Tag Archives: dastar

What Dastar took, does 1202 give back?

Posted on December 14, 2020 by rtushnet

Another older case found in my year-end roundup. Pilla v. Gilat, 2020 WL 1309086, No. 19-CV-2255 (KMK) (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 19, 2020) Pilla provides “professional architectural services to various construction projects.” Defendants own a “luxury construction project” at 324–326 West 108th … Continue reading →

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Copyright preempts/Dastar precludes lawsuit based on Fortnite’s copying of a dance move

Posted on June 1, 2020 by rtushnet

Brantley v. Epic Games, Inc., No. v. 19-cv-594-PWG (D. Md. May 29, 2020)  Plaintiffs Brantley and Nickens alleged that in 2016 they created, named, and popularized a dance move, which they titled the “Running Man,” and which subsequently went viral … Continue reading →

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11th Circuit protects (at least some) truthful references to product creation

Posted on April 20, 2020 by rtushnet

Webster v. Dean Guitars, — F.3d —-, 2020 WL 1887783, No. 19-10013 (11th Cir. Apr. 16, 2020) Buddy Webster (pka Buddy Blaze), a successful guitar maker and technician, in the mid-1980s modified a Dean guitar and commissioned someone to paint … Continue reading →

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Lack of personal jurisdiction leads to fee award in (c)/false advertising case

Posted on October 31, 2019 by rtushnet

International Inst. of Management v. Organization for Econ. Cooperation & Development, No. 2:18-cv-01748-JCM-GWF, 2019 WL 5578485 (D. Nev. Oct. 29, 2019) Not gonna lie, I’m here for the defendants, the OECD and Joseph Stiglitz.   IIM, a small Nevada think tank, … Continue reading →

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Dastar bars Lanham Act claims against unauthorized copying of photo for album cover

Posted on August 27, 2019 by rtushnet

Patterson v. Diggs, No. 18-CV-03142 (NSR), 2019 WL 3996493 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 23, 2019) Patterson is “an internationally known photographer” who took photos of “a nickel-silver casing created by nonparty Moroccan company Yahya Creation” without a written contract and without being … Continue reading →

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CopyrightX: UGC panel

Posted on May 14, 2019 by rtushnet

Panel One: User-generated Content, Digital Labor, and Collaborative Authorship Moderator: Bethany Rabe Rebecca Tushnet: Fanworks, Fair Use, and Self-Actualization Through Transformative Expression Title assigned a few months ago is a little misleading because I actually wanted to take the opportunity … Continue reading →

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Copying before-and-after surgical photos can be false advertising despite Dastar

Posted on May 6, 2019 by rtushnet

Aesthetic Associates, Inc. v. Key West Institute for Plastic Surgery, Inc., No. 18-10059-CIV-MARTINEZ-OTAZO-REYES, 2019 WL 1922854 (S.D. Fla. Feb. 5, 2019) Plaintiff, whose principal is Dr. Portuese, sued defendants for copyright infringement, removal of CMI and false advertising in passing … Continue reading →

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Star Trekkin’ across the universe of fair use

Posted on March 21, 2019 by rtushnet

I like Star Trek better than Dr. Seuss, ok? Dr. Seuss Enters., L.P. v. ComicMix LLC, No. 16-CV-2779 JLS (BGS) (S.D. Cal. Mar. 12, 2019) DSE owns the copyrights to the works of Theodor S. Geisel, better known as Dr. … Continue reading →

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Selling copyright-infringing content isn’t trademark infringement or false advertising

Posted on February 25, 2019 by rtushnet

Joint Stock Co.“Channel One Russia Worldwide” v. Russian TV Co., 2019 WL 804506, No. 18 Civ. 2318 (LGS) (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 21, 2019) Channel One produces and broadcasts TV programming in the Russian Federation and its neighboring states, and granted third … Continue reading →

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In plagiarism/false attribution case, use was de minimis, fair, and protected by 1A

Posted on September 13, 2018 by rtushnet

Israel v. Strassberg, 2018 WL 4290394, No. 2:15-CV-741 (D. Utah. Sept. 7, 2018) Israel entered the Ph.D. Psychology program at the University of Utah, which required a master’s thesis, and Strassberg was her advisor. Israel’s master’s thesis turned on the … Continue reading →

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