Judge Richard J. Sullivan granted plaintiff Capitol Records’ motion for summary judgment on its copyright claims against digital music file reseller ReDigi.  ReDigi’s online platform allows users to upload and resell songs purchased from online retailers, and deletes the origin file once a song is posted for sale.  Judge Sullivan held that ReDigi is “distributing [...]

The Supreme Court decided in Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. that the first sale doctrine applies to book purchases made overseas. This means that it is legal to import large amounts of books manufactured, marketed, and sold overseas into the United States. This means that a copyright owner cannot segment the international market [...]

Last week’s Supreme Court decision in Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. left many IP geeks like myself scratching our heads.  On Tuesday, the Court, led by Justice Breyer, held that the first sale doctrine applies to copyrighted goods “lawfully made” abroad. For some background, Supap Kirtsaeng was a student from Thailand who moved to [...]

Three cases are currently pending in the U.S. District Courts that will have a significant impact on the patent industry and the practice of patent law: Am. Inst. of Physics v. Schwegman, Lundbert & Wessner, P.A.;  John Wiley & Sons Ltd. v. McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP; and Am. Inst. of Physics v. Winstead PC.  The [...]

Will instructional videos and Internet slowdowns stop you from downloading illegally?  After the demise of the SOPA/PIPA legislation, Internet Service Providers’ (ISPs) and media groups are counting on it.  Put in to place this week, the new “Six Strikes” anti-piracy program, officially known as the Copyright Alert System (CAS) is a multi-step warning program designed [...]

FASTRA, a bill that would provide free access to copyrighted published material that is based on public-funded research, was re-introduced to both houses of Congress.

On February 13, 2013, U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III held that Fox Entertainment Group, Inc. had not infringed the copyrights of Everette Hallford with its show “Touch.”  Kiefer Sutherland and the show’s writer Richard Kring were also named as defendants in the suit. Everette Hallford claimed that “Touch” bore a remarkable resemblance to [...]

When purchased, a cellphone is “locked” into the network of the carrier through which it was bought.  In the past, cellphones have been “unlocked” by consumers so that they can work on any network–this has been useful for international travelers as well as people who just enjoy the freedom to choose a phone with whichever [...]

A trial-date has been set to determine whether Paramount Pictures holds the copyright to the classic Italian film, “La Dolce Vita.”  On February 12, International Media Films will go before a New York court in an attempt to strip Paramount of its ownership of the Federico Fellini film.  IMF plans to challenge the authenticity of [...]

“Lip-dubs,” or videos combining audio-dubbing and numerous individuals collectively lip-sync a popular song, were all the rage on YouTube, Vimeo, and other user-generated content sites just a few short years ago.  Countless university students, corporate employees, and even summer camp attendees took part in this craze, posting their original creations on the Internet for the [...]