News

Skating Over Copyright Law

Move over Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. After the Sochi Winter Olympic Games in 2014, the International Skating Union changed its rules in figure skating competitions to allow figure skaters to skate to music with lyrics to appeal to younger audiences who tune in to watch the Olympics (goodbye Swan Lake!). Now...

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Ace Ventura v. Joe Exotic

Nothing defined life in the time of COVID quite like Tiger King and, quite like COVID, we are still talking about Tiger King nearly two years later.  On Christmas Eve, the production company behind Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls sued Netflix and the producers of Tiger King for copyright infringement...

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Intellectual Property Update: As Predicted, Copyright Office Denies the “Carlton” Copyright Registration and Raises Ownership Questions

Recent developments in the copyright infringement lawsuit brought by Alfonso Ribeiro, known for playing Carlton on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, against video game maker Epic Games confirm the questions raised in my prior post as to whether Ribeiro could register a copyright in the Carlton dance and bring a...

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Can I Copyright My Funky Dance Moves? Ask Intellectual Property Attorney Larry Brocchini

The recent filing of a federal copyright infringement lawsuit by Alfonso Ribeiro—“Carlton” on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and YouTube celebrity, famous for "the Carlton,” his arm-swinging movements to the Tom Jones diddy "It’s Not Unusual"—raises the question of whether and to what extent choreographed dance moves can by copyrighted...

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December 2018 New York Entertainment and Media Legal Highlights Concerning Reposting Instagram Photographs, Reselling of MP3s, and Defamation Claims Based on Movie Characters  

As summarized below, in December 2018 the New York Federal courts handed down three significant opinions relevant to entertainment and media professionals. Court Finds Hearst Engaged in Copyright Infringement by Reposting a Photograph Taken from Instagram The District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that Hearst Communications...

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Watch Part 5 of RPJ Partner Mark H. Moore’s Expert Series on Software Copyright Protection with AltaClaro

In its latest Expert Series, AltaClaro features RPJ Partner Mark H. Moore discussing how companies can use copyright law to protect their software. Released on July 20, Part 5 of the 5-part video series highlights some of the practical tactics and considerations for effective enforcement of a company's software copyrights. Watch “Use Copyright Law to Protect...

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Watch Part 4 of RPJ Partner Mark H. Moore’s Expert Series on Software Copyright Protection with AltaClaro

AltaClaro features RPJ Partner Mark H. Moore in its latest Expert Series discussing how to use copyright law for proprietary computer software to protect companies’ intellectual property in case it is ever stolen or hacked. Released on July 17, Part 4 of the 5-part video series highlights the hurdles to proving that a...

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Watch Part 3 of RPJ Partner Mark H. Moore’s AltaClaro Expert Series on Software Copyright Protection

In its latest Expert Series, AltaClaro features RPJ Partner Mark H. Moore discussing how to use copyright law for proprietary computer software to protect companies’ intellectual property in case it is ever stolen or hacked. AltaClaro released Part 3 of its 5-part video Expert Series featuring Mr. Moore on Friday, July 13, which focuses...

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