As almost any creative person will tell you, “They stole my idea!” is part occupational hazard and part inside joke. Why? Because it is incredibly easy to have an idea or a concept for something, and the more ideas you come up with, the more likely it is that you will...
Back in 2012, Beyoncé and JayZ attempted to get a trademark for the name of their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, not long after her birth. Their reason? The Carters did not want people profiting off of their little girl’s name and saw the trademark registration as a means...
Back in July we shared a story about ‘80s and ‘90s reggae duo Steely & Clevie. They are suing several reggaeton artists for using the drum beat Steely & Clevie created for their song “Fish Market.” In the years since the duo recorded that drum beat, it has...
If you are like a lot of small business owners, you may not have given a whole lot of thought to protecting your intellectual property (IP) assets. You are probably extremely busy just trying to keep the lights on and grow your business into something sustainable....
In the age of TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, music plays a pivotal role in creating engaging content. Whether it is a catchy background tune or a trending song, the right music can elevate a video and make it go viral. However, as the use of music on social media...
MGA Entertainment has been ordered to pay a hefty $71.5 million in damages to Tameka “Tiny” Harris, her husband T.I., and the teen pop group OMG Girlz. The verdict in the IP lawsuit follows a three-week trial that accused the toy makers of stealing the looks, name,...
In a recent landmark ruling, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) made a major change in how works of applied art – think designer furniture, sculptures, and other creative items – receive copyright protection across the EU. The ruling says that as long...
Imagine you are an internet provider. You offer a service that lets people stream, browse, and download content. However, some of those users are engaging in illegal activities — like pirating copyrighted music. What do you do? What are you responsible for?...