Copyright & Social Media
Communications Law
US Supreme Court rules APIs are covered under fair use
The US Supreme Court overturned a federal decision on Monday that had found Google infringed Oracle’s copyright by including elements of their Java application programming interface (API) in Android OS. The highest court ruled 6-2 that APIs are a narrow category of software to be treated differently from other software (protected more broadly by fair […]
Paper: Canada’s Reluctant Acceptance of International Copyright Protection
Hi Everyone, I’ve attached my paper for the class that explores Canada’s relationship with the Berne Convention. This was a really interesting paper to write as it revealed that, as a net importer of copyrighted works, Canada has traditionally been quite opposed to international copyright protection. Nevertheless, Canada acceded to the Berne Convention in order […]
Ice Cube and Robinhood Trademark Dispute
Hey Everyone, I thought this was an interesting and weird bit of trademark news. Ice Cube is alleging that Robinhood used his likeness and trademark without consent in one of their editorial/blog articles. He claims it’s an act of targeted retaliation for his association with an attorney who is suing Robinhood over their GameStop trading […]
US Patent and Trademark Office – Discussion “.com”
http://www.ipbrief.net/2021/04/01/u-s-patent-and-trademark-office-considers-supreme-court-ruling-on-com-trademarks-in-new-decision/ Hey everyone, I just came across this interesting article. Although it’s about US law, I think it ponders an important question. The article discusses if adding a “.com” to something relives it of its generic status. Have a quick glance at it and let me know what you think, can “.com” become part of […]
Closely watched Colorado cannabis patent lawsuit dropped
https://mjbizdaily.com/closely-watched-colorado-cannabis-patent-lawsuit-dropped/
It’s time to consider a patent reprieve for COVID vaccine
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00863-w
Nike sues MSCHF for Trademark Infringement over ‘Satan Shoes’
Hi everyone, I’ve attached an article I thought was interesting. Nike is suing art collective MSCHF for its release of ‘Satan Shoes’ in collaboration with musician Lil Nas X. The modified Nike Air Max 97s contain Satanic imagery, including a pentagram and a drop of blood suspended in the sole of the shoes. MSCHF’s limited […]
“Universities Threaten Virtual Campus Tour Business Over Trademarks”
Hi Everyone, I came across this article about how colleges in the US have been sending cease and desist letters on the basis of trademark infringement to a business, LiveCampusTours, which is providing virtual campus tours by partnering with students who attend those colleges. Although this is a US context, I thought it was an […]
World’s first virtual house NFT sold by a Toronto artist
Hi everyone, NFTs are fast expanding, as illustrated in Dario’s and Meghan’s presentation on NFTs. My Google Assistant prompted me news about a virtual house NFT sold just a few days ago by a Toronto artist. It is a world’s first virtual house, sold for C$ 650,000 similar to the price of a one-bed condo […]
Presentation: NFT’s and Digital Art – Dario Balca and Meghan (Tian) Zhang
Hi class, Please enjoy the presentation Dario and I have prepared on NFT’s and Digital Art. The presentation is divided into two parts, in the first part, we introduce the concept of NFT’s and the basic IP laws they are likely to interact with. We further explore the implications NFT’s may have in the IP […]