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Fox Rothschild LLP

Influencer Aesthetic Dispute Resolves by Voluntarily Dismissal

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What has become known as the “Sad Beige Lawsuit” ended on May 28, 2025, when influencer Sydney Nicole Gifford (“Gifford”) voluntarily dismissed all claims against fellow influencer Alyssa Sheil (“Sheil”) with prejudice. The...more

Ropes & Gray LLP

Imitation Game: Legal Considerations with Dupes-Based Business Models

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Lower-cost products that are inspired by luxury or well-known branded products —often called “dupes”—have been a fixture in the consumer marketplace for decades. From store-brand pain relievers sold in similar packaging next...more

Clark Hill PLC

Surprise, Surprise: The “Sad Beige Lawsuit” ends

Clark Hill PLC on

The high-profile “Sad Beige Lawsuit” has ended between two prominent social media influencers, which begged the question, can you protect a personal “aesthetic” or “vibe?” On May 28, influencer Sydney Nicole Gifford...more

Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP

Gone from Copyright: Ninth Circuit Rejects Copyright Protection for Iconic “Eleanor” Shelby Mustang

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Court Narrows Scope of Character Copyright, Drawing Sharp Line Between Props and Protectable Expression - Not every film icon gets legal protection. On May 27, 2025, the Ninth Circuit ruled that Eleanor—the legendary Mustang...more

International Lawyers Network

Different Kinds of Cool That Still Just Don’t Register: Why Birkenstocks & Melted Rink Ice (AKA Water) Aren’t Copyrightable

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In 2015, the Wall Street Journal observed why Birkenstock sandals might be considered cool: “It’s a taboo thing,” said New York-based stylist Brian Coats, who dresses Jimmy Fallon....more

Clark Hill PLC

The “Sad Beige Lawsuit” and the Fight Over Social Media Influencer IP Rights

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Can you protect a personal “aesthetic” or “vibe?” Social media influencer Sydney Nicole Gifford believes so, as she recently sued fellow social media influencer Alyssa Sheil in Texas Federal Court, in what is now known as the...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Untwisting the Fixation Requirement: Flexible Rules on Moveable Sculptures

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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

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP

Andersen v. Stability AI: Defendants' Motion to Dismiss Narrows the Case, But Only Slightly

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In the lawsuit brought against them for using visual artists' work to teach their large language model, and producing near-identical copies in response to prompts, Stability AI, Midjourney, DeviantArt, and Runway AI moved to...more

Hogan Lovells

Setting the right example: China’s Supreme People’s Court selects the top 10 IP cases of 2017

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China’s Supreme People’s Court (“SPC”) has recently published its list of the “top 10 significant IP cases” for 2017, which it has done yearly since 2007. ...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Federal Court Rules Against Calzone Franchisor In Meaty Lawsuit Against Former Franchisee

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In a meaty decision involving the intersection of restrictive covenant and franchise law, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio recently denied a request by D.P. Dough Franchising, LLC (“D.P....more

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