fans as infringers – Overlawyered https://www.overlawyered.com/ Chronicling the high cost of our legal system Mon, 02 Jul 2018 22:48:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 “‘Dancing Baby’ lawsuit finally settles, baby is now a middle-school student” https://www.overlawyered.com/2018/07/dancing-baby-lawsuit-finally-settles-baby-is-now-a-middle-school-student/ Tue, 03 Jul 2018 04:15:38 +0000 https://www.overlawyered.com/?p=71601 “Universal Music Publishing Group has finally settled its copyright lawsuit involving Stephanie Lenz, the woman who posted a short video of her son dancing to a Prince song in 2007.” [Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, earlier] Tags: copyright, fans as infringers, music and musicians, YouTube

“‘Dancing Baby’ lawsuit finally settles, baby is now a middle-school student” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

]]> “Universal Music Publishing Group has finally settled its copyright lawsuit involving Stephanie Lenz, the woman who posted a short video of her son dancing to a Prince song in 2007.” [Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, earlier]

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“‘Dancing Baby’ lawsuit finally settles, baby is now a middle-school student” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

]]> Takedown notices sent over photos of purchased toy https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/12/right-to-photograph-a-toy-one-has-purchased/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/12/right-to-photograph-a-toy-one-has-purchased/#comments Sat, 12 Dec 2015 17:23:37 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=56643 A firm representing Lucasfilm/Disney sent takedown notices to force removal from social media of photos of a newly issued Star Wars figurine that an unnamed fan had walked into a Wal-Mart and purchased in the usual manner. [Timothy Geigner, TechDirt] Tags: copyright, Disney, fans as infringers, photography, social media

Takedown notices sent over photos of purchased toy is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

]]> A firm representing Lucasfilm/Disney sent takedown notices to force removal from social media of photos of a newly issued Star Wars figurine that an unnamed fan had walked into a Wal-Mart and purchased in the usual manner. [Timothy Geigner, TechDirt]

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Takedown notices sent over photos of purchased toy is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

]]> https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/12/right-to-photograph-a-toy-one-has-purchased/feed/ 2 Fans can’t use Illinois mascot https://www.overlawyered.com/2010/10/fans-cant-use-illinois-mascot/ Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:27:49 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=19739 “A Chief Illiniwek performance planned for homecoming weekend has been postponed indefinitely after the University of Illinois threatened legal sanction.” [Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette] Update: sponsors plan to proceed anyway. Tags: colleges and universities, fans as infringers, Illinois

Fans can’t use Illinois mascot is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

]]> “A Chief Illiniwek performance planned for homecoming weekend has been postponed indefinitely after the University of Illinois threatened legal sanction.” [Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette] Update: sponsors plan to proceed anyway.

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Fans can’t use Illinois mascot is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

]]> September 21 roundup https://www.overlawyered.com/2010/09/september-21-roundup-2/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2010/09/september-21-roundup-2/#comments Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:29:08 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=19307 Facing four harassment claims, embattled Philadelphia housing chief files his own suit for $600K+ [Inquirer] “Ohio State Abuses Trademark Law to Suppress a Fan Magazine and Website” [Paul Alan Levy, CL&P] “Judge Dismisses Baltimore Blight Suit Against Wells Fargo, Will Allow Refiling” [ABA Journal] Trial lawyer taking behind-the-scenes hand in Louisiana politics [OpenSecrets via Tapscott] […]

September 21 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

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  • Facing four harassment claims, embattled Philadelphia housing chief files his own suit for $600K+ [Inquirer]
  • “Ohio State Abuses Trademark Law to Suppress a Fan Magazine and Website” [Paul Alan Levy, CL&P]
  • “Judge Dismisses Baltimore Blight Suit Against Wells Fargo, Will Allow Refiling” [ABA Journal]
  • Trial lawyer taking behind-the-scenes hand in Louisiana politics [OpenSecrets via Tapscott]
  • “Are hedge funds abusing bankruptcy?” [Felix Salmon and WSJ]
  • North Carolina alienation-of-affection law strikes again: “’Mistress Ordered to Pay $5.8 Million’ to Wronged Wife” [Volokh, Althouse]
  • “Lawyers take a haircut on a contingency fee in Colorado” [Legal Ethics Forum]
  • ADA lawsuits close another beloved eatery [Stockton, Calif.; six years ago on Overlawyered]
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    September 21 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     https://www.overlawyered.com/2010/09/september-21-roundup-2/feed/ 1     NFL trademark lawyers vs. New Orleans t-shirt sellers https://www.overlawyered.com/2010/01/nfl-trademark-lawyers-vs-new-orleans-t-shirt-sellers/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2010/01/nfl-trademark-lawyers-vs-new-orleans-t-shirt-sellers/#comments Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:12:44 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=15827 Unauthorized use of “Who Dat?” and a fleur-de-lis. [Peter Finney, Times-Picayune/NOLA] More: and a cartoon. Tags: fans as infringers, football, trademarks

    NFL trademark lawyers vs. New Orleans t-shirt sellers is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     Unauthorized use of “Who Dat?” and a fleur-de-lis. [Peter Finney, Times-Picayune/NOLA] More: and a cartoon.

