Alt Legal IP News – Issue #131
Justin Wickersham | March 19, 2019
Worried and Unhappy
– The EFF is worried about the ramifications of the Patent Office’s new patent eligibility guidelines.
– The Japanese government is putting some copyright amendments on hold because of concerns about chilling effects.
– House Democrats are beginning to look into some of the business dealings, including trademark registrations, of Ivanka Trump.
Get Offline
– In Germany Wikipedia will go offline for 24 hours this week to bring attention to proposed copyright changes.
– Senator Warren’s ads calling for the breakup of Facebook were briefly taken down because they “violated [Facebook’s] policies against the use of [their] corporate logo.”
– Creative Commons believes that copyright law might not protect you from having your face scanned. Companies can use that data in very intrusive ways.
Arcades, Tear Gas, and Hip-Hop
– What’s one way to stop car thieves? This car sprays them with tear gas.
– A Brooklyn-based arcade bar, Barcade, diligently enforces the company’s trademarked name. The owner says the name is “one of the biggest headaches” he has had.
– When is a threat to kill considered art rather than a legitimate threat?
Odds and Ends
– LegalForce, better known as Trademarkia, and LegalZoom are wrapped up in a trademark dispute. LegalZoom has the upper hand, for now.
– Google wants in on the folding phone resurgence.
– An outgoing Sony chairman wrote a harshly worded letter to streaming companies that are appealing the Copyright Royalty Board’s royalty rates.