The 20th anniversary of the creation of the first popular peer-to-peer file-sharing platform passed late last year with little fanfare. But back in its heyday, Napster stood the music industry on its head, sending major labels (Sony, Universal, EMI, etc.) into a...
The complex intersection of 3-D printing and IP law
Intellectual property law is based, in part, on tracing accountability. When a new product infringes upon an existing, protected IP, you can draw a line from the infringing item to a perpetrator. These connections can be much more difficult to trace when 3-D printers...
What is fair use?
As you conduct business, you must pay attention to the trade secrets that set your business products and services apart from those of competitors in the marketplace. You may be on either side of a potential controversy over intellectual property such as the following:...
Copyright infringement could involve more than direct use
When you imagine a copyright infringement dispute, you might picture two parties: the copyright holder and the party that allegedly used the copyrighted work improperly. However, it is possible for copyright infringement disputes to involve multiple parties. Some...
What is the difference between a trademark and copyright?
There are different types of protections for intellectual property. If you are not familiar with the options, it can become confusing to differentiate among them. However, there are distinct differences among the various forms of protection. Two common types of...
Appeals court reverses copyright decision in Taylor Swift case
A federal appeals court in California has ruled that a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against pop star Taylor Swift can go forward. The claim was originally dismissed by a judge in a lower court. The case before the court was filed by songwriters Sean Hall and...
U.S. House approves online copyright bill
On Oct. 22, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that would create a copyright small claims court for online content creators. The measure was approved by a vote of 410-6. The Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act, or the CASE Act, would...
Does copyright law protect web page content?
Whether your business focuses on local clientele or has an international reach, chances are you have a company website that provides information on your products and services. Your site may also contain unique content, such as blog posts, whitepapers or news articles....
Photographers losing money to thieves worldwide
When it comes to international copyright laws, most of the focus tends to be on music and movies. Every so often a software company may also make the news. But, what about photographers? According to ABC, photographers are losing income to news agencies, travel...
Does copyright protection cover digital content?
In many cases, it is easy to copy online content, such as digital photographs and text. As such, you may wonder if it is possible to copyright your online content and prevent others from using it without your permission. In most cases, you may protect your digital...
