Alt Legal IP News – Issue #140
Justin Wickersham | May 28, 2019
Famous People
– In the wake of rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle’s death, the Crips are seeking a trademark registration for one of his slogans.
– Kim and Kanye never wait long to file a trademark application for their baby names.
– Cardi B called out TMZ for using a recently filed trademark application to stir up speculation about her upcoming projects.
Copyright Corner
– A Texas school district has been ordered to pay $9.2 million for copyright infringement.
– Two decades after their hit song came out, the Verve may start to finally receive royalties for their song “Bittersweet Symphony.”
– The lawsuit between the creator of Pepe the Frog and Infowars will go to trial.
– DC Comics lost a copyright infringement suit against an Indonesian snack company.
Big Brands
– Ai Wei-Wei, a Chinese artist, is suing Volkswagen for including his work in one of their ads.
– Dyson may be getting into the car business.
– Amazon may be recording you, even before you say “Alexa.”
Odds and Ends
– A serial rapist in China used a doctored manhole cover patent to help him escape from prison.
– The Supreme Court recently decided that a trademark licensor in bankruptcy cannot prevent a licensee from continuing to operate under the license.
– A satirical Canadian website has been ordered to pay $23,000 for trademark infringement.
– A cannabis trademark dispute highlights deeper problems of gender and leadership in the industry.