Copyright, Piracy & Counterfeit News

Estate of Notorious B.I.G. Sues for Photo Infringement

The estate of Notorious B.I.G., Republic Merchandising (their IP company), and photographer Barron Claiborne have filed a lawsuit in Illinois federal court against multiple defendants, including canvas-art company iCanvas and major retailers like Home Depot, Target, and Nordstrom. The case centers on the iconic “King of New York” photograph, taken by Claiborne three days before […]

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Lululemon Sues E-Commerce Sellers for Alleged Counterfeiting

Counterfeit Products, Trademark Infringement / February 5, 2025

anadian-based Lululemon has filed three similar lawsuits in the Illinois Northern District Court targeting e-commerce sellers who allegedly sell counterfeit versions of their products. The lawsuits focus on sellers operating on various platforms including Amazon, Wish, Shein, Temu, TikTok, eBay, DHgate, and Walmart. They argue that these counterfeit products bear close resemblance to official Lululemon

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NMPA Says Spotify Podcasts Guilty of Copyright Infringement

The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) has launched a major takedown action against Spotify, targeting over 2,500 alleged instances of copyright infringement in podcasts. This action comes amid an ongoing dispute over Spotify’s recent reclassification of its U.S. subscriptions as bundles. This business decision has reportedly saved the company over $100 million in compositional royalties.

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Copyright Office Clarifies AI-Generated Copyright Protection

The U.S. Copyright Office has released part two of its report on AI and copyright, specifically addressing the copyrightability of generative AI outputs. The report makes several important determinations. AI Content Must Have Human Input for Copyright Protection The Office maintains that existing copyright law is sufficiently adaptable to handle AI technology, just as it

Proposed Anti-Piracy Bill Would Block Foreign Pirate Sites

Representative Zoe Lofgren has introduced the Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act (FADPA), a new bill aimed at blocking foreign pirate websites in the United States. The bill would amend copyright law to allow rightsholders to obtain court orders requiring large ISPs and DNS resolvers to block access to foreign websites primarily designed for copyright infringement. Proposed

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AI and Copyright Infringement in 2024 – What’s Next for 2025

Anyone following news stories about the rapid pace of AI development and creative industries’ ongoing battle over rampant copyright infringement will know that 2024 was a contentious year. AI Copyright Infringement Lawsuits – The Year in Review As the year started, authors sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, claiming they stole their copyrighted works

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Counterfeit Worry: Cross-industry Group Wants IP Protection

Counterfeit Products / December 20, 2024

A coalition of major US industry associations and organization has written to President-elect Trump regarding intellectual property protection and counterfeit goods concerns. The group commends the 2019 Trump Administration Memorandum on combating counterfeit goods, while asking him to reassert his commitment to stemming the flow of illegal trafficking. Broad Industry Support for Stringent IP Protection

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AI & Copyright Update: WGA and Celebs in the US and UK

The battle between surging AI development and artist copyright is markedly different from one side of the pond to the other. In the US, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) demands that media companies take action against tech firms using copyrighted content for their training materials. Meanwhile, new copyright laws in the UK aim to

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Copyright Claims Take Down Major Anime Piracy Sites

Several major anime piracy websites, including GogoAnime, AnimeFenix, and Anitaku have recently shut down due to copyright claims. These sites collectively received over 100 million monthly visits, highlighting the significant demand for free anime content. The shutdowns come at a time when the legal streaming landscape is becoming more consolidated, with Sony now controlling a

Labels Celebrate Piracy Win but Want More From ISP

The ongoing legal battle between major record labels (Warner, Universal, and Sony) and internet service providers (ISPs) over their users’ music piracy and copyright infringement has reached a new phase. These continued court cases highlight the fight between copyright enforcement and unfettered internet access. Labels maintain the right to be compensated for blatant and widespread

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