Intellectual Property Law Commons^™

You've Got Mud On Your Face: Have Mp3s Turned The Middleman Into Roadkill, Jessica Trivellini Toney

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Moving Picture Expert Group Audio Layer 3, or MP3s, computer audio files transmitted over the Internet, have emerged as powerful challengers to the current music distribution system. MP3s challenge the recording industry on two fronts: piracy and sidestepping industry distribution channels. This note explores how copyright law applies to computer sound files, including MP3s, and demonstrates how advances in MP3 technology have made infringement concerns a significant problem. This note concludes that the record industry must radically change its current marketing scheme and adopt a low cost licensing approach in order to adapt successfully in the digital age.

Choice Of Entity And Securities Aspects Of Independent Film Offerings By First-Time Filmmakers, Michael L. Maddren

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Independent films have become increasingly common over recent years. It has become increasingly difficult for these first-time filmmakers to obtain studio financing. Filmmakers who cannot obtain studio financing often turn to private investors. A filmmaker seeking private investor financing must confront several legal issues. This article examines the choice of entity and securities law aspects of independent film financing, and makes suggestions for the independent filmmaker facing these issues.

The Owned Public Domain: The Constitutional Right Not To Be Excluded - Or The Supreme Court Chose The Right Breakfast Cereal In Kellogg V. National Biscuit Co., Malla Pollack

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Before the rise of law and economics, the Supreme Court vigorously enforced the public right to use material in the public domain upon the expiration of utility patents. This right was most notably upheld in Kellogg v. Nat'l Biscuit Co. Recently, numerous Federal Circuit courts have failed to follow the holding of Kellogg. This article discusses the Lockian conception of property, argues that Kellogg was based upon sound Constitutional footing, and suggests that the current Court should follow that Constitutional reasoning, rather than distinguishing the case based on economic theory in its consideration of TrafFix Devices v. Marketing Displays this …

Music Included On Software Downloaded From The Internet: Public Performance Or Private Use, Christopher Paul Moore

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

This note addresses the applicability of the public performance right when software creators license copyrighted music to include on software that is sold and delivered directly over the Internet. This note contends that when software is bought from a site on the Internet, and then digitally downloaded to a consumer, a public performance has occurred under section 106(4) of the Copyright Act.

Preparing Your Music Client For Web Distribution, Stephanie Brauner

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Digital transmission of recordings is becoming an extremely important method of distribution. As this method of distribution becomes increasingly common, attorneys practicing in this industry will be compelled to advise their clients of the choices available in releasing their musical expressions on the Internet. This article provides a basic overview of the digital transmission process, discusses the current state of copyright protections for musicians and the failings in those protections, and will present other viable options that allow for the protection of a client's interests.

Foreword, Chelsea M. Doerrie

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

No abstract provided.

Panel Discussion - To Bot Or Not To Bot: The Implications Of Spidering, David Kramer, Jay Monahan

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Mr. Kramer and Mr. Monahan discuss the issues raised by the use of bots on the Internet and the implication of such use in litigation. Bots, or spidering programs, are software devices used to access specific information contained on web sites. Bots are commonly used when search engines comb the web to generate responses to queries. However, other less than noble uses, including the gathering of e-mail addresses for "spamming" and the taking of a site's content and reposting it elsewhere, raise complex legal issues and have generated considerable litigation.

Symposium Presentation: Doing Internet Co-Branding Agreements, Eric Goldman

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Mr. Goldman discusses many important issues that need to be considered when deciding to participate in and when drafting co-branding agreements, but which are often overlooked. As internet co-branding has become ubiquitous as a means of combining one website's functionality and another's marketing muscle in online business, practitioners handling co-branding agreements face the challenge of choosing the correct legal paradigms as starting points in these kinds of negotiations. Co-branding agreements often incorporate advertising, trademark licensing, service provisions and domain name components. In light of this complexity, choosing the wrong starting point can frustrate the process by omitting key issues from …

Chasing The Future: Has The Digital Performance In Sound Recordings Act Of 1995 Kept Pace With Technological Advances In Musical Performance, Or Is Copyright Law Lagging Behind, Steven V. Podolsky

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Ever since jukeboxes and taped music began replacing bands in many restaurants and bars, performing musicians have been deprived of earnings and protection from unauthorized performance of their work. Digital technology exacerbated the problem by creating super quality sound that can be duplicated without a loss of quality. The Internet, which has become a medium for distributing prerecorded music, has the potential for doing damage to ownership interests throughout the entire recorded music industry. In just a few seconds, anyone with Internet access can retrieve, store, and listen to the performance without paying royalties to the performers. This article discusses …

The Case For A Specialized Copyright Court: Eliminating The Jurisdictional Advantage, Michael Landau, Donald E. Biederman

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Many of those who specialize in copyright law have become increasingly dismayed by the degree to which the outcome of copyright cases depends upon the venue in which an action is brought. Beyond this, copyright is a highly specialized and technical body of law, and some of its aspects seem to us to be the sort that would be best handled by specialized judges. This article discusses the history of existing specialized courts, and examples that demonstrate that the current system of copyright adjudication works poorly. The authors then recommend the creation of a national copyright court that follows the …

Swapping Claims In Cyberspace: Legal/Technical Context And Negotiation Stategies For Domain Name Deals, Jefferson F. Scher

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Domain names continue to perform multiple functions as mnemonic addresses for Internet devices, trademarks for new or established businesses, and "search terms" for those who don't know where else to look. This article speaks to the operation of the domain name system, and discusses many business issues that accompany the ownership of a domain name.

