A federal law called the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) provides protections for visual artists against physical alteration or false attribution of their artwork (referred to as artists' "moral rights"). These rights are separate and distinct from other copyright...
Copyright Law
What’s involved in a copyright infringement claim?
Copyright is a form of intellectual property law that protects an author's original works, such as dramatic, musical, literary and visual works of art, from unauthorized use. It covers both published and unpublished work but does not protect facts, ideas, methods of...
Designer asks court to sort out legal issues in copyright dispute
In a move that is getting lots of press, New York influencer and fashion blogger Danielle Bernstein’s company WeWoreWhat (WWW) filed a lawsuit on Oct. 16 for a declaratory judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Brooklyn...
If someone disputes ownership of your creative work, don’t wait to protect your rights
Copyright law protects the creations of “original works of authorship” like those in television, movies and theater productions. A high-profile copyright dispute between iconic comedian Jerry Seinfeld and long-time creative collaborator writer and director Christian...
Led Zeppelin wins “Stairway to Heaven” case at 9th Circuit
Was the classic opening riff to Led Zeppelin’s 1971 monster hit “Stairway to Heaven” actually ripped off from the 1968 song “Taurus” by the band Spirit? That question was before a jury in 2016 and was recently on appeal before the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals....
Ninth Circuit looks at copyright dispute over “The Shape of Water”
Anyone who saw the Best Picture winner "The Shape of Water" is likely to agree that it is a haunting film that uses elaborately detailed, blue sets with unexpected, random shots of water in a variety of circumstances throughout to create a mesmerizing visual story....
Marvel, Disney sued for copyright infringement
The last decade has been kind to Marvel Studios and their parent company, Disney. Yet, long before this recent success, the Marvel brand was best known for its comics and television cartoons based on those characters in the 1980s and 1990s. One of those shows was...
Radio station sued for $1.5 B for failing to pay to play songs
Making it as a songwriter is no easy task. Once a song becomes famous, artists rely on earnings from continued use of the songs, often on the radio. Radio stations who fail to pay artists for the use of their songs can face legal ramifications.A current lawsuit...
It makes us wonder, will “Stairway to Heaven” lead to a new trial?
Since 2014, Led Zeppelin and Michael Skidmore, trustee of the trust that owns rights in a song by a deceased musician, have been fighting in court about whether Zepp's iconic "Stairway to Heaven" infringes on the copyright for "Taurus." As we described in this space...
Skyline photo copyright infringement claim crashes in court
When you look at ’s skyline, you can immediately pick out the iconic Transamerica Pyramid, Salesforce Tower, 181 Fremont, California Center and other architectural landmarks. While the skyline of Indianapolis is not as well-known as ours, it is undoubtedly just...