December, 2022

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The Year in Copyright: 2022 Gives Creators Hope for the Future

IP Watchdog

The Constitution empowers Congress to enact federal copyright laws because the Founders recognized that the best way to advance the public interest is by enabling creators to pursue their own private interests. The copyright system secures uniform property rights to creators across the nation as a reward for their productive labors and as incentive for them to profit in the marketplace.

Copyright 141
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5 Ways Copyright Has Shaped the Holidays

Plagiarism Today

The holiday season is upon us, and it’s safe to say that festivities are kicking into high gear. However, as you enjoy your favorite seasonal traditions, it’s important to remember that, just like most things in our lives, copyright has had a role in shaping it. Whether it’s a movie becoming a holiday classic due to it being (briefly) in the public domain, holiday songs still very much under copyright, multiple legal questions around a children’s classic or some long-running myths that have chan

Copyright 265
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Recent USPTO comments highlight the extent and breadth of trademark scams

Erik K Pelton

The USPTO recently submitted comments to the FTC regarding its proposed rulemaking, Rule on Impersonation of Government and Businesses. The USPTO comments, submitted on December 2, 2022, highlight the wide range of scams that are impacting the trademark system today, and their tremendous impact on all types of trademark operations. Some quotes from the USPTO comments: Specifically, scams involving the impersonation of the USPTO are prevalent, and, as a result, intellectual property owners have s

Trademark 326
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Can someone’s face be a trade mark?

The IPKat

The trade mark that Maartje Verhoef sought to register In a world in which the legal tools available to protect one’s own likeness and persona vary significantly – with some countries, e.g., providing for strong image rights protection [see the case of Italy here , here and here ] and others not even acknowledging the very existence of self-standing image rights [that is the case of the UK: here ] – the question posed in the title of this post is an intriguing one.

Copyright 145
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IPO Diversity in Innovation Toolkit

Women and diverse employees have the technical skill and knowledge, yet their contributions are not patented at the same rate as those of their male counterparts.This toolkit can help organizations move the needle on achieving gender parity in innovation.

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Generative AI is here: How tools like ChatGPT could change your business

McKinsey Operations

Generative AI and other foundation models are changing the AI game, taking assistive technology to a new level, reducing application development time, and bringing powerful capabilities to nontechnical users.

Business 145
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UK Govt: Netflix Password Sharing is Illegal & Potentially Criminal Fraud

TorrentFreak

Following a limited launch in 2007 with just 1,000 titles, Neflix now carries more than 6,600 movies and TV shows for the enjoyment of more than 223 million subscribers. There’s little doubt that Netflix password sharing contributed to the company’s growth and by publicly condoning it, the practice was completely normalized – globally.

More Trending

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London Brands Seminar: NFTs and the Metaverse

JD Supra Law

On 16 November 2022, partners Joel Smith and Sahira Khwaja and other members of our London brands team, hosted a client seminar on the ‘Metaverse’, including a lively panel discussion with Nicola Wood, Chartered Trade Mark Attorney from Group Legal at Vodafone and Simon Baggs, President of Brand and Content Protection at Corsearch, together with Oliver Wilson, Counsel in our Commercial and Regulatory team at Hogan Lovells.

Branding 142
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Why Restaurants Need Trademark Registration

Erik K Pelton

The following is an edited transcript of my video Why Restaurants Need Trademark Protection. I love restaurants for many reasons. I love a great meal, I love supporting small local businesses, and I have a connection to the restaurant industry: my wife and my brother-in-law own two restaurants. I’ve seen firsthand the power of protecting a restaurant brand.

Trademark 299
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How artificial intelligence works in relation to copyright

The IPKat

Kat friend Jakub Wyczik provides an enlightening discussion of how AI and the law, especially copyright, intersect, with particular attention to the technical operation of AI. Images generated using text-to-image technology, including DALL-E 2 , Midjourney , and Stable Diffussion , have become a main topic in AI. Not only do many express wonder about how these systems work, but there is even doubt whether such users even have rights to such outputs.

Copyright 145
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The secret to great health? Escaping the healthcare matrix

McKinsey Operations

The blueprint to achieve a lifetime of great health is increasingly clear and within our control. But unlocking it requires challenging the orthodoxies currently guiding individuals and institutions.

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Best of 2014: Redskins decision: The present judges the past

Likelihood of Confusion

Originally posted on June 18, 2014. I’ve been writing about the dispute over the REDSKINS trademark on this blog more or less since the beginning of the blog itself. Today. The post Best of 2014: Redskins decision: The present judges the past appeared first on LIKELIHOOD OF CONFUSION™.

Trademark 133
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Senate Judiciary Set to Consider Pride in Patent Ownership Bill Amid Opposition

IP Watchdog

As the Senate Judiciary Committee gears up for an Executive Business Meeting Thursday where members will in part consider S.2774, the Pride in Patent Ownership Act, co-sponsored by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), a number of patent advocacy organizations have sent a joint letter to the committee asking it to oppose the bill. The Pride in Patent Ownership Act (PPOA) is seemingly intended to ensure that the public has access to information about the true owner of a patent.

