Monthly Archives: April 2014

The Next Great Copyright Act Conference, part 3

Secondary Liability and Safe Harbors Moderator: Andrew Bridges, Fenwick & West LLP Shira Perlmutter, USPTO §512 was intensively negotiated and complex; intended to be a very careful balancing act, so carefully balanced that the participants would’ve told you that every … Continue reading

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The Next Great Copyright Act Conference, part 2

Exclusive Rights and Infringement Moderator: Kristen McCallion, Fish & Richardson Gerard Lewis, Comcast Courts have enshrined various business models—is that a good model going forward?  Public performance: relatively new right. History of figuring out whether communication to the public was … Continue reading

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The Next Great Copyright Act Conference, Berkeley: part 1

Copyright Subject Matter and Formalities Moderator: Daralyn Durie, Durie Tangri Tony Reese, UC Irvine Law School Revising the © Act will require defining the scope of subject matter; not recently controversial but important threshold question—hard to evaluate rights and remedies … Continue reading

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mandatory disclosure doesn’t have to correct deception

American Meat Institute v. United States Department of Agriculture, No. 13-5281 (D.C. Cir. Mar. 28, 2014) The court rejects challenges to meat labeling rules that demonstrate once again that commercial speech regulation and the post-Lochner settlement are inextricably linked. Here, … Continue reading

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It’s an ex-competitor: plaintiff whose service shuffled off this mortal coil lacks standing

Think Computer Corp. v. Dwolla, Inc., No. 13–CV–02054, 2014 WL 1266213 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 24, 2014) Think is a money service business (MSB) and developer of a mobile payment system platform called FaceCash, launched in April 2010.  Defendants were money … Continue reading

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Knockout (fruit) punch: Pom class decertified

In re Pom Wonderful LLC Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, No. ML 10–02199, 2014 WL 1225184 (C.D. Cal. Mar. 25, 2014) In what defendants doubtless hope is a winning trend, the court decertified a class on the ground that it’s … Continue reading

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The PTO for children

I recently attended an event at which the PTO had a children’s booth.  Highlights from the Oct. 2012 Trademark Activity Book we received: The PTO has Kleenex and Band-Aid’s back against the threat of genericity. The PTO is not worried … Continue reading

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TM issues, you get what you pay for edition

Marty Schwimmer reports on the Orthodox Jewish Congregations’ lawsuit against Urban Tortilla for the latter’s new U-in-a-circle logo. Schwimmer continues that Urban Tortilla paid $299 for its logo, from a contest among designers.  (See also: continuing immiseration of many creative … Continue reading

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