Intellectual Property Law Commons^™

Keynote Address, Andrew Zimbalist

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The article examines the evolution of name, image, and likeness (NIL) policies in college athletics, highlighting the legal, economic, and educational implications of allowing college athletes to profit from their NIL. It argues that while recent legal cases and state legislation have expanded NIL rights, the lack of enforceable guardrails has created a chaotic system dominated by booster collectives, exacerbating financial and equity issues in college sports. The analysis critiques the NCAA's ineffective oversight and advocates for congressional intervention to establish a national framework addressing these challenges.

Panel 2: Regulations & Other Congressional Concerns, Sam C. Ehrlich, Dan Lust, Matt Mitten, John T. Wolohan, Andrew Zimbalist, Maureen Weston

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The article examines the evolution of college athletes' name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights, highlighting the shift from NCAA control to a chaotic regulatory landscape influenced by court rulings and state laws. The NCAA seeks Congressional intervention for antitrust immunity to address these challenges.

Ip Law In The Shadow Of Norms, Elizabeth L. Rosenblatt

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The article explores the interplay between formal intellectual property (IP) law and social norms in governing creative and innovative communities. It argues that while IP law is essential, it should not overshadow the significant role of norms, which often provide effective governance within specific communities. The author suggests that law should be mindful of diverse norms to promote social justice and innovation, recognizing that norms can both complement and conflict with formal legal frameworks.

Conflict Resolution-Negotiation: Liv V. Pga Tour, Ross Herman

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

No abstract provided.

A Portrait Of The Artist’S Heirs In Mediation: Adr Techniques To Prevent And Resolve Disputes Following An Author’S Death, Nicholas Beudert

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

If an author's work is powerful enough, or popular enough, it's likely that at some point someone will want to write about her. For scholars embarking upon these projects, the author's body of published work can provide insight into her psyche, but correspondence and other unpublished materials can also be valuable. Copyright law covers all of these materials, and when the author dies, she can bequest her copyright as she would the rest of her estate (if she hasn't transferred it during her lifetime). The recipient of these copyrights may now treat the copyrights as her own, as though she …

Name, Image And Likeness: Giving College Athletes The Clearest Guidance To Best Profit Off Their Nil, Scott Semaya

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The note argues that the Supreme Court's decision in NCAA v. Alston has created a legal and regulatory void by invalidating the NCAA's restrictions on student-athletes' ability to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). While the ruling opened the door for student-athletes to earn compensation, it left unresolved questions about the scope and enforcement of NIL rights. The lack of federal legislation has led to a patchwork of state laws, causing confusion and inequities for student-athletes, schools, and the NCAA. The note advocates for immediate federal intervention to establish uniform guidelines and level the playing field, while also …

The Ftc's "Made In America" Enforcement Policy Is Too Stringent For Small Businesses To Comply With, Jamie Cutler

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The note argues that the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) "Made in America" policy is overly stringent and disproportionately burdensome for small businesses. The policy requires products labeled as "Made in America" to contain "all or virtually all" parts and processing from the U.S., a standard that is often ambiguous, economically prohibitive, and misaligned with consumer perceptions. The note contends that this strict enforcement creates a "Hobson's choice" for small businesses, making it infeasible for them to comply without suffering financial harm or reputational damage. It advocates for lowering the threshold to allow more flexibility, which would support small businesses, promote …

Fragmented Music Copyright Protection: A Better Arrangement, Matthew B. Goldman

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The note explores the challenges of music copyright law, particularly in determining the protectability of fragmented elements within musical works. It argues that by applying doctrinal tools such as the idea-expression distinction, merger, scenes a faire, and thin copyright, courts can better balance the protection of original expression with the need to allow future creativity. The analysis focuses on two key cases, Skidmore v. Led Zeppelin and Gray v. Perry, to illustrate how these tools can be effectively used to resolve music copyright disputes.