Ownership 140
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The Bill C-18 Fallout: Liberal MP Lisa Hepfner Equates Linking to News Articles on Facebook to Theft

Michael Geist

Last month, Liberal MP Lisa Hepfner shocked Canadian online news outlets by stating that “ they’re not news.They’re not gathering news. They’re publishing opinion only.” The comments sparked instant criticism from news outlets across the country, leading Hepfner to issue a quick apology. In the aftermath of the comments, Hepfner said nothing for weeks at Heritage committee studying Bill C-18.

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exciting DMCA times on my side blog

43(B)log

I received a DMCA notice for my wooden puzzle blog! It was a review of Unidragon's Alluring Fox (332 pieces). Google did not, interestingly enough, actually provide the notice, so I don't yet know whether this was overenforcement by Unidragon (which has a counterfeiting problem by makers of cheap knockoff puzzles) or something even more bizarre. Google instead directs me to Lumen to look up the notice, but Lumen doesn't seem to have posted it yet, so that's a tad frustrating.

Blogging 130
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[BREAKING] CJEU issues decision in Louboutin's online marketplace trade mark battle

The IPKat

The IPKat would love red, if he could see it For those who are doing last minute holiday shopping for loved ones , may Merpel suggest some deliciously crafted shoes? Possibly ones with a red sole? That red sole has been famous on film, red carpets and in IP circles for many years. It has become even more famous in IP circles thanks to today's Court of Justice of the European Union's decision (currently available in French only) in the joined Louboutin/Amazon cases (C-148/21 and C-184-21) followi

IP 143
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ALLEA Statement on Open Access Publication under “Big Deals” and the New Copyright Rules

Kluwer Copyright Blog

The increasing costs of publication under the Gold Open Access model and “Big Deals”. The European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA) has for many years supported the move away from proprietary models of scientific publishing towards Open Access (OA). [1] OA publication of publicly funded scientific research bears the triple promise of (1) fostering access to published research and knowledge by researchers, and the general public, all over the world; (2) recognising that

Copyright 130
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Company ‘Hijacks’ Blender’s CC BY-Licensed Film, YouTube Strikes User

TorrentFreak

The Blender Institute develops Blender, a free and open source 3D graphics tool used to create animated films. “Blender is Free Software. Free to Use. Free to Change. Free to Share. Free to Sell Your Work,” a statement from Blender reads. The team at Blender Studio drive Blender development by providing help and training courses to Blender users in an open environment, sharing everything in public and making all content available under free licenses.

Licensing 130
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The IP News that Mattered Most in 2022, According to You

IP Watchdog

Here we are again at the end of a year—this one the first in several where courts and business proceeded mostly as usual and relatively free of shutdowns and delays due to the pandemic. We had surprising denials at the Supreme Court, expected rulings from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, a flurry of activity from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) under newly appointed Director, Kathi Vidal, and some exciting precedents set in the rapidly evolving area of inventions a

IP 138
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Prager’s Lawsuit Over Biased Content Moderation Decisively Fails Again (This Time, in State Court)–Prager v. YouTube

Technology & Marketing Law Blog

Adam Kovacevich has defined the “Prager Effect” as “suing Big Tech to make your MAGA censorship allegation, resulting in Courts significantly strengthening platforms’ legal rights to moderate.” Prager, which makes misleading videos that appear designed to radicalize kids to the MAGA agenda, sued YouTube over its demonetization decisions, claiming that YouTube had engaged in biased content moderation.

Contracts 129
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Collateral Estoppel Beats Precedent Every Time

Patently-O

by Dennis Crouch. I like to think of collateral estoppel alongside binding precedent. Both involve a set of (at least) two separate cases, and the question is always whether some conclusion drawn in the earlier action forecloses relitigation of same (or similar) issue in the latter action. Precedent is broader because it applies across-the-board regardless of the parties involved.

Patent 128
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Africa IP Highlights #3: Patents, other IPRs and reforms in IP policy, legislation and administration

The IPKat

This post is the third and final instalment in the “Africa IP Highlights 2022" series of posts highlighting some of the key developments in IP in Africa in 2022. The first 2 posts covered copyright and trade marks. As previously stated, the Africa IP Highlights 2022 is the result of collaboration between myself and and Doreen Adoma Agyei and Clarisse Mideva.

IP 133
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‘Future vehicles require future insurance’

McKinsey Operations

In an interview with McKinsey’s Tanguy Catlin, Andrew Rose of OnStar Insurance discusses how telematics data will usher in a new era of auto insurance.

