Category: Copyright Infringement
Owners of Hit “Happy Together” Lose Copyright Case in Florida
Are recordings made before 1972 subject to copyright protection?
The owners of The Turtles’ hit song “Happy Together” sued Sirius XM Radio seeking enforcement of its rights in federal court in Florida. Recently, Florida’s highest court ruled that the owners of the popular song could not force radio stations to pay for its use of...
Continue reading…Court Issues Novel Copyright Decision Based on Dr. Phil Videos
What is fair use?
A unique copyright infringement lawsuit involving television personality Dr. Phil recently lead to a novel copyright decision. The case started in 2015, when Leah Rothman, a director on Dr. Phil’s show, filed a lawsuit against Dr. Phil, accusing him of inflicting emotional distress and falsely imprisoning her. Rothman alleges that Dr....
Continue reading…Paul McCartney Settles Lawsuit with Sony/ATV to Reclaim Copyrights
Singer Paul McCartney recently settled his lawsuit against Sony/ATV Music Publishing which sought to reclaim copyrights to several Beatles songs. McCartney had originally filed suit on January 18, seeking to be declared the holder of copyrights to several songs, including “Hey Jude.” “Yesterday,” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” McCartney...
Continue reading…The Fair Use Defense Explained
What is the fair use defense to copyright infringement?
A recent court case involving LeBron James’ tattoo could set important case precedent on the issue of the fair use defense. In the case, Solid Oak Sketches, the owner of James’ prominent lion’s head tattoo, filed suit against Take-Two Interactive...
Continue reading…Creator of the Wall Street Bull Accuses “Fearless Girl” of Copyright Violation
Does the “Fearless Girl” statute infringe on the copyright of the “Charging Bull”?
The 7,000-pound bronze statue of a charging bull has long been a part of New York City’s landscape. Created in the 1980’s by artist Arturo Di Modica, the bull located outside of the New York Stock Exchange was...
Continue reading…Photographer Carol Highsmith Seeks $1 Billion from Getty for Copyright Violation
Are images in the public domain allowed to be sold by others?
Carol Highsmith is a celebrated photographer whose works have been featured in books, magazines, and even on two postage stamps. Highsmith is also known for her willingness to share her images to the public, with thousands of...
Continue reading…Taylor Swift Has Shaken Off a Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
Are similar lyrics enough to prove copyright infringement?
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized use of another’s artistic work. This type of infringement often occurs with works of art, photographs, writing and songs. Recently, a fellow musician filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against pop singer Taylor Swift.
Jesse Braham filed lawsuit...
Continue reading…Surprising Aspects of Copyright Laws
How is it possible that the song "Happy Birthday to You" is Still Under Copyright?
The complexities of copyright law can be confusing and even, at times, absurd. At it turns out, the song "Happy...
Continue reading…Two Circuit Courts Disagree Regarding Copyright, Fair Use and Transformative Use Law
In a significant rebuff, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently questioned and disregarded the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit’s analysis regarding the fair use and transformative use legal defenses to copyright infringement.
In 2013, the Second Circuit had determined that, in Cariou...