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    NFL trademark lawyers vs. New Orleans t-shirt sellers is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     https://www.overlawyered.com/2010/01/nfl-trademark-lawyers-vs-new-orleans-t-shirt-sellers/feed/ 10     Annals of sports trademarks https://www.overlawyered.com/2010/01/annals-of-sports-trademarks/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2010/01/annals-of-sports-trademarks/#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:55:24 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=15416 Two Chicago grocery store chains, Jewel and Dominick’s, bought full-page ads in “a special commemorative issue of Sports Illustrated magazine dedicated to [Michael] Jordan and his career”. The ads saluted the Chicago Bulls great for his achievements. Jordan proceeded to sue them for trademark infringement. [Chicago Breaking Sports, Tactical IP via Legal Satyricon] Tags: Chicago, […]

    Annals of sports trademarks is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     Two Chicago grocery store chains, Jewel and Dominick’s, bought full-page ads in “a special commemorative issue of Sports Illustrated magazine dedicated to [Michael] Jordan and his career”. The ads saluted the Chicago Bulls great for his achievements. Jordan proceeded to sue them for trademark infringement. [Chicago Breaking Sports, Tactical IP via Legal Satyricon]

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    Annals of sports trademarks is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     https://www.overlawyered.com/2010/01/annals-of-sports-trademarks/feed/ 2     Companies vs. their fans: Pez sues Pez museum https://www.overlawyered.com/2009/07/companies-vs-their-fans-pez-sues-pez-museum/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2009/07/companies-vs-their-fans-pez-sues-pez-museum/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:31:42 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=12178 The famous maker of candies and candy-dispensers is suing the owners of the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia in Northern California, claiming that its venture into Pez homage, which includes a Guinness-record largest replica of a Pez dispenser, infringe the firm’s trademarks and “deceive the public into thinking that the museum is operating under the […]

    Companies vs. their fans: Pez sues Pez museum is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     The famous maker of candies and candy-dispensers is suing the owners of the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia in Northern California, claiming that its venture into Pez homage, which includes a Guinness-record largest replica of a Pez dispenser, infringe the firm’s trademarks and “deceive the public into thinking that the museum is operating under the authority of Pez.” [San Mateo County Times via Doctor Popular/Laughing Squid and BoingBoing] On Pez’s jealousy of its name, see this 1999 post; more on fans-as-infringers here.

    More: Ron Coleman is being disrespectful (“You can’t handle a real Pez museum”); Brian Baxter, AmLaw Daily.

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    Companies vs. their fans: Pez sues Pez museum is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     https://www.overlawyered.com/2009/07/companies-vs-their-fans-pez-sues-pez-museum/feed/ 5     “Is fan fiction legal? Fans are understandably nervous.” https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/07/is-fan-fiction-legal-fans-are-understandably-nervous/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/07/is-fan-fiction-legal-fans-are-understandably-nervous/#comments Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:36:54 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=7273 …many commentators, and indeed, many fans themselves, operate on the rueful assumption that fan fiction does in fact infringe copyright. Undaunted by this, Rebecca Tushnet, a professor of law at Georgetown University, and a keen fan fiction writer herself, wants to take fan fiction out of the legal shadows where it has operated, more or […]

    “Is fan fiction legal? Fans are understandably nervous.” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

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    …many commentators, and indeed, many fans themselves, operate on the rueful assumption that fan fiction does in fact infringe copyright.

    Undaunted by this, Rebecca Tushnet, a professor of law at Georgetown University, and a keen fan fiction writer herself, wants to take fan fiction out of the legal shadows where it has operated, more or less at sufferance, for decades, and carve out a legal place for it within the US doctrine of fair use. She has recently helped found the Organization for Transformative Use, with the mandate to establish fan fiction within the parameters of legal, non-infringing use.

    (Grace Westcott, “Friction over Fan Fiction”, Literary Review of Canada, Jul./Aug., via A&L Daily; our posts on fans as infringers).

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    “Is fan fiction legal? Fans are understandably nervous.” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/07/is-fan-fiction-legal-fans-are-understandably-nervous/feed/ 4     Update: BBC backs off https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/05/update-bbc-backs-off/ Sat, 17 May 2008 18:27:06 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=6945 From its pursuit of the knitting-pattern Doctor Who fan. (Telegraph, May 17; earlier). Tags: fans as infringers, United Kingdom

    Update: BBC backs off is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     From its pursuit of the knitting-pattern Doctor Who fan. (Telegraph, May 17; earlier).

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    Update: BBC backs off is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>         “Doctor Who’s new enemy: the BBC lawyers” https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/05/doctor-whos-new-enemy-the-bbc-lawyers/ https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/05/doctor-whos-new-enemy-the-bbc-lawyers/#comments Wed, 14 May 2008 16:33:30 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=6840 “A Doctor Who fan who gave away knitting patterns which created vague recreations of the programme’s aliens has been threatened with legal action by the BBC for copyright infringement.” (Andy Bloxham, Daily Telegraph, May 14). More: Times Online. Tags: broadcasters, copyright, fans as infringers, United Kingdom

    “Doctor Who’s new enemy: the BBC lawyers” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     “A Doctor Who fan who gave away knitting patterns which created vague recreations of the programme’s aliens has been threatened with legal action by the BBC for copyright infringement.” (Andy Bloxham, Daily Telegraph, May 14). More: Times Online.

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    “Doctor Who’s new enemy: the BBC lawyers” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

    ]]>     https://www.overlawyered.com/2008/05/doctor-whos-new-enemy-the-bbc-lawyers/feed/ 1