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How the Government Is Using Bill C-18 to Pick Media Winners and Losers

Michael Geist

Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez’s claim that Bill C-18, the Online News Act, was a hands-off approach was never really credible , but the clause-by-clause review of the bill has taken the government picking media winners and losers to another level. It was always readily apparent that the bill represents an unprecedented government intervention into the Canadian media sector with the extensive power wielded by the CRTC as it sets regulations and the ground rules for the mandatory arbi

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Michael Bynum Names New Defendants in Proposed Amended Complaint to 12th Man Copyright Lawsuit

IP Watchdog

On November 23, sportswriter Michael Bynum and his publishing label Epic Sports filed a motion for leave to file a second amended complaint and a proposed second amended complaint in the Southern District of Texas. The filings seek to revive copyright infringement claims filed by Bynum against employees at Texas A&M University for their roles in unauthorized distributions of Bynum’s biography of E.

Copyright 128
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Factual Disputes Preclude Grant of Summary Judgment of Improper Inventorship

JD Supra Law

Plastipak Packaging, Inc. v. Premium Waters, Inc. Before Newman, Stoll, and Stark. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. Summary: An overwhelming amount of evidence in favor of summary judgment is not sufficient if the nonmoving party presents evidence on which a reasonable factfinder could rely.

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‘House of the Dragon’ Is The Most Pirated TV-Show of 2022

TorrentFreak

At the end of every year, we take a look at the most-downloaded TV episodes among torrenting pirates. For several years in a row the list was headed by Game of Thrones but that reign came to an end in 2019 after the series ended. This changing of the guard made room for two Disney+ exclusives to step in. In 2020, ‘The Mandalorian’ was the most pirated show, followed by ‘Wandavision’ in 2021.

Copyright 121
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How "gaslighting" became the 2022 dictionary word of the year

The IPKat

If you used the word "gaslighting" recently, you are not alone. Merriam-Webster, the dictionary people, recently selected it as the 2022 "word of the year". [ Merpel grouses—"you are such a nerd", with the rest of the world following the World Cup ]. Whatever, the story of how the word went from the name of a theatre production to a movie(s) name to common parlance is a fascinating tale of how visual and experiential contents seep into daily lexiconic use.

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How personalization at scale can invigorate Asian insurers

McKinsey Operations

The surge in digital consumer interactions is making possible a new era of gathering, analyzing, and responding to individual customer data strategically and with precision.

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Urgent call to action! Call @SenatorLeahy to Support the American Music Fairness Act (202) 224-4242

The Trichordist

We have a chance to make history today––the American Music Fairness Act, our bi-partisan congressional bill, is on the runway to pass but we need the support… Read more "Urgent call to action! Call @SenatorLeahy to Support the American Music Fairness Act (202) 224-4242".

Music 122
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Bracing for Impact 2022: AI for the Future of Health – Panel Discussion

IPilogue

Gregory Hong is an IPilogue Writer and a 1L JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. Photo by Buda Photography. On November 9, IP Osgoode, Reichman University and Microsoft hosted the first in-person Bracing for Impact Conference since 2019. The conference focused on “The Future of AI for Society.” While AI is full of exciting possibilities, real-world application and integration are relatively nascent.

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Key U.S. Supreme Court Developments in 2022 and Outlook for 2023

IP Watchdog

It’s that time again. As 2022 has come and (almost) gone, it’s time to look back at the exciting grants and surprising denials of certiorari petitions involving patent and trademark matters by the Supreme Court of the United States, and what to look forward to from the Court in 2023. In 2022 the Supreme Court docket was relatively light on intellectual property matters.

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Smart Wallets and Measuring Credibility of the Prior Art

Patently-O

by Dennis Crouch. “Smart wallets” are growing in popularity. I have one branded FIDELO with a carbon-fiber case that claims to block scammers trying to read the chip on my credit card. I think of these generally as “smart wallets” but I learned today that the company Storus has a registered trademark for that term. What should I call them now?

Art 120
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The interpretation of trade mark goods and services: what about that definition in the regulation?

The IPKat

Kat friend Marcel Pemsel, who will shortly publish as a full-fledged Guest Kat, already shares his thoughts on a recent trademark decision by the General Court concerning that favorite of trade mark questions: what does the specification of goods and services cover? Interpreting the list of goods and services in trade mark law can be a tricky task. Many terms have a clear and precise meaning.

Law 127
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Author Talks: The simple way to get more great ideas

McKinsey Operations

Stanford’s Jeremy Utley proposes approaching creativity with a “begun” mentality, where innovation is incorporated into daily practice instead of occurring only in sprints.

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Technologies for Enhancing Cannabis Bioavailability and Their Legal Methods of Protection

JD Supra Law

The following post explores the bioavailability and efficacy of various cannabis products, followed by a brief overview of the legal protection afforded to each as an intellectual property asset.

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SpicyIP Tidbits: IPO deals with formalities and reasons!

SpicyIP

Image from here. We have two interesting IPO related tidbits for you. Read on ahead! 1. The Delhi Court rebuked the incomprehensible reasoning of the Assistant Controller of Patents & Designs: The incomprehensibility of judgments is not a new issue , and the Supreme Court has even given some tips for judgment writing recently. Surprising no one though, it still happens repeatedly, and this time a court gnashed at a gobbledygook(y) order.

Patent 118