Alt Legal IP News – Issue #67
Hannah Samendinger | December 12, 2017
Check out our latest episode of Alt Trademarks. This episode features Josh Jarvis of Foley Hoag. We discuss his role at the firm and his appearance in the recent “Don’t Say Velcro” video.
Play the Hits
– A judge approved a deal for the production of a documentary about Prince’s life, which is estimated to earn his estate an eight-figure sum.
– A Brooklyn brewery received a cease and desist from Beyoncé after the release of their Bïeryoncé pilsner.
-An LA-based blockchain company just completed its first ISO, initial song offering, as part of a pilot project, selling non-US residents up to 10% of the copyright of a Drake song.
The Big Screen
– A federal judge is allowing trademark and copyright infringement claims to move forward against a Star Trek and Dr. Seuss crowd-funded mashup.
– A streaming company that has previously gone after Netflix and Hulu has sued Apple for patent infringement.
– Disney is claiming that a character-for-hire business is tarnishing the Disney image.
– Reese Witherspoon and David Fincher have been slapped with a multi-million dollar lawsuit for copyright infringement of Gone Girl.
– In advance of the release of Star Wars Episode VIII, here is an interesting look at thecreation and scope of the Star Wars intellectual property empire.
Food (and Drink) for Thought
– After a lawsuit over the phrase “Damn Good Tacos,” a Colorado taco shop changed their name to DGT, allowing an Austin-based taco chain to continue using the contested phrase, but they are also facing social media backlash.
– A trademark dispute between two premade cocktail manufacturers, Buzzballs and Buzzbox, is reaching new heights after the initial litigation three years ago.
– Amazon may be getting into the gardening business.
Odds and Ends
– Check out this fascinating preview of a forthcoming book by law professor Kara Swanson, which examines how “historically marginalized groups have utilized the patent system as a means of working toward social equality.”
– Suffolk University is joining 20 others nationwide by offering a 2-year JD program.
– Here’s an interesting follow-up to the article I linked to last week about a clever cease and desist letter delivered by Bud Light.
– Were these the “stupidest patents of 2017?”
– Interestingly, intellectual property plays a key role in this story about the rise, fall, and return of the video game Dance Dance Revolution.
– A popular paper company, Rifle Paper Co., is taking on Walmart for allegedly ripping off their signature designs.