A Theoretical Analysis Of Orphan Works, Eden Sarid, Omri Ben-Zvi

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

In American libraries, museums, and archives, there currently are tens of millions of cultural treasures, such as photos, manuscripts, and sound recordings, which hold extraordinary academic, cultural, and historical value. But these valuable items, known as "orphan works, remain out of public reach. Orphan works are subject to copyright, but their copyright owners cannot be located. These works are stuck in limbo-as copyright works, they cannot be used without permission, but permission cannot be granted because the copyright owner is unknown. This exceptional predicament has not escaped the attention of legislators and academics, yet thus far, the United States has …

Randomness, Ai Art, And Copyright, Richard H. Chused

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The article argues that art created with the assistance of AI tools should generally be eligible for copyright protection. It posits that human agency is present in the creation of AI-generated art, as traditional artistic works also incorporate randomness and unpredictability. By examining works by artists like Alexander Calder, Robert Rauschenberg, and John Cage, the analysis demonstrates that randomness and unpredictability have long been protected under copyright law, suggesting that AI-generated art should receive similar treatment.

Trademarks And Censorship In The Time Of Covid-19, Xuan-Thao Nguyen

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

During the devastating year of 2020, China quickly conquered the novel coronavirus and roared back economically while the United States faced staggering deaths and economic losses. But underneath the divergent experience of the two countries is an untold story of trademark and censorship in the time of COVID-19. This Article observes that while the United States Supreme Court has lifted the ban on trademark registrations for unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination, opening the door for offensive COVID-19 trademark applications, China has transformed trademark law into the law for censorship as Chinese authorities press forward to achieve twin victories over the coronavirus and …

Protecting Ravenstail: Cultural Appropriation And The Outer Limits Of Copyright Law, Nosson Sternbach

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The note examines the challenges minority cultures, particularly indigenous communities, face in protecting their cultural heritage through copyright law, focusing on the Sealaska Heritage Institute Inc. v. Neiman Marcus Group LTD, LLC case. It argues that copyright law's requirements—such as fixation, originality, authorship, and duration—create significant barriers for indigenous cultures seeking to safeguard their intellectual property. The note also critiques the Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA) for its inefficacy in preventing cultural appropriation, as it requires plaintiffs to prove specific harms and often fails to address the misuse of cultural motifs without explicit tribal names. The Sealaska case highlights …

Dickens V. Lee (1844): A Christmas Tale Of Two Experts Testifying, Mark Rose

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The article examines the 1844 case of Dickens v. Lee, highlighting its significance as an early example of the use of expert witnesses in copyright disputes. Dickens successfully sued over the unauthorized adaptation of A Christmas Carol, but the case underscores the challenges of balancing literary and commercial considerations in copyright law. The defense's use of expert testimony to argue market differentiation contrasts with the court's focus on literary similarity, foreshadowing modern debates on substantial similarity in copyright infringement.

How Patents Became Politics, Steven Wilf

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

Political mobilization in the digital age often coalesces around opposition to the far-reaching protection of intellectual property. Both copyright and patent have materialized as the centerpiece of major political and legal debates that take a variety of forms, including the European pirate parties, NGOs such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation in the United States, and the call for open source software. The commonplace narrative is that self-interested stakeholders over the past century successfully fashioned an ever-expanding intellectual property system, and that resistance to such legal control of knowledge only emerged in our times. By contrast, this article recovers a littleknown …

100 Years Of International Ip - Reflections On Past, Present And Future, Frederick M. Abbott

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The article reflects on the past 100 years of international intellectual property (IP) law, highlighting its evolution from regional agreements to global systems like the TRIPS Agreement. It emphasizes that IP rights are shaped by human policies and societal needs, not inherent qualities, making them adaptable. Current challenges include balancing IP protection with public access, addressing cybercrime, and grappling with AI-generated works.

The Past And Future In International Patent Law, Rochelle C. Dreyfuss

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The organizers of the 2022 International Law Weekend asked us to consider how our fields have changed in the last century and to offer our thoughts about the future. For intellectual property, the changes have been formidable. The Industrial Revolution gave way to an Information Revolution. As a result, knowledge products now constitute a significant share of global wealth. And as the world increasingly endures crises like the recent pandemic, climate change, and food and energy insecurity, technological information will become even more important-indeed, crucial to the survival of the planet.

