How Animals Like Grumpy Cat Use Copyright & Trademark to Protect Their Brand

“I had fun once – it was awful”; “It’s not me – It’s you”; and “Nope” are phrases commonly associated with Grumpy Cat, the frowning feline who became an internet sensation for her mean mugging memes. Unless we are dealing in patent law, intellectual property and animals do not frequently overlap. Even though a Federal […]

No Attorney’s Fees For BitTorrent Download Of “The Cobbler”

In relation to our recent Copyright Radio Show about the risk of copyright infringement liability stemming from illegal downloads, an Oregon Court declined to hold a BitTorrent Defendant responsible for Plaintiff’s attorney fees. In Cobbler Nev., LLC v. Cerritos, the Plaintiff accused Defendant of violating the Copyright Act by using BitTorrent to illegally download Adam […]

Could Illegal Downloads Expose You to Copyright Infringement Liability?

Hello listeners! My name is Mallory Donick and I am a Copyright Attorney with Traverse Legal. Today we are going to talk briefly about illegal downloads and the potential repercussions those downloads can have under copyright law. It is safe to assume that most people have illegally downloaded something in their lifetime, typically music and […]

Updates to DMCA Agent Designation

Updates regarding the registration and designation of Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) Agents are set to take effect tomorrow, December 1, 2016. While the changes are small, they are significant for maintaining proper DMCA protection. Designation of Agent To Receive Notification of Claimed Infringement As a refresher, the DMCA creates a Safe Harbor that limits […]

Uptown “Skunk” – Are Copyright Lawsuits Stinking Up the Music Industry?

As copyright infringement lawsuits gain more prevalence within the modern music industry, the inquisitorial wafts about whether such actions stifle creativity have become increasingly putrid. The widely controversial and publicized “Blurred Lines” copyright infringement lawsuit rendered damages of $7 million against Robin Thicke and Pharrell for infringing Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give it Up.” As of […]

Bill Proposes Copyrights in Small Claims Court

A new Bill has been introduced in Congress to set up a small claims system for processing copyright claims. This small claims alternative would be a substitute to Federal Court litigation for copyright claims which at the moment, aside from sending cease and desist letters and DMCA takedown demands, is the only remedy for copyright […]

GM May Own Your Vehicle Under Copyright Laws

Do you believe that you own your car? General Motors says that under the current copyright laws, you don’t but they do, and that is because of their proprietary rights with the software code that is used to make their vehicles work.

How to File a DMCA Take-Down Request to Google

Google offers a copyright infringement removal of Google search returns from the search index that are allegedly infringing on the copyrights of others.

The Question When Filing a Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Is Where To File It?

Federal courts are divided in their belief of whether a copyright infringement claim is valid and a lawsuit warranted based on if the claimant’s copyright registration is completed or still in preregistration.

You Need to Own the Copyright in Order to Allege Copyright Infringement

One of the most common things that we see as copyright lawyers is a scenario where someone doesn’t want their photograph posted on a website. Our copyright lawyers can help you get the photograph removed.

Attorneys Handling Copyright Law