In 1998, Disney waged a zealous effort to extend its copyright protections to 95 years (for corporate copyrights) and 70 years after the death of an individual creator. Detractors called it the Mickey Mouse Protection Act, which the Supreme Court upheld in 2003. Now...
Sweden's Epidemic Sound has a catalog of 38,000 pieces of music spread across 160 genres. These are designed for use in video content, film and television production, podcasts, streaming platforms, and other media. Recently valued at $1.4 billion, the company filed a...
Last week we introduced some basics about intellectual property licensing. In that post, we explained that license agreements facilitate formal relationships between entities that own intellectual property like trademarks or copyrights, and individuals or businesses...
At our law firm, we advise and represent clients in a wide range of issues regarding intellectual property licensing. In such a license, the owner of intellectual property grants to another person or company the right to use the intellectual property like a trademark,...
In the context of artwork, licenses are contracts in which artists grant to other parties -- often manufacturers -- the legal right to use their copyrighted creative works in exchange for flat fees or royalties based on a percentage of sales, sometimes with advances...
Like any work of art, the argument might be made that music serves little purpose if it is not shared in some form of public setting. But just because you have bought the sheet music for a particular song, it would be a mistake to assume you have secured the right to...
Tapping into a broader market is often a key goal of a small to medium enterprise. The reason is simple; there's potential revenue in such expansions. Why leave it on the table? But as we noted in a previous post, where intellectual property is the resource, it's...
"She's not going to be passed around," said the federal judge before "Grumpy Cat" was brought into the California courtroom. She sat in a cat carrier as she awaited her owner's testimony in a licensing violation case. She is not expected to testify.Grumpy Cat (real...
What's your market? That's a fundamental question an entrepreneur needs answered to succeed. If you can't identify who will buy your product or service, you can't easily communicate your value proposition to the right people.In today's economy, another factor often...
There is art for art's sake, and there is art that has marketable value. If you are a creator with a desire to monetize your creations, finding ways to do it and protect your intellectual property rights at the same time can be frustrating. Navigating the choppy...
