different turn. This spans across a wide horizon, whether it is that of art-making in the studio; of showing in the gallery; of performing in the hall; or of teaching, learning and unlearning in schools, colleges or universities.

To start with, one needs to understand and find a way of differentiating between legitimacy and legitimation. Legitimacy implies a degree of conformity, whether it is with the law, agreed rules, …

Joutsing At Windmills: Cervantes And The Quixotic Fight For Authorial Control, H. Parkman Biggs

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Achieving the appropriate balance between the right of first authors to control the later use of their work and freedom for follow-on authors to further develop from that text has long been challenging. Currently, under United States law in particular, fair use stands as a nebulous to buffer between the two creative camps, granting a significantly limited right to the second author to work from the first authors’ text. While that tension excites its own debate, a less considered aspect of this tension involves the degree to which the first author might be creatively and productively affected by the follow-on …

Congress Does Not Hide Elephants In Mouse-Holes: How Vimeo Paid No Heed To That Caution, Mitch Bailey

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

With the passage of the 1976 Copyright Act, sound recordings fixed prior to February 15, 1972 remained under the protection of the state copyright laws where the works were registered. Some incredible culturally significant songs were fixed before February 15, 1972, including songs from “The Beatles, The Supremes, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Barbara Streisand, and Marvin Gaye.” To date, state law protects the owner’s rights without interference from federal law, including the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”).

Given its location, the Second Circuit significantly influenced the development of intellectual property law in the United States, especially copyright law. Many businesses …

2017 Annual Survey: Recent Developments In Sports Law, Jordan Lysiak, Katherine Hampel

Marquette Sports Law Review

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Index: Sports Law In Law Reviews And Journals, Jordan Lysiak

Marquette Sports Law Review

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From Satirical To Satyrical: When Is A Joke Actionable?, Sandra Davidson Scott

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

This Article was selected from Volume 13, Number 2 of the Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal. In light of President Donald Trump’s threats to change the current libel law, this Article was selected to address topics including Jerry Falwell’s unsuccessful suit against Hustler magazine, the public figure/private person distinction, commercial appropriation for name and likeness, and the opinion/fact distinction. The Article concludes that courts show more sensitivity to commercial than personal injury and fail to appreciate that satire can damage reputation by raising suspicions that statements are based on facts that are merely stretched.

Moral Rights For Musical Compositions In The United States:It’S Not Just Fair, It’S An Obligation, Becca E. Davis

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

This paper seeks to establish that the United States has a quasi-obligation to enact comprehensive moral rights legislation to remain compliant with the minimum protection standards set forth by the Berne Convention of 1886. In order to alleviate the anticipated economic and societal concerns stemming from this idea, this paper presents musical compositions as the initial work of authorship to receive moral rights, gradually easing the United States’ transition into full compliance with the Berne Convention. Part I of this paper will cover a brief history of music law in the United States, focusing on how the exclusive rights granted …

Lookalike Logos: Is A High School's Use Of A Logo Or Insignia Similar To That Of A University A Violation Under The Lanham Act, Keegan Girodo

Marquette Sports Law Review

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Online Piracy Of Live Sports Telecasts In India, Seemantani Sharma

Marquette Sports Law Review

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Index: Sports Law In Law Reviews And Journals, Jordan Lysiak

Marquette Sports Law Review

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Intellectual Property In Experience, Madhavi Sunder

Michigan Law Review

In today’s economy, consumers demand experiences. From Star Wars to Harry Potter, fans do not just want to watch or read about their favorite characters— they want to be them. They don the robes of Gryffindor, flick their wands, and drink the butterbeer. The owners of fantasy properties understand this, expanding their offerings from light sabers to the Galaxy’s Edge®, the new Disney Star Wars immersive theme park opening in 2019.Since Star Wars, Congress and the courts have abetted what is now a $262 billion-a-year industry in merchandising, fashioning “merchandising rights” appurtenant to copyrights and trademarks that give fantasy owners …