International Copyright Law And The Electronic Media Rights Of Authors And Publishers, Irene Segal Ayers

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

This article looks at recent cases resolving disputes over the electronic media rights of freelance journalists and publishers in the United States and Europe. This article considers the implications of conflicting case law for international electronic trade in copyrighted works and suggests international solutions that attempt to balance fairly the competing interests of freelancers, publishers, and the new electronic media industries.

When Cyberspace Meets Main Street: A Primer For Internet Business Modeling In An Evolving Legal Environment, Christopher Paul Boam

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

With the increasing use of the World Wide Web, the Internet consumer will, for better or worse, change the "shop around the comer." However, the advent of electronic commerce can have the capacity to be the great equalizer. This technology, which allows the smallest of entrepreneurs to enter millions of households throughout the world also subjects them to innumerable conflicting foreign laws and jurisdictions and magnifies the legal impact of any content errors. The ability to enter the households of millions of unknown persons also poses difficult challenges of identification, privacy, and security. The collective impact of these peculiar characteristics …

Symposium Presentation: Tales Of An E-Commerce Lawyer: When Every Decision You Make Is A You Bet Your Company Decision, Michael Scott

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Mr. Scott gives an overview of how the Internet and e-commerce have changed the practice of law. He notes that business today is almost instantaneous, in what he refers to as "Internet time," so a wrong business decision can spell disaster. He also discusses the implications of these almost instantaneous business decisions in the context of copyrights, patents, comparison sites, gaming and spamming.

Symposium Presentation: Legal Recognition Of Digital Signatures: A Global Status Report, Richard Allan Horning

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Mr. Homing traces the evidentiary roots of the "put it in writing" axiom and asks "where is the writing in e-commerce?" He discusses the legal response to the new evidentiary problems raised by that question in the context of online business, noting the need for new legal models to place such contracts within the Statute of Frauds.

Symposium Presentation: Business And Patents And Business Patents, Michael A. Glenn

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Mr. Glenn provides a general overview of patent law. He details recent developments in software patents, utility patents and business method patents. He concludes by emphasizing the notion that nearly everything is patentable, possibly even the business method for serving a meal, if such a method could be deemed useful, novel and nonobvious.

Taxation Of International Computer Software Transactions Under Regulation 1.861-18, Jonathan Purcell

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Transfer of computer software in the international context presents many complexities. Tension has developed between countries of manufacture and the countries of sale. Specifically, how should the income arising from such transactions and the resulting tax base be allocated between the nations where the purchaser and seller are located? Treasury Regulation 1.861-18 attempts to bring some clarity to the characterization of income from the international transfer of computer software. This note explains this regulation as it concerns the disposition of copyright ownership rights and copyrighted subject matter, as well as explores various tax planning opportunities.

Cyberspace Charities: Fundraising Tax Issues For Nonprofit Organizations In An Internet World, Hans Famularo

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Nonprofit organizations are increasingly relying on the internet as a fundraising tool. This note provides an overview of tax issues affecting online fundraising and suggests certain tax planning strategies to avoid the Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) rules in anticipation of the possible position that the U.S. Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service may take in the future regarding online fundraising.

Privacy On-Line: Washington Report, Nicholas W. Allard

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Over the last year there have been significant developments marking the emergence of a framework for national and international policy relating to privacy on the Internet and World Wide Web. This Article details recent cyberpolicy activities in Washington, including the Clinton Administration's 1997 White Paper, which outlines the Administration's strategy for fostering business and consumer confidence in global electronic commerce. This Article also discusses recent Federal Trade Commission guidelines for regulation and developments relating to privacy on-line in the European Union. This Article summarizes proposed legislation in the areas of both encryption and privacy.

Should Congress Regulate Cyberspace, Greg Y. Sato

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

The Internet has undergone an amazing transformation in recent years. It has evolved from being a medium used exclusively by "techies" to one of general public consumption and utility. Because of this increased interest in and use of the Internet, cyberspace is quickly becoming an important forum for communication and commerce.

