Friday, May 27, 2005

This Is Why You Don't Allow Exes to Keep the Negatives. The AP reports that "Woman sues Yahoo over nude photos." From the article: "Cecilia Barnes, 48, in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Multnomah County, claims an ex-boyfriend began posting unauthorized personal profiles of her containing the photos in December. The profiles included her e-mail address and work phone number."

Thursday, May 26, 2005

Doesn't Seem in Line with the Other Web Site Criticism Decisions. The AP reports that "Court Hears Falwell Web Domain Arguments." From the article: "A federal judge ruled last August the domain name was nearly identical to Falwell's Web site falwell.com and could confuse Web surfers — despite a disclaimer noting it is not affiliated with Falwell."

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Anyone Know What the Belgian Statute of Limitations is? E!Online reports that "Madonna Accused of Song-Napping." From the article: "Belgian composer Salvatore Acquaviva is suing the Material Mommy, accusing her of ripping off parts of his song for her 1998 worldwide hit 'Frozen' off the multiplatinum-selling album Ray of Light."

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

I Guess it Was Only a Matter of Time. The AP reports that "Publishers Protest Google Library Project." From the article: "The Association of American University Presses said in a letter to Google that the online search engine's library project 'appears to involve systematic infringement of copyright on a massive scale.'"

Sunday, May 22, 2005

That Just Sounds Far Too Limiting. I can think of a number of "reimaginings" of Shakespeare that would not have passed muster. The AP reports that "Racial Switch Halts 'Huck Finn' Production." From the article: "'But when you're dealing with a theatrical work and race or ethnicity is a key factor, many authors or playwrights feel strongly that ethnicity has to be reflected in the actors who portray the characters,' he said."

Friday, May 20, 2005

Back from INTA. And in trademark news, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that "Nelly in trademark dispute over clothing line name." From the article: "Two Florida men, who put out two singles in the 1990s under the name Vokal, claim that Nelly began using the name Vokal after one of their songs became a modest hit. Last year, they filed suit against Nelly in Florida seeking damages for trademark infringement."

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

So How Many Free iPods Were Involved... The AP reports that "Eminem's Label Agrees to Settlement Over Ad." From the article: "In February 2004, Ferndale-based Eight Mile Style filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Detroit against MTV, Apple, MTV's parent Viacom Inc. and advertising agency TBWA/Chiat/Day. The recording company claimed Apple used one of the rapper's hit songs in an advertisement without permission."
The ITC Seems to be Seeing More Action. Reuters reports that "Lilly files U.S. complaint over fake Cialis imports." From the article: "The U.S. International Trade Commission said on Tuesday it was investigating complaints against several Internet-based companies offering imported impotence and other drugs via mail order."

Thursday, May 05, 2005

Can You List Pigeons as Inventors? Reuters reports that "Google trying to patent news ranking by quality." From the article: "The technology Google is attempting to patent may help the company choose the most reliable information sources, although some Web commentators have said it will create a bias toward mainstream news sources."

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

So What Exactly Do You Have to Do to Earn this Badge? BoingBoing reports on the latest Boy Scout merit badge in "Boy Scout badge in Intellectual Property." From the write-up: "'The Intellectual Property Badge Award Program will provide thousands of young people -- future leaders -- with a better understanding of the value of intellectual property and of the importance of protecting it,' Mike Ellis, senior vice president of the MPA, said in a press release."
Is 'West' More Distinctive in the EU that in the US? The AP reports that "EU to Weigh in on Westlife Trademark Case." From the article: "The German company has challenged an attempt by the Irish crooners to register the name of their group as a trademark, claiming it's too similar to its previously registered trademarks using the word 'west.'"
This Could Get Ugly. Reuters reports that "US Steps Up Pressure on China Over Copyrights." From the article: "The U.S. moves could show that China's protection of intellectual property 'fails to meet the standards of effective criminal enforcement,' and they represent an initial step in engaging China in the WTO process, said Eric Smith, president of the International Intellectual Property Alliance."

Monday, May 02, 2005

Those Counterclaims Can be a ... Internetnews.com reports that "HP, EMC End Patent Dispute." From the article: "On Sept. 30, 2002, HP sued EMC saying the storage specialist had infringed seven HP patents. EMC countersued later that day with infringement claims of its own."

Sunday, May 01, 2005

More on Apple's Woes. Internetnews.com has more on Tiger Direct's lawsuit in "Lawsuit Could Cage Apple's Tiger." From the article: "Online retailer Tiger Direct filed papers Thursday asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Florida to grant Apple a restraining order and an injunction."
The Real News is that the Movie is Actually Based on History... E!Online reports that "'Kingdom' Comes to Copyright Spat." From the article: "James Reston Jr., a noted author and expert on the Crusades, is accusing the filmmakers of stealing parts of his 2001 tome, Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade, for the big-budget would-be blockbuster due out next week."