New York Right Of Publicity Law: Panel Discussion, Kevin Goering, Justin Hughes, Mary Lafrance, Jennifer Rothman, Nathan Siegel, Nancy Wolff, Jeremy Sheff

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Fair Use & Fair Play: Olympic Marketing In The Information Age, Alex Locke

Cardozo International & Comparative Law Review

The note critiques the overreach of intellectual property protections surrounding the Olympics, which have led to hyperlitigation, stifled public engagement, and disproportionately harmed smaller entities while benefiting large corporations. It proposes reforming the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act by incorporating a fair use framework, modeled after the Copyright Royalty Board, to balance intellectual property enforcement with public participation and transparency. This approach aims to address the challenges posed by ambush marketing and sponsorship protection in the modern media landscape while ensuring equitable opportunities for all stakeholders.

The 'Blurred Lines' Of Marvin Gaye's 'Here, My Dear': Music As A Tortious Act, Divorce Narrative And First Amendment Totem, Bryan Adamson

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Progress Or Profit: Reconsidering The Shortened Statutory Period Scheme, Max Stul Oppenheimer

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Right Of Publicity: Privacy Reimagined For New York?, Jennifer Rothman

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Musical Innovation's Sworn Enemy: The Infringer, Stuart Anello

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Law, Visual Art, And Money, Lydia Pallas Loren

Lewis & Clark Law Review

This Essay explores areas where law and art interact, and where, it seems, money changes things. It discusses three areas of the law that encourage the creation of visual art, starting with the basic combination of property and contract, and moving to the more targeted law of copyright and, finally, the law specifically aimed at the visual arts: the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA). The Essay then takes up the task of exploring the ways in which both the rights and protections offered by VARA and by copyright law are affected by commercial exploitation of visual artworks. It also examines …

All For Copyright Stand Up And Holler! Three Cheers For Star Athletica And The U.S. Supreme Court's Perceived And Imagined Separately Test, David E. Shipley

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Creating A More Permissive Patentability Standard Under Language From The Tpp, Ryan Thorne

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Safe Harbors And The Evolution Of Online Platform Markets: An Economic Analysis, T. Randolph Beard, George S. Ford, Michael Stern

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

When a pirated version of a copyrighted work is shared over the Internet, many online intermediaries may participate, exposing these firms to liability through legal concepts such as direct, contributory and vicarious infringement. Safe harbors largely shield intermediaries from "crippling liability" in return for cooperative action on infringing materials. Yet, digital piracy remains a problem. In this paper, we offer a simple economic model of safe harbor protection, demonstrating that de minimis liability for these platforms promotes infringing platforms to the detriment of responsible ones. Increasing the risk of liability for infringement results in a "separating equilibrium," with one platform …

To Filter Or Not To Filter? That Is The Question In Eu Copyright Reform, Giancarlo Frosio

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

This article discusses the proposed introduction in EU law of an obligation for hosting providers to conclude licencing agreements with copyright holders and ensure they are taking effective technological measures, such as Content ID technologies, to prevent copyright infringement on online platforms. This proposal is included in Article 13 and accompanying Recitals of the European Commission's Draft Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market of September 14, 2016, which forms an important part of the ongoing EU copyright reform. This article highlights the shortcomings of this proposed reform, which may fall short in terms of clarity, consistency with the …

Why The Bridgeport Rule For Infringement Of Sound Recordings Is No Longer 'Vogue', Jessica Mauceri

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Intellectual Property As Seen By Barbie And Mickey: The Reciprocal Relationship Of Copyright And Trademark Law, Jane C. Ginsburg

Faculty Scholarship

Some years ago, caselaw on trademark parodies and similar unauthorized “speech” uses of trademarks could have led one to conclude that the law had no sense of humor. Over time, however, courts in the US and elsewhere began to leaven likelihood of confusion analyses with healthy skepticism regarding consumers’ alleged inability to perceive a joke. These decisions did not always expressly cite the copyright fair use defense, but the considerations underlying the copyright doctrine seemed to inform trademark analysis as well. The spillover effect may indeed have been inevitable, as several of the cases in which the fair use defense …

