intellectual property Archives

US Patent Office Seeks Public Comment on Anti-Piracy

Counterfeit Products / June 2, 2023

In a recently published Federal Register notice, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is asking the public for ideas about addressing an immeasurable challenge—that of thwarting counterfeiting and piracy in the U.S. Public Comments and Discussion on Anti-piracy and Anti-counterfeiting Solutions Comments about anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy measures can be made until August 23, …

US Patent Office Seeks Public Comment on Anti-Piracy Read More »

Piracy Crackdown Nets Disney and Major Studios $30M

A coalition of studios and production houses, in their long battle to protect copyrights and fight piracy, have won a case against the defendant. Dwayne Johnson, who operates two illegal streaming sites, has been ordered to pay the plaintiffs $30 million. As per court filings, the parties agreed to resolve the lawsuit, which also states …

Piracy Crackdown Nets Disney and Major Studios $30M Read More »

Copyright Claims Board’s First Case Sides with Photographer

On February 28, the Copyright Claims Board (CCB) decided in favor of photographer David Oppenheimer, who had sued Douglas Prutton, a lawyer, who used a photo of his without permission. This was the first case and ruling for the CCB. History of the Copyright Claims Board The CCB, created in 2021, gives photographers a way …

Notorious Markets Piracy Sites List Published by U.S. Gov’t.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) publishes its annual Notorious Markets Report, which was recently released. The report focuses on the physical markets and websites that are seen to be the biggest threats to the country’s intellectual property owners. It is from submissions from copyright owners that the list is compiled. This …

Notorious Markets Piracy Sites List Published by U.S. Gov’t. Read More »

Getty Accuses AI Image Generator of Copyright Infringement

Today, the stock image company announced a legal action in the UK against AI tool developer Stability AI. They allege that the organization unlawfully duplicated and processed millions of images that Getty owns or represents, which are under copyright protection, along with the associated metadata. Getty also accuses Stability AI of scraping images from its …

Getty Accuses AI Image Generator of Copyright Infringement Read More »

Developers Sue GitHub for Alleged Copilot Software Piracy

GitHub’s Copilot program removes the licenses of thousands of software developers, perhaps millions, leading to what is effectively software piracy on a massive scale. That is what’s at the center of an important class action lawsuit filed by Joseph Saveri Law Firm and programmer Matthew Butterick, in San Francisco’s federal court. Along with GitHub, the …

Developers Sue GitHub for Alleged Copilot Software Piracy Read More »

Creators Sued for IP and Copyright Infringement

What do a tattoo artist, TikTok creator, wrestling star Randy Orton, Netflix’s “Bridgerton” series, NFTs, Instagram and Andy Warhol’s Prince portrait have in common? They all figure prominently in recent copyright infringement and intellectual property lawsuits. These diverse creators and media channels are all currently involved in litigation, from district courts to the U.S. Supreme …

Creators Sued for IP and Copyright Infringement Read More »

AI Companies and Different AI Copyright Laws in UK and UK

With the fast adoption of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, countries are examining their current laws when it comes to intellectual property or IP protection. Are these laws, as stated, enough to protect rights holders, or do they need to be revised? One possible complication is that not all countries are taking …

AI Companies and Different AI Copyright Laws in UK and UK Read More »

Anime and Manga Piracy Now Worth Billions, Hurts Artists

Book Piracy / January 6, 2022

The popularity of Japanese anime and manga, a particular style of Japanese comic books, has attracted the attention of pirates. Anime and manga piracy has flourished since the pandemic, which costs the growing industry billions of dollars. In 2020, manga sales were slated to reach 612.6 billion yen, which is approximately U.S. $4.6 billion. This …

Anime and Manga Piracy Now Worth Billions, Hurts Artists Read More »

Disney May Lose Copyright Protection for Beloved Characters

Winnie the Pooh and Tigger too? Those famous Disney characters and many more are set to enter the public domain next year, bringing to light the issues of intellectual property and copyright protection. Disney’s Iconic Characters in Public Domain The company will soon lose control of some of their most loved characters—Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, …

Disney May Lose Copyright Protection for Beloved Characters Read More »