Copyright & Social Media
Communications Law
This is a tesla, not a Tesla
In most Slavic languages, a tesla is a type of hammer (see main post picture). It’s great for pulling out nails and as a kid, grandma and I used teslas to plant potatoes on the farm. It’s also good for settling disputes. But can it be used in a lawsuit for IP infringement? Drumroll….: it […]
Colin v. Cuthbert: The Case of the Caterpillar Cake Copy-Cat
Why are these people dressed up as caterpillars? Why are they eating cake? Why are they fighting? If you are like me, you have been toiling over this mystery for several months. It has caused me many sleepless nights. I am sure you are all dying for an explanation. Luckily for you, I have investigated […]
Disney Has Taken Notice of AI Generated Pixar Posters
There is a growing trend on the internet to use AI Image Generators to make memes. One prominent meme format is to have a movie poster generated in a style that resembles Disney Pixar posters. Many of these generated posters are intended to be offensive while prominently displaying the Disney Pixar logo, due to Disney’s […]
Week 10 Fall 2023 – Slides & Video
Slides & video below…
Protective Poison: An Alternative Method to Copyright Protection
The MIT Review released an article discussing Nightshade, a tool for artists to protect their images from web scraping. The research was conducted by Ben Zhao’s team at the University of Chicago. Nightshade was created as a tool that artists can use to stand up against AI companies that use images to train models without […]
How Trademarks Can Potentially Promote Sustainable Fashion
One of the fundamental tenets of trademark law is to safeguard consumers. Trademarks are a type of intellectual property consisting of a word, phrase, symbol, logo, design, or expression distinguishing products or services from others and identifying their source.[1] For fashion brands, the use of trademarks endows “customer loyalty and generates commercial value”, thereby […]
Legal risks for modding in video games?
As a fan of video games, one of the benefits to gaming on PC rather than on console is the freedom to “mod” the games. Modding is when fans create assets or software which change an aspect of the game, such as its appearance or mechanics. For example, one of my personal favourites is the […]
Week 9 Fall 2023 – Slides & Video
Slides & video below…