Copyright Infringement In Sound Recording: How Courts And Legislatures Can Get In Vogue In A Post-Ciccone World, Kristen B. Kennedy

Journal of Law and Policy

Music sampling is a legally complex and ambiguous area, with staggeringly high costs attached for copyright infringers. The legality of sampling frequently depends upon what jurisdiction the inquiry into the sampling takes place in, and has been guided by inconsistently applied doctrines of fair use, de minimis, and copyright infringement. The Ninth Circuit’s decision in VMG Salsoul v. Ciccone has dramatically highlighted these inconsistencies. This note suggests a four-part solution to resolve the tensions in copyrightable sound recordings magnified by the recent circuit split created by VMG Salsoul v. Ciccone. It incorporates elements of de minimis and fair use, a …

Battle Of The Band: Exploring The Unconstitutionality Of Section 2(A) Of The Lanham Act And The Fate Of Disparaging, Scandalous, And Immoral Trademarks In A Consumer-Driven Market, Tanya Behnam

Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review

In the 2016-2017 term, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Matal v. Tam, holding that the Lanham Act’s section 2(a) ban on disparaging trademarks—which prevents registration of any trademarks that the PTO deems to be disparaging to any groups or institutions—is unconstitutional. Although meant to only apply to section 2(a)’s ban on disparaging trademarks, the Court’s decision increases the likelihood that section 2(a)’s still-standing ban on scandalous and immoral marks are unconstitutional as well.

This Comment first reviews the basic principles of trademark law and the Lanham Act, summarizes Simon Tam’s legal battles, and briefly presents the conflicting …

Piracy On Peer-To-Peer File Sharing Networks: Why A Streamlined Online Dispute Resolution System Should Not Be Forgotten In The Shadow Of A Federal Small Claims Tribunal, Naomi Gemmell

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This Article proposes application of an ADR system for resolving online copyright disputes related to P2P file sharing. Section II provides an overview of P2P file sharing networks and associated copyright infringement. Section III explores current approaches that fall short in resolving P2P copyright disputes, namely the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, litigation, and private agreements. Section IV examines the two primary proposed solutions to online copyright disputes: alternative dispute resolution and federal small claims. Section V recommends that a streamlined online dispute resolution system is necessary (even if a federal small claims tribunal is adopted), and concludes.

Three Chords And The Truth: Analyzing Copyright Infringement Claims Against Guitar Tablature Websites, Krist Caldwell

Oklahoma Journal of Law and Technology

No abstract provided.

Skidmore V. Led Zeppelin: Extraordinary Circumstances And The Perpetual Statute Of Limitations In Copyright Infringement, Joseph A. Greene

Maine Law Review

This Note addresses [the perpetual copyright limitations period under Federal Law]—specifically, how it came to be, its current application, and what can be done about it. In Part II, this Note gives the background information of the case-in-chief, Skidmore v. Led Zeppelin, and briefly idenitifies its relevant holdings. Part III provides an outline of substantive copyright law, focusing on the subject matter of works protected under the law, the scope of those protections, and the legal basis of musical work infringement claims. Last, in Part III, this Note looks to Skidmore's application of this substantive law. Part IV explores the …

Consent Decrees In The Streaming Era: Digital Withdrawal, Fractional Licensing, And § 114(I), Steven J. Gagliano

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

Clear disagreement exists about how best to reconcile the copyright protections afforded to songwriters with the antitrust considerations protecting consumers. Songwriter public performance royalty collections account for over $2 billion in annual U.S. revenue, roughly 90% of which is collected by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). ASCAP and BMI are performance rights organizations (PROs) regulated by seventy-five-year-old consent decrees. After the Second Circuit determined that these consent decrees prohibit music publishers from selectively withdrawing their new media rights from ASCAP and BMI to directly negotiating with new media services, the PROs …