Alt Legal IP News – Issue #105
Hannah Samendinger | September 11, 2018
Ins and Outs of Copyright
– This project is working to translate basic copyright and reuse terms into the 29 official languages of the European Union.
– Tomorrow the EU will hold a critical vote on the controversial Articles 11 and 13, which some claim will shape the future of the internet.
– The Ninth Circuit found that an IP address user cannot be held liable for copyright infringement by users sharing that IP address.
What Have You Learned?
– A brother and sister have launched a product aimed at solving a common household problem. The duo credits the ASU patent clinic with helping them get the idea off the ground.
– Here is an explanation of obtaining copyright protection for furniture.
– Over 40 online merchants have infringed the University of Arkansas’s trademarks, and must each pay $200,000 to the university.
– Yesterday the long battle over CRISPR patents came to a close.
Rule Makers
– Should there be a reality TV show about judges?
– A Texas ISP complained to a judge that they are being turned into “copyright police.”
– The USPTO is receiving pushback on their planned 2021 fee hikes.
– Disney is facing criticism for complaining about overzealous copyright holders.
Odds and Ends
– After several Harry Potter festivals were shut down, the Roanoke festival is now the “Generic Magic Festival.”
– The maker of OxyContin now has a patent for opioid addiction treatment. He is currently being sued by the Colorado Attorney General for OxyContin’s “significant role in causing the opioid epidemic.”
– An 80-year-old inventor is in a bitter feud with the USPTO, claiming the office is waiting for him to die.
– This is an interesting discussion on “autonomy of the student and their role in today’s institutions as it relates to creative rights and intellectual property.”
– Nominations for the 2019 Mark T. Banner Award for Contribution to Intellectual Property Law are now open. IP Watchdog is also seeking a Writer-Editor.