Verdict in trademark case could be legal test for sports merchandising
At least a dozen schools have sued the defendants over their use of vintage sports logos and images, including Purdue University, Stanford and UCLA.
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Mickey Mouse will soon belong to you and me—with some caveats
With several asterisks, qualification and caveats, Mickey Mouse in his earliest form is leading a raft of characters, films and books that will become public domain as the year turns to 2024.
As AI use accelerates, copyright questions linger for creatives
In an effort to gain some clarity, the U.S. Copyright Office is seeking public feedback on a wide range of questions about AI-related copyright issues.
Supreme Court rules for Jack Daniel’s in trademark fight over poop-themed dog toy
In a narrow, unanimous ruling, the justices sent back to a lower court the case testing the line between trademark protections and free-speech rights.
Andy Warhol, Prince at center stage in Supreme Court copyright case
Despite the light nature of the arguments at times, the issue is a serious one. A range of high-profile organizations stressed the importance of the decision, including The Motion Picture Association, prominent museums and the creators of “Sesame Street.”
High court sides with Google in $8B copyright fight with Oracle
To create Android, which was released in 2007, Google wrote millions of lines of new computer code. But it also used 11,330 lines of code and an organization that’s part of Oracle’s Java platform.
Publishing companies sue Internet Archive over scanning of books
Founded in 1996 and based in San Francisco, the Archive has defended its recent actions by saying that it operates like a traditional lending library, a not-for-profit entity providing free books.
High court strikes down ‘scandalous’ part of trademark law
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the century-old provision is an unconstitutional restriction on speech, handing a victory Monday to California fashion brand FUCT.
Justices rule law on offensive trademarks unconstitutional
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday struck down part of a law that bans offensive trademarks in a ruling that is expected to help the Washington Redskins in their legal fight over the team name.
Aereo court ruling sidesteps cloud-computing questions
As Aereo Inc.’s streaming-TV service was dealt a potentially fatal blow Wednesday, the cloud-computing industry was more concerned about what the U.S. Supreme Court didn’t say.
Trademark board rules against Redskins name
The U.S. Patent Office ruled Wednesday that the Washington Redskins nickname is "disparaging of Native Americans" and that the team's federal trademarks for the name must be canceled.
Attorney sues hundreds over use of Indy skyline photo
Attorney Richard Bell says he has found about 300 people using a photo on their websites that he took back in 2000. His aggressive litigation against them raises vital questions about fair use and theft in the Internet age.
Photographer sues French Lick resort over angels paintings
Pamela Mougin, a onetime Indianapolis photographer who now runs a studio in Colorado, filed suit this month against French Lick Resort & Casino for copyright infringement.
Authors Guild sues universities over online books
Authors and authors' groups sued the University of Michigan, Indiana University and three other universities Monday, seeking to stop the creation of online libraries made up of as many as 7 million copyright-protected books they say were scanned without authorization.
Intellectual property theft rising quickly
Filching ranges from crude to highly sophisticated, experts say.
Republic sues website operator over airline gift cards
Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings Inc. and its Frontier Airlines unit filed a trademark-infringement case against the operator of a website offering gift cards as consumer incentives.
Purdue steps up efforts to halt illegal downloads
The Higher Education Opportunity Act requires schools to fight illegal distribution of copyrighted material and educate campus
communities about the issue. Schools that don’t comply risk losing their eligibility for federal student aid.
Curtis sues pizza chain over Rockwell painting in ad
The suit, filed in federal court in Indianapolis, accuses Hungry Howie's Pizza & Subs Inc. of Madison Heights, Mich.,
of infringing the copyright to a Saturday Evening Post cover first published in 1943.
STYLE: Should we knock the knock-offs?
In light of the copyright infringement lawsuits Coach has brought against two Indianapolis retailers, I find myself wondering
if my purchase would be an ethical one, especially as someone who appreciates apparel (and accessories) as an art form.
Local attorney sues Fundex over game royalties
A local lawyer who created the game “Chronology” alleges breach of contract, trademark infringement, use of a counterfeit
mark, unfair competition, copyright infringement, trademark dilution and forgery.