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Copyright, Fair Use & AI

This seminar explores the complexities of copyright issues related to AI and provides a summary of many relevant AI copyright lawsuits.

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)

Dish Network L.L.C. v. Fraifer

Published on: April 9, 2026

DISH Network L.L.C. held exclusive rights to broadcast certain Arabic-language television channels in the United States, secured through written agreements with foreign content producers. The defendants operated businesses that provided U.S….

American Society for Testing & Materials v. UPCODES Inc

Published on: April 7, 2026

A non-profit organization that develops and sells technical standards for use in industry brought suit against a for-profit company that operates an online library of building codes. The for-profit company published on its website the full t…

Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment

Published on: March 25, 2026

Several major music copyright owners, including a leading entertainment company, sought to hold an Internet service provider responsible for copyright infringement committed by its subscribers. The service provider, which serves millions of …

Broadcast Music, Inc. v. North American Concert Promoters Association

Published on: February 24, 2026

A major music performing rights organization, which licenses the public performance of musical works to concert promoters, was unable to reach agreement with a national association of concert promoters on the rates and revenue base for blank…

McGucken v. Shutterstock, Inc.

Published on: February 10, 2026

A professional photographer discovered that between 2018 and 2022, hundreds of his photographs were uploaded to an online stock photo platform operated by a large digital content marketplace, without his permission. Three contributors to the…

Copyright Case Dockets

Source: Justia Dockets and Filings (feed)

Elizabeth Karlson v. The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A

November 3, 2025

Filed: November 3, 2025 as 1:2025cv13447

Plaintiff: Elizabeth Karlson

Defendant: The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A

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

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

Type: Intellectual Property › Copyright

Julie Stiebritz v. The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A

November 3, 2025

Filed: November 3, 2025 as 1:2025cv13416

Plaintiff: Julie Stiebritz

Defendant: The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A

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

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

Type: Intellectual Property › Copyright

Andrea Alice Muller v. The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A

November 3, 2025

Filed: November 3, 2025 as 1:2025cv13427

Plaintiff: Andrea Alice Muller

Defendant: The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A

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

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

Type: Intellectual Property › Copyright

Azima v. Sand LLC

November 3, 2025

Filed: November 3, 2025 as 2:2025cv10540

Plaintiff: Maheleh Sadat Azima and Mali Sadat Azima

Defendant: Sand LLC

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

Court: Ninth Circuit › California › U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Type: Intellectual Property › Copyright

Suzhou Jihekai Network Technology Co., Ltd v. The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations identified in Schedule A

November 3, 2025

Filed: November 3, 2025 as 0:2025cv62217

Plaintiff: Suzhou Jihekai Network Technology Co., Ltd

Defendant: The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations identified in Schedule A

Cause Of Action: 17 U.S.C. § 0501 Copyright Infringement

Court: Eleventh Circuit › Florida › U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

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)

U.S. Copyright Office Issues a Notice of Inquiry on Possible Alternative Fee Structures for ECS Registration

March 26, 2026

U.S. Copyright Office Issues a Notice of Inquiry on Possible Alternative Fee Structures for ECS Registration NewsNet 1085 MARCH 26, 2026 The Copyright Office has issued a notice of inquiry (NOI) to gather public input on possible alternative fee structures for its registration services that could be

U.S. Copyright Office Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Adjustments to Fee Schedule

March 19, 2026

U.S. Copyright Office Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Adjustments to Fee Schedule NewsNet 1084March 19, 2026 The Copyright Office is publishing a notice of proposed rulemaking requesting public comment on proposed changes to its fee schedule. Congress authorized the Register of Copyrights to set an

New Group Registration Option for Two-Dimensional Artwork Now Available

February 17, 2026

New Group Registration Option for Two-Dimensional Artwork Now Available NewsNet 1083 February 17, 2026 Today, the U.S. Copyright Office released a new group registration option known as Group Registration for Two-Dimensional Artwork (GR2D). GR2D allows artists to register between two and twenty pub

U.S. Copyright Office Issues a Report on the Copyright Claims Board as Directed by the CASE Act

February 13, 2026

U.S. Copyright Office Issues a Report on the Copyright Claims Board as Directed by the CASE Act NewsNet 1082February 13, 2026 The U.S. Copyright Office has published a report on the Copyright Claims Board (CCB) three years after its first determination, as directed by the Copyright Alternative in Sm

Library Announces Copyright Public Modernization Committee Meeting February 25

February 3, 2026

Library Announces Copyright Public Modernization Committee Meeting February 25 NewsNet 1081February 3, 2026 The Library of Congress issued the following press release: The Library of Congress will host the next meeting of the Copyright Public Modernization Committee (CPMC) on Wednesday, February 25,

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)

The Problem with Collecting CCB Damages

February 2, 2026

The Copyright Claims Board (CCB) first opened in June 2022. One of the first claims to be filed there (the twelfth according to the docket number) was the case of Benjamin Bronner vs. EssayZoo. I discussed the case in more detail when it was filed, but a quick summary is that Bronner is a universit

3 Count: Evil Genie

February 2, 2026

US government asks Supreme Court not to take AI art case, Danish students to face lawsuits over pirated textbooks, and Google's new AI tool sparks takedowns. Source

Use of AI in the patent industry: Are you behind the wheel or waiting for the bus?

February 2, 2026

It took a global pandemic to move some patent firms away from paper files. Today, it seems that patent attorneys are finally entering modernity with the growing adoption in the industry of automation tools for patent drafting and prosecution case management. Interestingly, much of this is being sold

Black History Month Program: 1913 Federal Mann Act: Prosecution of Jack Johnson

February 2, 2026

On February 11, 2026 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, in collaboration with the Federal Bar Association Chicago Chapter and the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc., is hosting what promises to be an interesting and timel

Does Being Interested In Whether AI Can Be An Author Make For An “Interested Person”?

February 1, 2026

The Thinker: Rodin 1904CIPPIC has filed an interesting and apparently unprecedented Federal Court application claiming standing as an “interested person” with respect to a Canadian copyright registration for a work entitled SURYAST in which an AI program is named as a co-author. CIPPIC says on its w

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