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
Copyright
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…
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.”…
More Than Just a Game
By William W. Stroever & Nicole Indelicato on
The issue of intellectual property used within video games is in the news again. If you haven’t already heard, wildly popular video game Fortnite features a dance called “Swipe It” that is the center of a pending lawsuit. Brooklyn-based rapper 2 Milly is claiming he created the dance in 2015 and the game’s creators swiped…
Music Modernization Act Signed Into Law
By David S. Gold & Emily I. Park on
Posted in Copyrights
On October 11, 2018, President Trump signed into law the long-anticipated Music Modernization Act (“MMA”), legislation focused on shepherding the existing music licensing system into the digital age. Among the highlights, the MMA provides for blanket mechanical licensing and a licensing collective charged with managing mechanical license royalty payments to composers and publishers. The MMA…