Tag Archives: Copyright Law
Copyright Law: What Are Derivative Works?
A derivative work is one that is based largely off of a pre-existing work. Under the Copyright Act of 1976, copyright holders are entitled to some important legal protection against anyone using their original work for derivative purposes, without their express consent. However, this does not mean that you cannot be inspired to create… Read More »
Instagram, Food Porn, and Copyright Law
A German court has recently decided that taking photographs of your meal, a practice often referred to as food porn, may run afoul of a chef’s copyright in the food’s artistic arrangement. While that decision does not have a lot of practical impact on people stateside, looking at a similar situation under American copyright… Read More »
Newly Discovered Songbook May End Happy Birthday Copyright
“Happy Birthday to You” has been a traditional fixture at birthday parties for the better part of the last century, which is why it surprises many people that the song is actually covered by copyright law. While people singing at their family birthday parties probably do not have to worry about a cease and… Read More »
Federal Court Snuffs out Controversial Copyright Decision and Makes Life Harder for Independent Actors
A recent decision by a federal court in California has important implications for actors looking to protect their interest or reputations based on movies they starred in. The case, Garcia v. Google, was being closely watched by the intellectual property community because the federal court involved had approved a novel theory of copyright protection;… Read More »
Copyright Law as a Solution to Revenge Porn
Updating the law tends to be a slow, laborious process that often takes years. This can be a problem when the law attempts to govern advances in technology, which can happen at a much faster pace. Such a problem has arisen in the area of revenge porn. Revenge porn is a recent phenomenon that… Read More »
Automakers Employing Copyright Law Against Hobbyists
As software finds its way into more and more pieces of previously analog equipment, it expands the reach of copyright law. This has led to new groups being forced to navigate the complex American intellectual property system. One such group includes car hobbyists, who are now being forced to deal with car manufacturer copyrights… Read More »
