What Do You Call An Album Released Solely to Extend Copyright Protection?
It’s only sort of a trick question.
Intellectual Property
Trademark Denied Due to Scandalous Implication of Rooster Lollipop
This decision mostly speaks for itself: The mark at issue here has two parts: a literal element, consisting of the words COCK SUCKER, and a design element, consisting of a drawing of a crowing rooster. Since 1979, [the applicant] has…
UPDATE: More on Your Freedom to Tebow
As I mentioned the other day, many media outlets have been reporting incorrectly that Tim Tebow had been granted a trademark on the act of "Tebowing," not just the term. To some extent this may have been a misunderstanding of…
Tebow Trademarks “Tebowing”?
Photo: AP Various reports, like this one at the Washington Times, have said that Jets quarterback Tim Tebow has trademarked the act of "Tebowing," but I don't think that's true. He has certainly trademarked the word "Tebowing" for use in a variety…
Justin Bieber Wins First Round Against “Joustin’ Beaver”
Well, this exists: Needless to say, this drew a cease-and-desist letter from Bieber's lawyers, and the company selling the app responded with a declaratory judgment action against Bieber in Florida, where it's located. It portrayed the app as a "parody…
Ecce las Velas (Behold the Candles)
Following up on yesterday's post about the lady who painted over Jesus and now wants royalties—according to a Reddit post, these are currently on sale in Los Angeles: Looks like Ms. Jiménez (or the artist's heirs, or both) may need…
Ecce Abogado (Behold the Lawyer)
You may recall the incident last month in which an elderly parishioner of the Sanctuary of Mercy church near Zaragosa, Spain, decided on her own to try to restore a deteriorating fresco of Jesus, with unfortunate results: According to one…
“Your Honor, First of All, I’m Not Smoking Crack”
This is something you'd really prefer to get through your entire legal career without having to say. From a report today in Ars Technica: SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA—Testimony in the giant Apple v. Samsung patent trial is entering its final hours, and nerves…
Patent No. 5,443,036: Method of Exercising a Cat
Some days I'm just too tired to jiggle a piece of string. If only there were an easier and more convenient way to get my cat to engage in voluntary aerobic exercise…. Utilizing the method set forth in this patent,…
The Guardian(s): Lawyers Shadowed Olympic Torch “Every Step of the Way”
And no, that does not seem to be a metaphor: Two lawyers from the organising committee of the London Olympics have been shadowing the torch on every step of its journey across the UK to prevent ambush marketing on behalf of…