Taylor Swift Copyright Infringement Case Goes to Trial
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Jan 27, 2022 in Copyrights
Monthly Archives from January 2022
Mega-pop-star Taylor Swift finds herself going to trial for copyright infringement over two phrases from her major hit “Shake It Off”: “players gonna play” and “haters gonna hate.” The case has climbed the judicial ladder for several years, starting with the lawsuit brought by Sean Hall and Nathan Butler in 2017. They wrote the song “Playas Gon’ Play” for the girl group 3LW in 2001. Swift released “Shake It Off” in 2014. You can hear […]
Continue ReadingInside the Trademark Modernization Act
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Jan 21, 2022 in Intellectual Property
Is the number of available trademarks finite? No, but you should be asking a different question: is the number of effective trademarks finite? Absolutely. In the past few years, trademark registrations have soared, with a noticeable uptick from applicants in China. But in-use trademarks have not risen in parallel – so the system has become cluttered with “deadwood.” This depletes the number of viable marks available for active business owners. Trademark depletion is not just […]
Continue ReadingJanuary 1, 2022: Public Domain Day
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Jan 13, 2022 in Intellectual Property
January 1, 2022 was not just New Year’s Day in the intellectual property world. It also marked Public Domain Day, when a new wave of works became unlocked from the registered copyrights. In 2022, this means that songs, books, films, and other expressive works from 1926 are now in the public domain. What Is the Public Domain? Put simply, materials in the public domain are not protected by copyright, trademark, or patent laws. You […]
Continue ReadingHappy New Year Tips for Business Owners
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Jan 6, 2022 in Business' Intellectual Property
Welcome to 2022! I thought we could start off the new year with a few tips for business owners to help prevent bigger problems in the future. Identify Intellectual Property Assets of Your Company – and Document in an Inventory Sheet Make a list of all intellectual property assets that are important to the success of your company. This includes all trademarks, patents, and copyrights. Make sure you are keeping track of the maintenance deadlines […]
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