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Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Open Educational Resources (OER)

American University’s Washington College of Law, along with other academic contributors, has launched the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Open Educational Resources (the Code). This forty-plus page report, the goal of which is to assist professors, teachers, librarians, and other educators in evaluating when and how they can incorporate third party copyright […]

New Legislation: The CASE Act

The Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act (CASE Act) was passed by Congress on December 21, 2020 and signed into law on December 27, 2020 as a part of a much bigger omnibus spending bill. What Is It? The CASE Act creates a “Copyright Claims Board” (the Board) within the U.S. Copyright Office which can […]

Stanford Copyright & Fair Use – Key Overview Updates

Q: Thank you for updating the copyright overview on this site. What are the most important changes that you want us to know? A: Because the update reflects changes from 2014 through 2016 it includes a few decisions that readers may be familiar with such as the Google book scanning decision (Author’s Guild v. Hathitrust, […]

How much of a photo do you need to alter to avoid copyright infringement? Hint: Cheshire Cat

Bloggers and artists often ask, “how much of a photo do you need to alter to avoid copyright infringement?” Five changes? Fifteen? The Seventh Circuit addressed the issue in the Kienitz v Sconnie Nation case recently. According to the court, Sconnie Nation made t-shirts displaying an image of Madison Wisconsin mayor Paul Soglin, using […]

Guidance on websites and copyright registration from the U.S. Copyright Office

As part of its new draft Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition, we have guidance on registration for websites. The draft of the full compendium is over 1200 pages and covers publication, recordation, notice, deposits, along with other topics. Members of the public may make comments anytime before (or after) the Third Edition […]

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Copyright Case Opinion Summaries

Source: Justia Daily Opinion Summaries (feed)

Design Gaps, Inc. v. Shelter, LLC

Published on: March 3, 2025

Jason and Kacie Highsmith hired Shelter, LLC to manage a home renovation project and later contracted with Design Gaps, Inc. to design and install cabinets and closets. The contracts required arbitration for disputes but did not specify comp…

AQUARIAN FOUNDATION, INC. V. LOWNDES

Published on: February 3, 2025

Aquarian Foundation, Inc., a non-profit religious organization, alleged that Bruce Lowndes infringed on its copyrights by uploading spiritual teachings of its late founder, Keith Milton Rhinehart, to various websites. Lowndes claimed he had …

Designworks Homes, Inc. v. Columbia House of Brokers Realty, Inc.

Published on: January 14, 2025

Charles James, a home designer, claimed that real estate agents infringed his copyrights by including floorplans of his homes in resale listings. James designed a home with a triangular atrium and stairs, built six homes using the design, an…

TANGLE, INC. V. ARITZIA, INC.

Published on: January 14, 2025

Tangle, Inc. holds copyright registrations for seven kinetic and manipulable sculptures made from 17 or 18 identical, connected, 90-degree curved tubular segments that can be twisted or turned 360 degrees. Aritzia, Inc. owns and operates ret…

Capitol Records v. Vimeo

Published on: January 13, 2025

Plaintiffs, rightsholders of musical recordings affiliated with EMI, sued Vimeo, Inc. and Connected Ventures, LLC for copyright infringement, alleging that Vimeo users uploaded videos containing their copyrighted music without authorization….

Copyright Case Dockets

Source: Justia Dockets and Filings (feed)

Strike 3 Holdings, LLC v. JOHN DOE

March 7, 2025

Filed: March 7, 2025 as 1:2025cv00256

Plaintiff: Strike 3 Holdings, LLC

Defendant: JOHN DOE

Cause Of Action: 17 U.S.C. § 101 Copyright Infringement

Court: Sixth Circuit › Michigan › U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan

Type: Intellectual Property › Copyright

Strike 3 Holdings, LLC v. JOHN DOE

March 7, 2025

Filed: March 7, 2025 as 2:2025cv10654

Plaintiff: Strike 3 Holdings, LLC

Defendant: JOHN DOE

Cause Of Action: 17 U.S.C. § 101 Copyright Infringement

Court: Sixth Circuit › Michigan › U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Type: Intellectual Property › Copyright

Strike 3 Holdings, LLC v. JOHN DOE

March 7, 2025

Filed: March 7, 2025 as 2:2025cv10655

Plaintiff: Strike 3 Holdings, LLC

Defendant: JOHN DOE

Cause Of Action: 17 U.S.C. § 101 Copyright Infringement

Court: Sixth Circuit › Michigan › U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Type: Intellectual Property › Copyright

Strike 3 Holdings, LLC v. John Doe subscriber assigned IP Address 174.163.82.137

March 7, 2025

Filed: March 7, 2025 as 1:2025cv01227

Plaintiff: Strike 3 Holdings, LLC

Defendant: John Doe subscriber assigned IP Address 174.163.82.137

Cause Of Action: 28 U.S.C. § 1338 Copyright Infringement

Court: Eleventh Circuit › Georgia › U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

