Copyright

Supreme Court Staying Out of ‘Empire’ Copyright Lawsuit

The Supreme Court is staying out of a lawsuit involving the television show “Empire.” The high court said Tuesday it won’t take a case involving the Fox show, which follows a black family navigating the ups and downs of the record industry. That means a decision in favor of “Empire” co-creators Danny Strong and Lee Daniels stands. Actor Clayton Prince Tanksley sued in 2016, claiming that “Empire” was substantially similar to a television show he had pitched at a competition in 2008.


Another Lawsuit Tries to Force an ISP Into Being a Copyright Cop

Major record labels are once again trying to force an Internet service provider into enforcing their copyrights by cutting off customers from the Internet over copyright accusations. The lawsuit they filed against Texas broadband provider Grande Communications suffers from many of the same due process problems as the BMG Music Publishing v. Cox Communications case, which is on appeal. The issue …


Warner Bros. Settles Lawsuit Against Talent Agency for Distributing Oscar Screeners

Warner Bros. has come to an agreement with Innovative Artists to end a copyright lawsuit over the alleged pirating of Oscar screeners. Court papers formally ending the case have yet to be filed, but The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the studio’s dispute with the talent agency has been settled in advance of this year’s Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday. The piracy of Oscar screeners has …


Exactly How and Why Zenimax Was Awarded $500M in Lawsuit Against Oculus

The years-long legal battle between Zenimax and Oculus drew to a close yesterday, as the court ruled in Zenimax’s favor after two days of deliberations. As a result, Zenimax is owed a total of $500 million for a variety of charges against Oculus, CTO John Carmack, and co-founders Palmer Luckey and Brendan Iribe. Now that the dust has had a chance to settle, a pair of legal experts sat down to …


In Sirius XM Lawsuits, Settlement Might Cement Digital Music Monopolies

Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s recent settlement with ex-members of the 60s rock group The Turtles over royalty payments for old recordings has the potential to solidify the dominant position of big music services like Sirius XM, at the expense of new music services, independent and Web-based radio stations, and the listening public. If approved by the court, the settlement would give Sirius XM …



Judge Orders Lawyers Who Won ‘Happy Birthday’ Lawsuit Get $4.62 Million, Too

Last September, federal judge George King ruled that “Happy Birthday to You,” the iconic song sung at children’s parties everywhere daily, was not subject to copyright protection as previously thought. Now free from the grasp of music publishing company Warner Chappell, it’s free to be used by anyone, anywhere, for any purpose, with only a specific arrangement covered by the 1035 copyright …


“Dancing Baby” YouTube Lawsuit May Go Before Supreme Court

The nearly decade-long legal battle over a 29-second YouTube clip of a toddler dancing to a barely discernible Prince song may end up going before the Supreme Court after free speech advocates representing the mother who shot that video petitioned the nation’s highest court. Those familiar with the …