Intellectual Property Law Commons^™

Patenting Fast And Slow: Examiner And Applicant Use Of Prior Art, Shine Sean Tu

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

Previous studies have shown that an applicant's ability to obtain a patent is inexorably linked to the random assignment of a patent examiner.1 However, not all patent examiners are created equal. Some patent examiners allow patent applications quickly within just one or two Office Actions, resulting in only a few months of substantive patent prosecution. In contrast, other patent examiners constantly reject patents applications, which can result in unnecessarily delaying prosecution and years of substantive patent prosecution. This study focuses on how different examiners use prior art rejections to prolong or compact prosecution.

Prior art rejections are one of the …

Puff, Puff, Patent: Identifying And Addressing The Tensions Between The Medical Marijuana Industry, Patent Law, And The Controlled Substances Act, Dustin Boone

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Why Can't We All Just Cher?: Drag Celebrity Impersonators Versus An Ever-Expanding Right Of Publicity, Emily Hoenig

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Legal Graffiti And Copyright: How The Law Falls Short In Protecting This Important Artform, Kayla Epstein

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The note argues that copyright law inadequately protects legal graffiti artists, particularly due to the abstract and public nature of their work, which complicates infringement claims. It critiques the current legal framework, including the tests for substantial similarity and the idea-expression dichotomy, for disadvantaging graffiti artists. The analysis highlights the need for legal reforms, such as the use of expert witnesses and enhanced protections under the DMCA, to better safeguard graffiti art and align copyright law with its purpose of incentivizing creativity.

Unpacking Trump's Brand Value: The Cost To Secured Creditors, Xuan-Thao Nguyen

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Current Application Of The Myriad And Mayo/Alice Rulings On Patent Eligibility: Inconsistent Results And Contradistinguishing Biotechnology Products, Skye Cho

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The note examines the inconsistent application of the patent eligibility framework under Section 101 of the Patent Act, particularly in biotechnology. It argues that despite efforts by the USPTO to clarify the framework through memos and examples, courts have applied it inconsistently, leading to discrimination against biotechnology products. The analysis focuses on key Supreme Court decisions, such as Myriad Genetics and Mayo, and their impact on the patent eligibility of biotechnological innovations. The note highlights the need for clearer guidance to ensure consistent outcomes and fair treatment of biotechnological inventions.

Media In Flux: Does Consolidation Promote The Public Interest?, Simone A. Dvoskin

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The note examines the transformative impact of digital platforms on traditional media and the legal challenges arising from this shift, advocating for updated regulations to ensure accessibility, fairness, and public interest. It argues that the rapid evolution of technology has outpaced regulatory frameworks, necessitating reforms to address media consolidation, accessibility for individuals with disabilities, and the role of the FCC in overseeing new media platforms.

Governing The Patent Commons, Dirk Auer, Julian Morris

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

Thousands of patents underpin the technologies that power the digital economy. Coordination among firms developing and implementing these novel technologies has notably been facilitated in large part by Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs). Despite the evident benefits of standardization in general and SDOs in particular, certain aspects of these processes have come under severe scrutiny from scholars, antitrust authorities, and courts. These critics argue that the standardization space suffers from two crippling market failures, namely "patent holdup" and "royalty stacking." They thus conclude that opportunistic firms will squeeze their rivals 'profits, harming consumers and stifling innovation in the process. However, recent …

Copyright Infringement Standards As They Relate To Appropriation Artists, Kimberly Pallen

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The article examines the application of the "total concept and feel" test established in Roth Greeting Cards v. United Card Co. to determine copyright infringement, particularly in cases involving appropriation artists like Jeff Koons and Richard Prince. It argues that while this test is effective for analyzing substantial similarity in visual arts, it faces limitations when applied to appropriation art, where the original work's mood or feel is not significantly altered. The article highlights the subjective nature of the test and its reliance on visual comparison, which may not adequately address the transformative aspects of appropriation art.