This Note discusses the history of the Internet, what makes it unique, and the current state of the law relating to cyberspace. This Note also examines the issue of whether congressional regulation of the Internet is needed. The author suggests that some intervention by Congress is needed because current …

Setting The Standard: Problems Presented To Patent Holders Participating In The Creation Of Industry Uniformity Standards, David M. Schneck

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

This Note examines the problems that arise when the owner of proprietary rights participate in the setting of open industry uniformity standards. These open standards typically include patented technology, sometimes due to the participation of the patent owners in developing the industry standard. Often, standards development committees require disclosure of patents held by participants. After widespread adoption of the standard occurs, the patent owners then face the dilemma of either abandoning some part of their patents or attempting to enforce their patents in courts inclined to hold them estopped. This Note discusses recent developments in this area, including judicial hostility …

Jazzing Up The Copyright Act - Resolving The Uncertainties Of The United States Anti-Bootleggin Law, Susan M. Deas

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

With the addition of Section 1101 to United States copyright law, the United States Congress did more than just attempt to bring United States law into compliance with its obligations under TRIPs. By allowing live musical performers to seek remedies against anyone who, without performers' consent, commits Section 1101 subject acts, such as fixation of the sounds or sounds and images of the performers' live musical performance, Congress granted a type of protection of well-nigh constitutional significance. That is, Congress granted protection to unfixed material-an enactment that departs from the traditional interpretation of the Copyright Clause power as permitting congressional …

Licensed To Kill: The Battle Between Patent And Antitrust In Monopoly Leveraging Cases, David A. Schnider

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

This note puts a new spin on a longstanding subject of scholarship and controversy in the law: the conflict between the patent and antitrust laws in the United States. The author examines this conflict in the context of monopoly leveraging cases. Since patents are a unique and powerful tool that companies use to gain advantage in the marketplace, they seem to allow the owner to engage in behavior which amounts to monopoly leveraging. However, such conduct is prohibited under the antitrust laws, specifically by Section 2 of the Sherman Act. If a patent exists to give its owner certain commercial …

Type No Evil: The Proper Latitude Of Public Educational Institutions In Restricting Expressions Of Their Students On The Internet, Garner K. Weng

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

In this article, Mr. Weng discusses the growing problem of regulation and suppression by academic institutions of offensive or political communications transmitted by students over the Internet. The article explores the traditional powers of schools to regulate student communication and attempts to define what types of regulations are legally permissible. The article also examines the cases which do not fall into this traditional category, which are subject to a standard First Amendment analysis, and argues that the fact that this conduct involves Internet communications does not require a different standard than is used for other forms of media communication. Mr. …

Internet Telephony - The Regulatory Issues, Hank Intven, Mark Zohar, Jay Howard

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

No abstract provided.

The College Bowl Alliance And The Sherman Act, Lafcadio Darling

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

This Note examines the factual features of the college football Bowl Alliance and analyzes the antitrust issues that they raise. Ultimately, this Note discusses whether a court would find that the Bowl Alliance does indeed cross the line drawn by the Sherman Act.

Censorship In Chinese Cinema, Mary Lynne Calkins

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

With any film or play produced in China receiving close government scrutiny at each step of production, this article examines censorship in Chinese cinema in an attempt to make sense of a tradition of sometimes seemingly arbitrary decisions by the authorities. Film, as a particularly visible and communicative media, is particularly subject to governmental interference, and the Chinese government has exploited that vulnerability to the fullest. This article attempts to demonstrate that China takes a similar approach to film censorship as it does to contracts, in the sense that censorship involves continual "negotiations" rather than binding agreement, and in the …

Interpreting The Communications Assistance For Law Enforcement Act Of 1994: The Justice Department Versus The Telecommunications Industry & (And) Privacy Rights Advocates, Hildegarde A. Senseney

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

This Note examines what began as a very common-sense idea: law enforcement's surveillance capabilities needed to be protected in the face of new, high technology communications devices that were making law enforcement's task much more difficult, if not impossible. This was the primary motivation behind the passage of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994.

As the compliance date fot the Act draws nearer, many issues are still open to fierce debate between the Federal Bureau Of Investigation, the telecommunications industry and privacy rights advocates. The telecommunications industry claims that the FBI is demanding capacity and technological standards …

Regulating Cyberspace: Metaphor, Rhetoric, Reality, And The Framing Of Legal Options, Clay Calvert

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

This Article argues that the "information superhighway" metaphor is a strategically chosen rhetorical device used to frame debate about Internet and telecommunications regulation, to implicitly suggest the particular legal choices are more viable-and valid-than others, and to guide the future of law in cyberspace. In particular, the metaphor embraces a commerce-based, marketplace model of regulation that emphasizes speed and quantity of information as a product or good rather than the content or quality of communication and its ability to sustain extant communities and cultures. Along the way, the Article traces the development of the "information superhighway" metaphor and explores some …

Coscarart V. Major League Baseball: No Field Of Dreams, Ronald P. Wargo

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

This note explores a less glamorous aspect of baseball's "golden" past: the sport's forgotten and financially neglected players. Due to the structure of Major League Baseball's retirement compensation system, a certain group of former players--some of whom were stars in their day--were entitled to no retirement benefits at all from the sports which they helped make great. Focusing on an action brought by one of these former players against Major League Baseball (MLB), the note explores both the statutory and common law right of publicity claims that these ex-players may have against MLB for the uncompensated exploitation of the players' …