Alt Legal IP News – Issue #43
Hannah Samendinger | June 20, 2017
Alt Trademarks is back! We are kicking off our next round of episodes with an interview with Ryan Morrison of Morrison Lee. We talk video games and Reddit AMAs. Check out the episode here.
The Big News
– The Slants case was decided! If you haven’t already, check out the opinion here. You can also read a summary and analysis here.
– This decision was almost 70 years in the making.
– The internet is full of speculations about what this will mean for previously refused marks, specifically for the Redskins. The ACLU previously wrote a blog post on the issue, using a Big Lebowski quote to sum up their stance: “You’re Not Wrong, You’re Just An A**hole.”
– A First Nations artist has created a culturally appropriate version of the Blackhawks logo, but he no longer owns the rights to it.
– The other big news this week? Gene Simmons filed a trademark application for the Devil Horns hand gesture.
– The sign also means “I love you” in ASL and is similar to a recently released emoji. It’s also very similar to my alma mater’s “Hook ‘Em” hand gesture, which UT’s president was quick to point out.
Sing It Loud
– Drake had a rare copyright victory in a New York court. The judge found his sampling of a spoken word jazz track to be fair use.
– In Nevada, after almost a decade in court, another judge found that the Jersey Boys authors fairly used an unpublished biography.
– Lynyrd Skynyrd members are heading to court over a movie about the group’s plane crash and the blood oath the survivors took after.
Can You Do That?
– Flag Day was June 14th. This article poses an interesting question: On Flag Day, What Flag Can You Protect?
– China approved 9 trademark applications they had previously rejected. Can you guess who the applicant was?
– The same person had some unused trademarks renewed in Russia in 2016.
Odds and Ends
– Salt Lake City Comic Con is facing a challenge from the creators of San Diego’s Comic Con, who claim rights to the phrase “comic con.”
– Amazon made the news this week for their $13.7 billion purchase of Whole Foods. They were also granted a patent that stops you from price comparing while in their stores.
– The Taj Mahal Palace of Mumbai became the first Indian building to receive trademark protection.
– The gif turned 30! Here’s a review of the potential copyright issues relating to gifs.