One Consumer’S Trash Is Another’S Treasure: Upcycling’S Place In Trademark Law, Jolie Brett Schenerman

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The note argues that upcycling, the process of creating new, high-value products from salvaged materials, should be protected under trademark law's fair use doctrine. It contends that upcycling, unlike traditional infringement, does not confuse consumers about the source of goods and instead creates transformative works that benefit both sustainability and brand relevance. The analysis draws parallels between upcycling and parody, advocating for similar legal protections, and highlights the evolving relationship between luxury brands and upcyclers, from litigation to collaboration.

Choice Of Law And The Right Of Publicity: Rethinking The Domicile Rule, Mary Lafrance

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Once Upon A Time In Nft: Blockchain, Copyright, And The Right Of First Sale Doctrine, Katya Fisher

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Blockchain Technology: The Blueprint For Rebuilding The Music Industry?, Jaclyn Wishnia

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Thicke, Don't Kill My Vibe: The Copyrightability Of A "Groove" And Related Implications For Contemporary Rap Music, Tyler W. Morris

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Redefining "Life": The Constitutional Implications Of Patenting Immortality, Julia Spivak

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

From Territorial To Universal-The Extraterritoriality Of Trademark Law And The Privatizing Of International Law, P. Sean Morris

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

Legal doctrines, aided and abetted by interpretations of the courts, carry the force of law. The implication is that when courts settle matters, they often go beyond the scope of current intellectual property legislation. Furthermore, global problems in intellectual property may require the participation of private intellectual property rights owners to bring suit. This, in turn, often creates more problems due to the territorial, trans-territorial, and extraterritorial reach of the law, especially with respect private trademark rights. I explore this and other legal conundrums in this Article. The key concern addressed in the Article is how far trademark law is …

Exhaustion In The Service Of Progress, Ofer Tur-Sinai

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

Under the doctrine of patent exhaustion, an authorized sale of a patented item exhausts the patentee's rights with respect to that item, leaving the purchaser and subsequent owners free to use or resell it without fear of an infringement lawsuit. In 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Impression Products v. Lexmark International, which strengthened the exhaustion doctrine in various significant ways. The Court held that an authorized sale of a patented item exhausts all patent rights with respect to that item, regardless of any restrictions on use or resale the patentee purports to impose. The Court …

The Limitations Of Information: Rethinking Soft Paternalistic Interventions In Copyright Law, Yifat Nahmias

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

Authors and intermediaries seldom enjoy equal bargaining power. This disparity-as well as information asymmetries-has been claimed to significantly undermine authors' ability to capture a fair share of the wealth generated from their creative efforts and contributions, thereby possibly reducing their incentive to create expressive works and compromising the myriad other benefits that copyright protection is meant to provide. To address this problem, legislatures have adopted soft paternalistic interventions designed to improve authors' choices without applying a hard-handed approach. Such interventions benevolently push the author away from risk or encourage her to make decisions that the legislator perceives to be in …

Cultural Appropriation Of Traditional Garment Designs In The Post-Star Athletica Era, Sahara F. Farzaneh

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Introductions, Julia Spivak, Tonya M. Evans

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Panel 1: Digital Art And Digital Collectibles, Ross Blum, Steve R. Schindler, Amy Whitaker, Elena Zavelev, Christopher Buccafusco

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Panel 2: Art Law And Blockchain, Tonya M. Evans, Derek Fincham, Katya Fisher, Jeanne Schroeder

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Shared Value Over Fair Use: Technology, Added Value, And The Reinvention Of Copyright, Amy Whitaker

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The protection of fair use in the arts has become an inflexible binary. Either artist Shepard Fairey has permission to use the Associated Press photograph of Barack Obama to create the Hope Poster, or he has stolen the image in violation of copyright. This legal framework is rigid, inaccurate, and creatively unsafe. Yet it is the interpretation, not the doctrine itself, that needs shifting. The copyright statute already includes an overlooked "value" test that can more accurately reflect collaboration and sampling in the digital age. And yet instead, some scholars have responded to digital copying by suggesting we throw out …

Is It Reasonable To Block Unreasonable Advertisements? An Examination Of The Legality Of Ad-Blockers, Andrew Steele

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

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 …