Alt Legal IP News – Issue # 170
Bri Van Til | January 07, 2020
2020 Vision
– This author argues that the ruling in Brammer v. Violent Hues Productions, LLC (4th Cir. 2019) was the most important copyright development last year. What excitement does 2020 hold?
– What big developments will 2020 bring for IP professionals? See what some industry insiders think.
– Here are a couple big fashion trademark cases heading to the Supreme Court in 2020.
– But far and away the most exciting thing happening in 2020 is Alt Legal Connect, a trademark conference with tracks for expanding your trademark knowledge and perfecting your firm operations. Our speakers will cover everything from cannabis branding and nontraditional trademarks to how to market your firm and avoid USPTO OED violations. There are still a few early-bird tickets available. Use the code “newsletter” for a discount.
The Public Domain
– The Rolling Stones published dozens of studio and live outtakes on YouTube and promptly removed the recordings the next day. This author argues it could be an attempt to extend EU copyrights.
– Here is a list of works that entered the public domain last week.
Women in Pop Music
– Miley Cyrus and Jamaican songwriter Michael May have settled over Cyrus’s “We Can’t Stop,” despite the song’s name.
– Whitney Houston’s estate is suing the makers of “The Whitney Houston Show” to stop the tribute show from using the late singer’s name.
– Katy Perry is demanding a retrial after she was ordered to pay $2.8 million for copyright infringement.
Odds and Ends
– President Trump has announced that he will sign Phase 1 of the trade deal with China, which includes increased protections for intellectual property.
– Bruce Lee’s daughter is suing Real Kungfu, a Chinese fast food chain, for using her father’s likeness in their branding.
– Apple has filed a patent for speaker technology that can simulate sound coming from anywhere in the room. I’m thinking of so many fun uses for this already!
– Baby Yoda might have a cosmetics line coming out.
– Update: The Goodyear Pimps and the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company have reached an agreement.