No knowledge of infringement, no secondary copyright liability for YouTube

This case underscores that platforms like YouTube, when promptly addressing DMCA takedown notices, are not necessarily held liable for user-uploaded content that infringes copyright. Plaintiff . . .

Does a human who edits an AI-created work become a joint author with the AI?

If a human edits a work that an AI initially created, is the human a joint author under copyright law? U.S. copyright law (at 17 . . .

What is a copyright license and why do you need one?

  A copyright license is a formal agreement that allows another party to exercise rights in a copyright-protected work legally, which would otherwise infringe on . . .

Do you have to register your copyright?

When it comes to protecting your creative work, one question that often comes up is whether you need to register your copyright. The short answer . . .

Company successfully defends against trade dress and copyright infringement claims over online software tool

A federal court in Delaware dismissed most of the intellectual property infringement claims concerning a competing online room-planning software tool. The court held that plaintiff’s . . .

Company president may be liable for vicarious copyright infringement

Plaintiff sued a company and its president for copyright infringement, over some photos that the company published online. The individual defendant moved to dismiss the . . .

Can you sue a platform for not following DMCA takedown procedures?

Plaintiff sued YouTube after the platform took down one of plaintiff's videos in response to a DMCA takedown notice. She claimed YouTube failed to follow . . .

In copyright infringement case, artist’s social media popularity supported claim that retail chain copied artwork

Plaintiff is an artist who designs macabre items, including a bat-themed mug. Defendant (Michaels, the well-known retail craft store) started selling a vase that plaintiff . . .

Copyright ownership transfers must be in writing

If you are hiring an independent contractor to create copyrightable subject matter, and you want to own the copyright in the resulting work product, be . . .

DMCA anticircumvention case over copied YouTube videos moves forward

Defendant fired plaintiff over two videos advocating for COVID-19 workplace protections that plaintiff posted on YouTube. Around the time of the termination, the employer allegedly . . .