Three Broadcast Groups Deny Copyright Infringement in Unlicensed Radio Play
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Jan 19, 2023 in Copyrights
When you hear a song on the radio, what sorts of intellectual property law does that evoke? And if a radio station plays a song without obtaining the proper permission, what kind of trouble can that spell for the station? We are currently seeing this play out in a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by Global Music Rights against three different U.S. radio broadcast groups. Allowed Use or Copyright Infringement: How Radio Licensing Works Radio play […]
Continue ReadingBanksy Defends His Art Against Guess Copyright Infringement
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Dec 16, 2022 in Copyrights
If an artist’s message revolves around anti-commercialist values, is it hypocritical for them to employ copyright law to protect their own work? A swirl of questions like this surrounds a recent copyright infringement case involving Banksy and Guess. The mysterious, anonymous artist has been fighting the fashion giant to stop using his work on their clothing without his permission. Not Copyright Infringement: Guess Claims They Had “Legal Rights” to Use Banksy’s Work The fashion retailer […]
Continue ReadingLivestream Loophole Leads to Retroactive Infringement of Copyright Licensing
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Nov 17, 2022 in Copyrights
Does it ever pay to use intellectual property loopholes to save a few bucks? If you wish to remain disentangled from legal action, the answer is likely “No.” This is especially true in a complex area of copyright licensing like live televised events, since there may be different contracts addressing the initial airing of an event vs. subsequent airings. The owners of CJ’s Bar & Grill, a sports bar in Kingsport, TN, have learned this […]
Continue ReadingWhen “Unofficial” Does Not Excuse Copyright Infringement – Netflix Sues Over Unofficial Bridgerton Musical
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Oct 13, 2022 in Copyrights
If you inject the word “unofficial” into the title of a work, does that save you from copyright infringement troubles? Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the creators of the wildly successful Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, have been learning about this the hard way in recent months. The pair of Tik Tok musical influencers, known as Barlow and Bear, have progressed at a steady pace toward a live-action stage musical based on the hit Netflix show Bridgerton. […]
Continue ReadingWhy is Disney So Placid About Mickey Mouse Entering the Public Domain in 2024?
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Sep 1, 2022 in Copyrights
Who has two ears, two gloves, and lives in the happiest place on earth? Mickey Mouse is one of the most recognizable figures on the planet, and his likeness is owned by Disney. He is a valuable creative and commercial symbol indeed. Since the passage of the Copyright Act of 1976, we have been observing waves of previously copyrighted material entering the public domain. Now, in January 2024, we will see Mickey Mouse go through […]
Continue ReadingNew Platform Should Make Copyright Ownership Transfers Faster
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Aug 25, 2022 in Copyrights
Copyright ownership transfers is not something that most people immediately think about where copyright is concerned. They want to know how they get copyright on something they have created. What kinds of protections they have. How to fight back if someone violates that copyright. However, transferring copyright from the individual author or artist to a business entity is actually hugely important, because it is one of the major ways that the owner of copyrighted material […]
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