On Monday the United States Supreme Court addressed a case of piracy about pirates. In a unanimous decision in Allen v. Cooper, the Supreme Court ruled that states have sovereign immunity against copyright infringement claims, based on both Court precedent and the language of the Copyright Remedy Clarification Act of 1990 (CRCA). The case
Copyrights
Business Owners: Are You Streaming Music?
By David S. Gold on
Posted in Copyrights, Right of Publicity
The digital age has not only transformed the manner in which individuals listen to music, but also the ease by which businesses can stream music into their public spaces. However, the convenience of digital media players and music streaming providers such as Apple Music, Pandora and Spotify has also made it far easier to run…
Peloton Strikes Back at Music Publishers
By William W. Stroever on
In March, news broke that stationary bike maker Peloton Interactive had been slapped with a copyright infringement lawsuit seeking more than $150 million in damages (Downtown Music Publishing LLC, et al. v. Peloton Interactive, Inc., Case No. 1:19-cv-02426 (S.D.N.Y.). The lawsuit, filed by ten music publishers, claimed that “more than 1,000 musical works”…
Copyright Clarity from the Supreme Court
By William W. Stroever on
Posted in Copyrights
For years, copyright owners have faced uncertainty as to when they could file a copyright infringement claim. Title 17 U.S.C. § 411(a) states that “no civil action for infringement of the copyright in any United States work shall be instituted until … registration of the copyright claim has been made in accordance with this title.”…
Blockchains & Intellectual Property for Startups
By Joseph B. Doll on
The value of technology-driven startup companies is often heavily dependent on a company’s ownership of intellectual property and the value associated with that intellectual property. Blockchains can serve an important role in proving ownership, usage, and ultimately the value of intellectual property.
Blockchains are a revolutionary technology that use a distributed network of computers (nodes)…