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Tales of the Infringing Cat
Oh those pesky felines. Or should I say, oh those pesky YouTube bots. Copyright infringing kittens have apparently taken over YouTube, to the disdain of the bot overlords. Check out for a…
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Bikram Yoga Copyright Redux, Part 2
In Part 2 of my series on the Bikram yoga copyright controversy, I analyze the district court opinions in the OSYU and Evolation cases, and then compare and contrast the two. Basis…
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Two Legal Strategies for Small Business Success
So you’ve taken your business from a seed of an idea to opening day. It can seem like a long road to start your own business, and no doubt a lot of…
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Bikram Yoga Copyright Redux, Part 1
The Bikram yoga copyright controversy arguably ranks as one of the most (if not the most) interesting copyright dispute of this century thus far. While most copyright cases that garner attention these…
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Check Your Head (and Wallet): New Beasties Suit for Legal Fees
In the Beastie Boys’ continuing saga against Monster, the group has filed another suit on the heals of its 2014 victory for copyright infringement. In the complaint filed over the weekend the…
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Beer Wars Brewing Over Trademarks Reach a Crescendo
There has been a lot of news lately about the rising trademark turf wars building up in the craft beer brewing industry. The latest combatants appear to have come back from…
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Now in Effect: New CA Law Boosts Consumer Free Speech in Online Reviews
California’s new law banning non-disparagement clauses in consumer contracts went into effect January 1, 2015. The new law should allow online reviewers who write about poor customer service or product experiences to…
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Small Business Websites Beware: Terms of Use May Not Be Effective, Says Court
A recent legal decision should spur small businesses to be on the lookout for a hidden pitfall in their websites regarding their terms of use (“TOU”). The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals…
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WIPO Warning Highlights Trademark Registration Scammers
Here’s the scenario: you recently filed a trademark application to register your mark with the USPTO and of course, paid the fee. Within weeks, you received a very official-looking correspondence from an…
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Trademark Registrations An Even Better Value After USPTO Fee Drop
In a curious instance of federal government generosity, the USPTO has approved drops in registration fees for TEAS and TEAS Plus trademark applications from $325 and $275 per class to $275 and…
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Use of #SkinnyPuppy Music During #Torture Raises Interesting #Copyright Question
The industrial band Skinny Puppy sent the Department of Defense a bill in the amount of $666,666 for using its music during alleged acts of torture. Besides the obvious questions about whether use…
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Bad Moon on the Rise for Fogerty in Lawsuit over Band Name
John Fogerty’s former bandmates have filed a suit for trademark infringement and related breach of contract claims over Fogerty’s use of the registered mark “Creedence Clearwater Revival.” A settlement agreement reached in…
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The Empire Fights Back? BMG Sues Cox for Lax Infringement Protocols
I very rarely line up on the side of corporate behemoths, especially those who pay artists pennies on the dollar for the soul and sweat that goes into their music, but in…
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Sirius XM Backed into a Corner in Copyright Infringement Case
Like the old adage attributed to the tortoise-“slow and steady wins the race”-the Turtles scored another victory in their copyright infringement case against Sirius XM. Judge Gutierrez in California’s Central District, site…
