Microsoft Corp. established, as a matter of law, that several California retailers infringed the software giant’s copyrights and trademarks by selling 60 units of software, each of which included a counterfeit copy of Microsoft Windows 7 or Microsoft Office 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco has determined. A judgment against the retailers…
Designs for cheerleading uniforms owned by Varsity Brands, Inc., were copyrightable because the graphic elements of those designs were separable from the utilitarian function of a cheerleading uniform, the U.S. Supreme Court has held. In a split decision, the Court held that a feature incorporated into the design of a useful article is eligible for…
A Pasadena, California, district court ruling that FilmOn X, LLC, was a “cable system” and thus eligible for compulsory licenses under the Copyright Act has been reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco. In a ruling in favor of broadcasters such as Fox Television Stations, Inc., the court held that, based on…
From the Celestial Jukebox to AI. We have now reached the “Celestial Jukebox” predicted by Prof. Goldstein,[1] and have even gone well beyond with the rise of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. These key issues were at the heart of the annual IP conference organised by the University of Geneva on February 22, 2017 (programme…
The California Supreme Court has been asked by the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco to provide guidance on the question of whether California statutory or common law grants owners of pre-1972 sound recordings an exclusive right of public performance. This guidance is key to a lawsuit brought by Flo & Eddie, Inc.—owner of…
Flo & Eddie, Inc.—owner of recordings by 1960s pop group The Turtles and created by former Turtles vocalists Mark “Flo” Volman and Howard “Eddie” Kaylan—has sustained a decisive blow in its attempt to recover damages from satellite and Internet broadcaster Sirius XM Radio for broadcasting and reproducing pre-1972 sound recordings without permission—at least with respect…
A seller of computer aided design (CAD) files used for steel detailing services could have infringed a software provider’s CAD program by downloading an unauthorized copy of the program, the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco has held. There was a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the unauthorized download was more…
In December 2016, the Office of the U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator introduced a Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement (FY 2017-2019). Since 2014, on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, the European Union has been undertaking steps to complete a comprehensive modernisation of the copyright system, including a reform of the Enforcement…
The proprietors of a muscle car restoration business, Dan and Gary Pronman, were liable for the attorney fees incurred by the operators of a complaint website in successfully defending against frivolous copyright infringement claims based on the website operators’ allegedly unlawful reproduction and publication of copyrighted photographs owned by the Pronmans, the U.S. Court of…
The federal district court in Philadelphia did not err in dismissing copyright infringement claims brought by Daniel Marino, against popular musician Usher—Marino’s co-creators of the song Club Girl—and several music industry entities, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia has decided. Furthermore, Marino’s attorney, Francis Malofiy, was properly sanctioned by the lower court for contacting…