My own field is international patent law, where there …

The Next 100 Years Of International Intellectual Property: Integrating Human Rights And Corporate Social Responsibility, Julia Janewa Osei-Tutu

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The article predicts that international intellectual property (IP) law will increasingly integrate human rights and corporate social responsibility (CSR) into its framework over the next century. This shift reflects a broader trend of balancing IP protection with societal concerns, such as public health, cultural heritage, and human development. The author argues that while the TRIPS Agreement established minimum IP standards, future agreements will prioritize equitable access to knowledge, medicines, and traditional knowledge, aligning IP law with global sustainability and human rights goals.

Advances In Patent Rights Acquisition In International Patent Law, Sarah R. Wasserman Rajec

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The article examines the significant developments in international patent law over the past century, focusing on how procedural changes facilitated by treaties like the Paris Convention and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) have led to substantive shifts in domestic patent laws. It argues that while these procedural streamlinings aim to enhance efficiency, they have also influenced substantive legal changes, such as the U.S. transition from a first-to-invent to a first-to-file patent system. The author highlights the need to recognize how procedural harmonization can shape substantive patent law and policy.

Three Megatrends In The International Intellectual Property Regime, Peter K. Yu

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The international intellectual property (IP) regime has undergone significant transformation over the past century, shaped by three key megatrends: the rise of emerging countries, the increasing complexity of the regime, and spatial transformation driven by new technologies. These trends have reshaped the regime's standards, policies, and challenges, with profound implications for global economic and social welfare. The article critiques the regime's historical bias toward developed nations and its overemphasis on trade interests, advocating for a balanced approach that integrates public welfare and human rights considerations. It concludes that the regime's growing complexity necessitates new institutional frameworks and vocabularies to address …

Nine Copyright Things Every Library And Archive Should Know In 2023, Elizabeth Townsend Gard

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The article argues that libraries are currently experiencing a "golden age" of protection from copyright liability, despite ongoing challenges. It highlights recent legal developments, such as the expansion of the public domain, updates to Section 108 of the Copyright Act, and the implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty, which collectively enhance libraries' ability to serve the public. However, the article also acknowledges significant legal setbacks, including adverse court rulings on controlled digital lending and state e-book laws, which complicate the landscape for libraries seeking to balance copyright compliance with public access.

Re-Striping: Predatory Trademarks And Common Signs, Lior Zemer, Or Morag, Yochai Rosner

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

Trademark laws were traditionally designed based on the belief that there was an infinite supply of eligible registrable signs. However, current studies show that trademark supply is finite, and that we are close to exhausting it. While trademark protection allows proprietors to distinguish between their goods or services from others, and allowing the public to do the same, the extent of such protection requires constant legal attention and reconsideration which, as contemporary trademark policies show, does not take place in the expected frequency.

One of the immediate consequences from this lack of attention is the rapid growth in strength of …

Should The Ncaa Be Subject To Title Ix?, Sarah Allen

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The note argues that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) should be held accountable under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, despite its current exemption, due to its significant role in college athletics and the persistent gender disparities in treatment of male and female athletes. It advocates for overturning the Supreme Court's decision in NCAA v. Smith to bring the NCAA under Title IX purview.

Nil Collectives - Title Ix's Latest Challenge, Kassandra Ramsey

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The article explores the intersection of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Collectives and Title IX, arguing that while NIL Collectives are not directly subject to Title IX, colleges and universities must ensure these organizations comply with Title IX to maintain gender equity. Schools are responsible due to their federal funding and their promotion of these collectives, necessitating guidelines, education, and audits to prevent disparities in opportunities for male and female athletes.

