Court Decisions Archives | Copyright Lately

A community swim team has been awarded over $120,000 in attorneys' fees for successfully defeating a claim for copyright infringement

The Court finds that "leveling exorbitant settlement demands at nonprofits and public schools does not advance the purposes of the Copyright Act" after the plaintiff demanded $25,000 for a single Twitter post to a community swim account followed by 44 people.

CCourt Decisions

Copyright Termination and Loan-Out Corporations, Revisited

byAaron Moss

How a common entertainment industry tax planning tool may prevent artists and their heirs from utilizing the Copyright Act’s termination provision.

A copyright Infringement lawsuit by Randy Orton's tattoo artist against Take-Two Interactive and WWE is sent to trial

CCourt Decisions

Tattoo Feud: Artist’s Copyright Case (Inexplicably) Sent to Trial

byAaron Moss

In a decision with frightening implications, a court in Illinois holds that a jury will decide whether Randy Orton's tattoo artist can control the use of the wrestler’s image in video games.

A lawsuit alleging that "Prank Encounters" infringes the copyright in "Scare Tactics" will proceed

CCourt Decisions

Court Allows Copyright Case Against Hidden Camera Prank Show to Proceed

byAaron Moss

A judge rules on a motion to dismiss copyright infringement claims brought by the co-creator of "Scare Tactics" against his former business partner and the producer of "Prank Encounters," another hidden camera prank/scare show.

Nicki Minaj prevails on fair use claim against Tracy Chapman on summary judgment

CCourt Decisions

Nicki Minaj’s Creation of New Recording Based on Tracy Chapman Song Deemed Fair Use

byAaron Moss

After finding a triable issue of fact on whether Nicki Minaj was responsible for leaking "Sorry" to a New York DJ, the court holds that Minaj's initial creation of her derivative song did not infringe Tracy Chapman's copyright in "Baby Can I Hold You."

The "Jersey Boys" Musical is at the center of a new Ninth Circuit copyright decision involving the "Asserted Truths" doctrine

CCourt Decisions

New “Jersey Boys” Case Holds that Facts are Not Copyrightable—Even if They’re Made Up

byAaron Moss

If you've been following our Copyright Myth Project, you know that historical facts are not protected by copyright. But what if those facts have been invented? That's the premise of a new opinion issued today by the Ninth Circuit.

CCourt Decisions

Ninth Circuit Dismisses “Empire” Copyright Infringement Case — Again

byAaron Moss

While the summer of 2020 may go down as the season we vacationed indoors and tried to avoid breathing on each other, for the Ninth Circuit, it's been the summer of substantial similarity cases.

CCourt Decisions

Taylor Swift is Still Trying to Shake Off Those Pesky Copyright Lawsuits

byAaron Moss

Taylor Swift's legal battles over "Shake it Off" are a good example of what can happen to an artist with a massively-popular hit single.

CCourt Decisions

Inside Out: The Ninth Circuit’s Head-Scratching Approach to Substantial Similarity

byAaron Moss

With yet another unpublished opinion—this time affirming a pleading stage dismissal—the court continues to create more questions than answers.

Court Decisions

Court Awards $122K in Attorneys’ Fees to Nonprofit Swim Team After Copyright Win

Copyright Termination and Loan-Out Corporations, Revisited

Tattoo Feud: Artist’s Copyright Case (Inexplicably) Sent to Trial

Court Allows Copyright Case Against Hidden Camera Prank Show to Proceed

Nicki Minaj’s Creation of New Recording Based on Tracy Chapman Song Deemed Fair Use

New “Jersey Boys” Case Holds that Facts are Not Copyrightable—Even if They’re Made Up

Ninth Circuit Dismisses “Empire” Copyright Infringement Case — Again

Taylor Swift is Still Trying to Shake Off Those Pesky Copyright Lawsuits

Inside Out: The Ninth Circuit’s Head-Scratching Approach to Substantial Similarity

Sorry Not Sorry? Tracy Chapman, Nicki Minaj and a Short Lesson on Intermediate Copying

The Copyright Myth Project

Inside Yoko Ono’s New Copyright Lawsuit Against John Lennon’s Former Assistant

“Enola Holmes” and the Case of the Overreaching Copyright Owner

Copyright Termination and Loan-Out Corporations, Revisited