News & Analysis as of

Copyright Infringement Intellectual Property Litigation Appeals

Farella Braun + Martel LLP

Fair Use at Scale: When Is "Spectacularly" Transformative Use Still Not Fair?

The recent ruling in a lawsuit against Anthropic highlights a growing complexity in how courts are approaching fair use in the context of AI training. Judge William Alsup held that developing Anthropic’s Claude model was...more

Fenwick & West LLP

Ninth Circuit Pumps Brakes on Character Copyright Claim over Action Movie Car

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In a new precedential decision, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held in Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc. v. Halicki that “Eleanor,” a stable of Ford Mustangs that appears across four action films, is not a copyrightable...more

Weintraub Tobin

(Podcast) The Briefing: The Ninth Circuit Puts the Brakes on Eleanor’s Copyright Claim

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Can a car be a copyrightable character? In Carroll Shelby Licensing v. Halicki, the Ninth Circuit said no — ruling that “Eleanor,” the iconic Mustang from ‘Gone in 60 Seconds,’ lacks the distinctiveness and consistency...more

Weintraub Tobin

The Briefing: The Ninth Circuit Puts the Brakes on Eleanor’s Copyright Claim

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Can a car be a copyrightable character? In Carroll Shelby Licensing v. Halicki, the Ninth Circuit said no — ruling that “Eleanor,” the iconic Mustang from ‘Gone in 60 Seconds,’ lacks the distinctiveness and consistency...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

When Is a Car a Character? The Ninth Circuit Revisits Copyrightability in Halicki v. Carroll Shelby Licensing

The Copyright Act does not expressly address the protection of individual characters in expressive works, but courts have long recognized that certain characters, particularly those with strong visual or narrative identities,...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Running on Empty: ‘Stang’ With No Anthropomorphic Characteristics Isn’t Copyrightable Character

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court’s denial of copyright protection for a car that had a name but no anthropomorphic or protectable characteristics. Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc. v....more

McDermott Will & Emery

No Protectable Code: No Literal or Nonliteral Copying

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The US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court’s ruling that a plaintiff failed to establish copyright protection for its software platforms, drawing a distinction between “literal” copying (direct...more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - April 2025 #4

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Jack Nicklaus just scored a $1 million win in a New York court, striking back against his former company’s attempt to control his personal brand....more

Irwin IP LLP

Server Test in the Spotlight: What You See or How You See It?

Irwin IP LLP on

Elliot McGucken v. Valnet, Inc., No. 24-1040 (U.S. filed Mar. 28, 2025) - Introduction - In the Magician’s Nephew, C.S. Lewis wrote that “[w]hat you see… depends a good deal on where you are standing….,” but is the...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

To Recuse or Not to Recuse? An Update.

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Given that litigation in the United States can take years from start to finish, we rarely see a conclusion to the cases we follow. In a prior blog post, we looked at the potential recusal requirements of the U.S. Supreme...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Court Grants Interlocutory Appeal on AI Fair Use Issue

We previously reported on the groundbreaking AI Fair Use ruling in the Thomson Reuters Ross Intelligence case, where the court found that based on the facts of this case fair use was not a defense. Ross Intelligence moved,...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Religious Texts, Copyrights, and Estate Law: A Case of Strange Bedfellows

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The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed in part and reversed in part a case involving a deceased religious leader who owned the copyrights to works reflecting his teachings. The Court found that the copyrighted...more

Smart & Biggar

Canadian IP litigation 2024: a year in review

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In 2024, we witnessed several notable developments in Canadian IP litigation. These included the Supreme Court granting leave for an appeal on the patentability of methods of medical treatment, a successful patent invalidity...more

Farella Braun + Martel LLP

Is Fair Use Threatening to Swallow Computer Copyright Protection?

This case tested the contours of the landmark Google v. Oracle computer software code fair use decision. Astronics, a military aerospace contractor, was accused of copying code from Teradyne, a competitor, in order to ensure...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Untwisting the Fixation Requirement: Flexible Rules on Moveable Sculptures

McDermott Will & Emery on

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed and remanded a district court’s dismissal of a claim of copyright infringement for kinetic and manipulable sculptures, finding that movable structures were sufficiently...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Vimeo’s Fleeting Interaction With Videos Doesn’t Negate Safe Harbor Protections

McDermott Will & Emery on

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed a district court’s decision, granting Vimeo qualified protection under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) safe harbor provision. Capitol Records, LLC v. Vimeo,...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Arguing Internet Availability to Establish Copyright Infringement Is Bananas

McDermott Will & Emery on

In an unpublished opinion, the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court’s decision finding that a pro se Californian artist failed to establish that an Italian artist had reasonable opportunity...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Insuring Innovation: Software Code May Be Protected as an Arrangement

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The US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit once again remanded a trade secret and copyright dispute involving software for generating life insurance quotes, finding that the district court erred by failing to consider...more

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

SCOTUS Rules that Copyright Damages Can Be Recovered Beyond Three Years, Leave Discovery Rule For Another Day

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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on May 9th, 2024, in the case of Warner Chappell Music, Inc., et al., v. Nealy, et al., that plaintiffs in a copyright ownership dispute can recover damages beyond the three-year statute of...more

Paul Hastings LLP

The Supreme Court Affirms the Availability of Damages Beyond Three Years for Copyright Infringement If the Discovery Rule Applies

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On May 9, 2024, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Warner Chappell Music Inc. et al. v. Nealy et al., holding that a plaintiff can seek damages for past infringement that had occurred earlier than the three-year statute...more

McCarter & English, LLP

Damages Uncapped: Supreme Court Removes Three-Year Limit on Copyright Damages

In a victory for copyright owners, the US Supreme Court confirmed in a recent case that copyright owners who sue for infringement may recover money damages that are not limited to the three-year period before filing suit....more

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP

Going to the [Warner] Chappell, and we’re gonna get DA-A-AMAGES!

A split Supreme Court has decided that, under a plain reading of the Copyright Act, a party alleging copyright infringement may obtain damages for the entire damages period, so long as the suit itself is timely brought....more

McDermott Will & Emery

Supreme Court Permits Retrospective Relief for Timely Copyright Claims Under Discovery Rule

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On May 9, 2024, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit’s prior ruling, holding that a plaintiff with a timely infringement claim under the discovery...more

A&O Shearman

Infringing gin part II: Court of Appeal victory for M&S against Aldi’s copycat design

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Designers and brand owners will be comforted by Marks & Spencer’s Court of Appeal victory. It reinforces the importance of registering designs to protect against copycat products and, as the first Court of Appeal decision...more

JAMS

Dispute Resolution Planning for Startups in the New Age of Generative AI

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At the time of this writing, generative artificial intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm, and legal issues abound. Artists are suing AI art-generating companies for copyright infringement. Getty Images is suing for...more

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