Type: Intellectual Property › Copyright

XYZ Corporation v. The Partnerships Identified on Schedule A

March 7, 2025

Filed: March 7, 2025 as 1:2025cv02434

Plaintiff: XYZ Corporation

Defendant: The Partnerships Identified on Schedule A

Cause Of Action: 17 U.S.C. § 501 Copyright Infringement

Court: Seventh Circuit › Illinois › U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Type: Intellectual Property › Copyright

Copyright Legislation

Source: Copyright.gov (feed)

Copyright Legislative Developments: S.5379

December 10, 2024

Bill Recently Introduced

S.5379 TRAIN Act, introduced 11/21/2024.

To create an administrative subpoena process to assist copyright owners in determining which of their copyrighted works have been used in the training of artificial intelligence models.

Copyright Legislative Developments: H.R.10103

November 14, 2024

Bill Recently Introduced

H.R.10103 TRIPS Waivers Act, introduced 11/8/2024.

To amend titles 17, 18, and 35, United States Code, the Plant Variety Protection Act, and the Lanham Act to require the submission of a report to Congress before the negotiation of any international agreement relating to an intellectual property right, and for other purposes.

Copyright Legislative Developments: S.4875

September 4, 2024

Bill Recently Introduced

S.4875 NO FAKES Act of 2024, introduced 7/31/2024.

To protect intellectual property rights in the voice and visual likeness of individuals, and for other purposes.

Termination Rights, Royalty Distributions, Ownership Transfers, Disputes, and the Music Modernization Act

August 30, 2024

Termination Rights, Royalty Distributions, Ownership Transfers, Disputes, and the Music Modernization Act

NewsNet 1051
August 30, 2024

The U.S. Copyright Office is adjusting certain compliance dates related to the corrective adjustment process in its July 9, 2024, final rule on termination rights and other topics related to the Music Modernization Act. The final rule contained a discrepancy between a date in the rule’s regulatory text and its preamble. To resolve any confusion created by the discrepancy and ensure parties have adequate time to participate in the corrective adjustment process, the Office is adjusting the relevant compliance dates for all parties by extending each date by approximately thirty days from the original dates provided in the rule’s regulatory text.

The original final rule and the rule adjusting the compliance dates can both be found on the website.

Copyright Legislative Developments: S.4674

August 19, 2024

Bill Recently Introduced

S.4674 - Content Origin Protection and Integrity from Edited and Deepfaked Media Act of 2024, introduced 7/11/2024.

To require transparency with respect to content and content provenance information, to protect artistic content, and for other purposes.

Copyright Office News

Source: Copyright.gov (feed)

Copyright Office Releases Part 2 of Artificial Intelligence Report

January 29, 2025

Copyright Office Releases Part 2 of Artificial Intelligence Report NewsNet 1060January 29, 2025 Today, the U.S. Copyright Office is releasing Part 2 of its Report on the legal and policy issues related to copyright and artificial intelligence (AI). This Part of the Report addresses the copyrightabil

U.S. Copyright Office Announces Webinar on Copyright Essentials for Visual Artists and Photographers

January 27, 2025

U.S. Copyright Office Announces Webinar on Copyright Essentials for Visual Artists and Photographers NewsNet 1059January 27, 2025 The U.S. Copyright Office invites you to register to attend a Copyright Essentials three-part series of online webinars, with the first session occurring on February 19 a

Copyright Office Publishes Final Rule Relating to Cable, Satellite, and DART License Reporting Practices and Opens Rulemaking on Proposal to Require Pay.gov Use for Statutory Royalty Payments

December 12, 2024

Copyright Office Publishes Final Rule Relating to Cable, Satellite, and DART License Reporting Practices and Opens Rulemaking on Proposal to Require Pay.gov Use for Statutory Royalty Payments NewsNet 1058December 12, 2024 The Copyright Office has published a final rule relating to statements of acco

Final Rule Published in Ninth Triennial Section 1201 Proceeding

October 25, 2024

Final Rule Published in Ninth Triennial Section 1201 Proceeding NewsNet 1057October 25, 2024 The Librarian of Congress, upon the recommendation of the Register of Copyrights, is publishing a final rule in the Federal Register adopting exemptions to the statutory prohibition on circumvention of techn

Copyright Office Announces Arrival of 2024–2026 Ringer Honors Fellow

October 10, 2024

Copyright Office Announces Arrival of 2024–2026 Ringer Honors Fellow NewsNet 1056October 10, 2024 The U.S. Copyright Office is pleased to announce that Elizabeth J. “Liz” Porter has joined the Office as a fellow (2024–2026) in the Barbara A. Ringer Copyright Honors Program. Porter started her two-ye