Securing Patent Law, Charles Duan

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

A vigorous conversation about intellectual property rights and national security has largely focused on the defense role of those rights, as tools for responding to acts of foreign infringement. But intellectual property, and patents in particular, also play an arguably more important offense role. Foreign competitor nations can obtain and assert U.S. patents against U.S. firms and creators. Use of patents as an offense strategy can be strategically coordinated to stymie domestic innovation and technological progress. This Essay considers current and possible future practices of patent exploitation in this offense setting, with a particular focus on China given the nature …

Trademarks In An Algorithmic World, Christine Farley

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

According to the sole normative foundation for trademark protection—“search costs” theory—trademarks transmit useful information to consumers, enabling an efficient marketplace. The marketplace, however, is in the midst of a fundamental change. Increasingly, retail is virtual, marketing is data-driven, and purchasing decisions are automated by AI. Predictive analytics are changing how consumers shop. Search costs theory no longer accurately describes the function of trademarks in this marketplace. Consumers now have numerous digital alternatives to trademarks that more efficiently provide them with increasingly accurate product information. Just as store shelves are disappearing from consumers’ retail experience, so are trademarks disappearing from their …

Mandatory Infringement, Charles Duan

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration required the use of chlorofluorocarbon-free propellants in albuterol inhalers. But 3M held patents on the only U.S.-approved chlorofluorocarbon-free inhaler. The agency’s regulations forced multiple generic albuterol manufacturers to choose between infringing 3M’s patents or exiting the market. This state of affairs was lucrative for 3M, perhaps good for the environment, bad for competition, and terrible for patients faced with high costs for essential medical devices. This is an example of a general phenomenon: mandatory infringement. Intellectual property prohibits certain activities, but sometimes the government also mandates these very same activities. Such situations arise …

Examining Patent Eligibility, Charles Duan

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

A firestorm of debate has surrounded the Supreme Court of the United States’s 2014 decision Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank International on the doctrine of patentable subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. § 101. As the Court’s leading articulation of doctrine, which generally excludes from patenting abstract ideas, laws of nature, and natural phenomena, Alice has been criticized as unpredictably vague and overly constrictive of patentability, with the effect of “decimating” patents, innovation, technological investment, and even the United States’ competitiveness against other nations. To support these criticisms and calls for reform, scholars and practitioners have frequently turned …

Digital Purgatory And The Rights Of The Dead: Protecting Against Digital Disinterment In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence, Greyson Cohen

Cardozo Law Review de•novo

This Note will attempt to show that the existing patchwork of rights of publicity statutes and case law are inadequate to protect citizens from online harms in the age of synthetic media. Particularly, this Note will focus on postmortem right of publicity interests and protections because a robust market for the likenesses of deceased personalities exists and will likely grow in the age of synthetic media.

Part I will explain how synthetic media may contribute to an increase in the harms associated with rights of publicity violations, particularly after death. Part II will begin by outlining the legal landscape of …

Intellectual Property Piracy In The Time Of The Metaverse, James M. Cooper

Faculty Scholarship

The article explores ways in which companies, innovators, artists, and cultural workers can best protect their IP rights in the metaverse. Focusing on IP piracy and counterfeiting, long-time problems in both the real world and online, the article addresses the threats that these illicit activities pose to legitimate commerce, government tax revenues, public safety, and national security. It examines the implications that the metaverse poses for businesses going forward with respect to brand management and revenue source protection and details the manners in which IP rights can be best protected in the metaverse. It concludes with a review of the …

The Patent Written Description Requirement: A Requirement In Search Of A Description, Darlene M.J. Staines

Fordham Law Review

Innovation often requires a hefty investment of time and money. The patent system exists to incentivize innovation by granting inventors the exclusive use of their invention for a set period of time. In return, the public receives the benefit of the inventor’s knowledge, as well as the use of the invention once the exclusivity period ends. One of the hurdles for obtaining a patent is the written description requirement, which demands that the inventor disclose enough information to prove that they actually invented what they are seeking patent protection for. This requirement serves to prevent an undeserving “inventor” from obtaining …