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The Copyright Act Copyright Ownership Copyright Litigation

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Sharing the Stage: How Tempo Music Investments LLC v. Miley Cyrus et al Reinforces Copyright Co-owner Rights

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A recent ruling from the United States District Court for the District of Central California in the lawsuit against Miley Cyrus and others for the song “Flowers” highlighted the power that a single copyright co-owner holds in...more

Offit Kurman

To Use or Not to Use? Fear Not! The Public Domain Beckons Thee

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Ah, the public domain—where copyrights dare not tread, and content lives free from the litigious claws of infringement claims. Whether thou art a humble creator or a bold entrepreneur, rejoice! For in this blessed realm, you...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Focus on Funk: 40-Year-Old Copyright Claim Is Time-Barred

McDermott Will & Schulte on

In a summary order, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the district court’s orders in a case involving an ownership dispute over the copyrights to certain compositions by Parliament-Funkadelic bandleader...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

It’s All Grecco to Me: No “Sophisticated Plaintiff” Exception to Discovery Rule

In a case of first impression, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that there is no “sophisticated plaintiff” exception to the Copyright Act’s discovery rule, which provides that a copyright claim only accrues...more

Haug Partners LLP

Warner Chappell Music, Inc. v. Nealy: Plaintiffs Can Recover Damages for Timely Claims of Copyright Infringement Dating Back More...

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On May 9, 2024, the Supreme Court in Warner Chappell, Music Inc. v. Nealy settled a longstanding circuit split and ruled 6-3 that the Copyright Act entitles a copyright owner to recover damages for any timely claim, no matter...more

Jones Day

No Time Limit for Damages from Copyright Infringement

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The Supreme Court held that copyright owners who file a timely claim may obtain damages no matter when the copyright infringement occurred. ...more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

MarkIt to Market® - February 2024

Thank you for reading the February 2024 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter. This month, we discuss the advertising rights of luxury resellers and important updates to the Warner Chappell Music v. Nealy...more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Time's Up: Supreme Court to Grapple with Damages Dilemma in Warner Chappell Music v. Nealy

On February 21, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in Warner Chappell Music, Inc. et al. v. Nealy et al. The case involves whether plaintiff music producer Sherman Nealy may recover damages for...more

Vondran Legal

Make sure the is proper STANDING for a federal copyright infringement action

Vondran Legal on

In every court case, a Plaintiff is required to establish that they are the "real party in interest" that suffered a "discrete and concrete injury." In a copyright case, this can get complicated with all the photo agency...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Whose Song Is It Anyway? Questions about Samples in Flo Rida and will.i.am’s Hit “In the Ayer” Soar to the Supreme Court

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On September 29, 2023, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Warner Chappell Music, Inc. v. Nealy, a case that should resolve a split among the U.S. Courts of Appeal relating to the scope of damages available to copyright...more

Venable LLP

Embedded Instagram Content Passes the Server Test, According to Ninth Circuit

Venable LLP on

On July 17, 2023, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the applicability of the "Server Test" to embedded content on third-party sites and affirmed dismissal of a copyright action in favor of defendant, social media platform Instagram....more

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Clarifies DMCA Injunction Burden

As a previous Wilson Sonsini Alert reported, Snail Games USA Inc. and Wildcard Properties LLC (collectively, “Snail”) sent a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notice to Valve Corporation (Valve) in order to...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

You Know His Name (Jason). You Know the Story (Friday the 13th). But Do You Know Who Owns Jason? The Second Circuit Does - and the...

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As of today, there have been twelve (yes, twelve!) movies released as part of the Friday the 13th series of horror films, as well as a television series. For those of you who have not seen any of these films, they are not for...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

When Pictures Aren’t Pictures: Real Estate Agent-Generated Floor Plans Are Outside Copyright Infringement Exception for Pictorial...

Examining whether the Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act enacted in 1990 protects the creation of floor plans, the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit held that such technical drawings generated for...more

Bracewell LLP

Artists Beware - Second Circuit Holds That Andy Warhol’s “Prince Series” Is Not a “Fair Use” of Copyrighted Photograph

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In a recent decision, Andy Warhol Found. for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith, the Second Circuit upset conventional thinking regarding the concept of “fair use” with wide ranging implications for artists and copyright...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

No Matter How Many Touched the Flowers, Single Infringement Begets Single Statutory Damages Award

In a dispute over the alleged infringement of a floral print textile design, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the plaintiff’s ownership of a valid copyright, but reversed and remanded for further...more

Fenwick & West LLP

Nicki Minaj Safeguards the Right for Artists to Experiment with Unlicensed Work

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On September 16, 2020, California federal judge Virginia A. Phillips ruled that Nicki Minaj’s use of Tracy Chapman’s copyrighted work in the creation of Minaj’s song “Sorry” was fair use. “Sorry” interpolated Chapman’s...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Hell 2 Da Naw Pay Up Statutory Damages Award

Addressing the proper procedure for electing statutory damages under the Copyright Act, the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the district court, agreeing that the plaintiff had properly informed the court of...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Second Circuit: No First Sale Doctrine for Reproduced Digital Files

Holding that reproduction of a digital file for purposes of resale does not fall under the “first sale” doctrine of the Copyright Act, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the district court’s grant of...more

Mintz - Trademark & Copyright Viewpoints

Monkeys Lack Standing to Sue for Copyright Infringement

Well, it’s official: Naruto, the crested macaque monkey who took photographs of himself while on a reserve on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia in 2011, lacks statutory standing under the US Copyright Act to sue for copyright...more

Genova Burns LLC

Monkey See, Monkey Sue: Ninth Circuit Finds Naruto Cannot Sue Under Copyright Act

Genova Burns LLC on

Last week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel affirmed dismissal of copyright infringement claims brought on behalf of a macaque monkey, Naruto, against a wildlife photographer. The Court found that Naruto had...more

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