This post is an update. Read the original post here. We previously reported on the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) announcement that in Spring 2022 parties filing trademark applications would have to provide biometric data and other personal information to a private company, ID.me. These requirements raised privacy issues as well as concerns […]
Read moreYear: 2022
50-Year Anniversary of Federal Copyright Protection for Sound Recordings
Sound recordings — i.e., the recorded versions of musical works — were not protected by federal copyright law until Congress passed legislation on February 15, 1972, giving them limited protection. Until the passage of Title II of the Music Modernization Act (“MMA”) in 2018, sound recordings created before February 15, 1972 were only protected to […]
Read moreStamping Out Uyghur Culture: The Winter Olympics Shine a Light on Misappropriation of Traditions
The Winter Olympics underway in Beijing are fraught with controversy. Both the United States and the United Kingdom imposed a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics to protest China’s grave human rights violations. Athletes are up in arms over the requirement that they download a state-owned digital surveillance app. Amidst the many voices of protest against […]
Read moreAn Expensive Copyright Mistake?
We have previously written about some of the legal issues surrounding the current NFT craze. Issuing an NFT presumes that the creator of the NFT owns the necessary rights to the underlying work. Did the group Spice DAO misunderstand this, costing them $3 million and a lot of embarrassment? Spice DAO stands for Spice Decentralized Autonomous […]
Read moreFree the Australian Indigenous Flag: Addendum
This post is an update. Read the original post here. The “Free the Flag” campaign in Australia has come to what is generally seen as a happy resolution. We previously reported on the long-simmering controversy over rights to the Aboriginal flag, which was designed in 1971 as a protest symbol by Indigenous artist and copyright […]
Read more2022 Brings New Requirements Via ID.me for Filing Trademark Applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office
In August, 2018, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) announced that effective April 9, 2022 all parties, including lawyers, individuals or representatives of large or small businesses wishing to file a trademark application, will be required to have a USPTO.gov account and provide certain personal information to establish their identity. ID.me, a third […]
Read moreTrademark Owners: Beware of Scams
As IP lawyers we frequently receive emails from our clients asking us if official-looking unsolicited correspondence they have received about upcoming trademark deadlines is legitimate. These scam solicitations attempt to get the owner to pay a fee for services not needed or to pay inflated fees to maintain their trademark registration. There are many varieties […]
Read moreA Cybersecurity Guide: Who Do You Call in the U.S. Government?
With an exponential rise in ransomware attacks each year and the personal data of more Americans available for sale on the dark web, ensuring that your company has implemented effective cybersecurity protocols has never been more important. Multiple federal agencies have worked to create and publish cybersecurity resources aimed at the general public. These resources […]
Read moreNCAA Rule Change Paves the Way for Student Athlete Endorsement Deals
Entertainment, Culture and the Arts
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Internet and Social Media
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Privacy, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity
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Trademarks and Brand Protection
On January 22, 2022, the NCAA is expected to formally adopt changes to its constitution which were initially approved on June 30, 2021. At that time, the NCAA agreed to allow college athletes to profit from their likeness for the first time in history. The decision came after pressure from impending state laws and years […]
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