Alt Legal IP News – Issue #77
Hannah Samendinger | March 01, 2018
Check out our latest episode of Alt Trademarks. This episode features Josh Jarvis of Foley Hoag. We discuss his role at the firm and his appearance in the recent “Don’t Say Velcro” video.
A Name, a Story, a Character
– A recent fallout between restaurant owners highlights the problem with putting your name on a restaurant.
– A British comedian is being sued by her ex-husband over stories she tells about him onstage.
– The NRA tweeted a Leslie Knope GIF, causing some immediate backlash on Twitter. The whole incident could make for a very interesting law school exam question. Here is a great guide on copyright law and GIFs.
Tech Savvy
– Harvard has patented artificial eye and muscle technology.
– MoviePass is suing Sinemia for patent infringement, alleging “remarkably similar” services.
– Some top lawyers battled artificial intelligence in a contract interpretation competition. The lawyers lost.
Comics Section
– ScoobyBox is now BusterBox after a warning from Warner Bros. over the use of the Scooby name.
– Marvel pushed back in a fight for a JEAN GREY trademark registration with a nearly 700-page document, highlighting examples of character-based trademark registrations.
– Check out these comic characters hashing out their own intellectual property disputes.
Odds and Ends
– Apple may have a few new ventures in the works based on trademark applications for their old school rainbow logo and for more goods and services with the Apple TV logo.
– The Oscars are coming up this Sunday, and at least one of the films is facing a copyright infringement lawsuit.
– What can Good Burger teach us about intellectual property?
– Two singles released by A Tribe Called Quest earned them $0 due to a licensing deal with Lou Reed.
– The NBA commissioner cited the league’s intellectual property portfolio in his argument for a royalty from gaming operators if sports betting becomes legal nationwide.