Copyright Regulations

Source: Justia Regulation Tracker (feed)

Notice - Notice of Intent To Audit

February 18, 2025

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce receipt from SoundExchange, Inc., of notices of intent to audit the 2022, 2023, and 2024 statements of account submitted by commercial webcasters Alpha Media LLC and Univision Communications Inc. concerning royalty payments they made pursuant to two statutory li

Proposed Rule - Determination of Rates and Terms for Digital Performance of Sound Recordings by New Subscription Services and Making of Ephemeral Copies To Facilitate Those Performances (NSS V); Correction

February 10, 2025

On December 19, 2024, the Copyright Royalty Judges published for comment proposed regulations governing the rates and terms for the digital performances of sound recordings by new subscription services and for the making of ephemeral recordings necessary to facilitate those transmissions for the per

Notice - Notice of Intent To Audit

January 14, 2025

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce receipt from SoundExchange, Inc., of notices of intent to audit the 2021, 2022, and 2023 statements of account submitted by commercial webcasters Beasley Mezzanine Holdings, LLC, Hubbard Broadcasting Inc., iHeartMedia, and Midwest Communications, Inc. and non-co

Rule - Ruling on Regulatory Interpretation for Business Establishment Services

January 10, 2025

The Copyright Royalty Judges publish their ruling on regulatory interpretation in a matter that was referred to them by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The regulation at issue is the definition of "Gross Proceeds" in the rates and terms set forth through settlements in

Proposed Rule - Determination of Rates and Terms for Digital Performance of Sound Recordings by New Subscription Services and Making of Ephemeral Copies To Facilitate Those Performances (NSS V)

December 19, 2024

The Copyright Royalty Judges are publishing for comment proposed regulations governing the rates and terms for the digital performances of sound recordings by new subscription services and for the making of ephemeral recordings necessary to facilitate those transmissions for the period commencing Ja

Copyright Blogs

Source: Justia BlawgSearch (feed)

Copyright, Yearbooks and the Internet

March 10, 2025

A school photographer has filed a pair of claims with the Copyright Claims Board over alleged infringement of his yearbook photos. The post Copyright, Yearbooks and the Internet appeared first on Plagiarism Today.

3 Count: Tetris Block

March 10, 2025

Warner Bros. Discovery seeks dismissal of Superman case, pirate streaming sites infect millions of devices and Apple wins Tetris case. The post 3 Count: Tetris Block appeared first on Plagiarism Today.

N.D. Illinois Supreme Court and My Hometown Program

March 10, 2025

The Supreme Court Historical Society, the Northern District of Illinois, and the ABA’s Division for Public Education are sponsoring a program for Chicago area high school students. Students participating in the Supreme Court and My Hometown program will investigate the judicial branch by examining t

Not the swiftest

March 8, 2025

Originally posted 2017-09-25 12:32:49. Republished by Blog Post PromoterIt is so tiring. But that, to some extent, is what they’re counting on. Taylor Swift abusing trademark, again, of course. And everyone else not understanding that the nature of the latest version of that abuse, discussed below

Design or art? French court rules that Birkin Bag is a copyright work

March 7, 2025

On 7 February last, the Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris ruled that S.A.S. BLAO & CO (defendant) had infringed the copyright and trade mark of Société HERMES INTERNATIONAL and S.A.S. HERMES SELLIER (claimants) by producing and offering for sale its “Paisley Jane” model, as well as a non-fungible tok

Fairly Used Blog

Source: Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center (feed)

Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Open Educational Resources (OER)

By Cicely Wilson

Published on: June 10, 2021

New Legislation: The CASE Act

By Cicely Wilson

Published on: June 7, 2021

Celebrating the unfreezing of the public domain

By Mary Minow

Published on: January 30, 2019

For the first time in twenty years, published works in the U.S. expired into the public domain. This anomaly was the direct result of the Copyright Term Extension Act that extended the length of copyright for works still in their renewal term at the time of the Act to 95 years. This effectively froze the […]

Stanford Copyright & Fair Use – Key Overview Updates

By Mary Minow

Published on: April 11, 2017

Future of Libraries – Need First Sale for ebooks

By Mary Minow

Published on: February 19, 2017

How will libraries hold onto ebooks and other digital files like mp3s so that readers and scholars in the future can still read them? The current state of affairs relies on license agreements with publishers who in turn license to vendors, who in turn, license to libraries. Hardly sustainable when files can and do disappear […]

Termination Rights, Royalty Distributions, Ownership Transfers, Disputes, and the Music Modernization Act

NewsNet 1051August 30, 2024

NewsNet 1051
August 30, 2024