Articles Posted in Copyright

Second Circuit Court of Appeals Rules That Andy Warhol’s Prince Series Prints Are Not Transformative Fair Use Updated: Published by:

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling on Friday, March 26, 2021, holding that Andy Warhol's series of prints depicting the musical artist Prince are not transformative fair use under copyright law. The three-judge panel further ruled that Warhol's prints and Lynn Goldsmith's photograph, the source material for…

Netflix Faces Copyright Infringement Lawsuit by English Teacher Updated: Published by:

Kevin Wooten, an English teacher in North Carolina, has sued Netflix for alleged copyright infringement related to its show “Outer Banks.” Wooten wrote a novel called “Pennywise:  The Hunt for Blackbeard’s Treasure” in 2016. He argues that Netflix stole material from his book for “Outer Banks,” based on parallels between…

Grammy Winner Maria Schneider Files Class Action Copyright Piracy Lawsuit Against YouTube, LLC Over Content ID Updated: Published by:

On Thursday, July 2, 2020, Grammy award-winning composer and musician Maria Schneider filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, against YouTube, LLC, Google, LLC, and Alphabet, Inc. The lawsuit concerns copyright piracy on YouTube and alleges that YouTube's copyright management tool, Content ID,…

Federal Government Expected to Strengthen Copyright Protections for Rights Holders Updated: Published by:

The U.S. Congress plans to update the Digital Millennium Copyright Act later this year. A lengthy report produced by the U.S. Copyright Office suggests that this update may enhance protections for rights holders.

Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Epic Games, Inc. in Trademark Lawsuit Concerning a Fortnite Dance Emote Updated: Published by:

On Tuesday, March 31, 2020, Judge John Padova, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, ruled mostly in favor of Epic Games, Inc. in a lawsuit involving the Fortnite dance emote "Phone It In." Judge Padova granted Epic Games, Inc.'s motion to dismiss concerning plaintiff Leo Pellegrino's causes…

Federal Judge Grants Summary Judgment for 2K Games, Inc. and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. in Lawsuit Related to Tattoos in NBA2K Video Games Updated: Published by:

On Thursday, March 26, 2020, Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted summary judgment in favor of defendants, 2K Games, Inc. and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., in a lawsuit concerning five tattoos appearing in three basketball simulation video games. Plaintiff…

The European Union Passes Controversial New Copyright Directive Updated: Published by:

After years of debate, the European Union (“EU”) has passed the controversial Copyright Directive (the “Directive”), its first update of copyright rules since 2001. By a vote of 348 to 274, the 28 EU member countries are now required to pass or “transpose” these new rules into legislation in their…

Alfonso Ribeiro Sues Epic Games and Take-Two Interactive Over Carlton Dance Emotes Updated: Published by:

Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has sued Epic Games, Inc. and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. for copyright infringement. Ribeiro alleged that Epic Games and Take-Two infringed on his copyright to the Carlton Dance by offering in-game purchases in Fortnite Battle Royale and NBA…