Sam Smith’s hit song “Stay With Me” was reportedly the subject of a copyright dispute with Tom Petty claiming that it infringed his “I Won’t Back Down” hit song. Here’s a third party’s analysis and comparison of the two songs: The Rolling Stone reports that the parties have…
Beijing Ciwen Film and Television Production Co., Ltd. is the owner of a Chinese copyright registration for forty episodes of the Chinese language television series, whose title translates to “Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain,” which was created and filmed in China. When filing a copyright infringement lawsuit in the…
Since she blew onto the scene and gained notoriety from her 2004 sex tape, Paris Hilton has become a trademark licensing phenomenon, lending her name to a wide range of products, from shoes to perfumes. Her latest watch design, however, may not be as successful after being sued for patent…
Bethesda Softworks and Interplay Entertainment have waged a long-running, real world copyright and trademark battle over the virtual-world Fallout video game. The Bethesda v. Interplay Maryland lawsuit apparently arose over an ambiguity in the scope of a license back to Interplay in developing future Fallout video games. In 2007, Bethesda…
The “Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie” is based on the popular “Warhammer 40,000” table-top war game. The movie is a science-fantasy action thriller set in the future where genetically enhanced super-warriors battle aliens to protect mankind. But in the present, a legal battle has commenced regarding distribution rights to the…
Los Angeles, CA – An oral agreement is usually not the greatest way to memorialize the parties’ duties and rights for copyrighted material, and this is certainly not the first or last such dispute. See here. Plaintiff JanKris Vineyards entered into an oral copyright license agreement with photographer Jules Alexander…
Los Angeles, CA – Moroccanoil manufactures “salon only” hair care products under its Moroccanioil®, “M Moroccanoil Design” and “Vertical Moroccanoil M Design” trademarks, which are all registered with the USPTO. Through its distribution arrangements Moroccanoil restricts the sale of its products to professional salons and licensed cosmetologists. Defendant Beauty Encounter…
Los Angeles, CA – EuropaCorp, the motion picture studio behind the “I Love You Phillip Morris” movie, was granted a preliminary injunction in its copyright infringement and breach of contract lawsuit against the distributor Consolidated Pictures Group. Consolidated Pictures had been granted all U.S. domestic distribution rights in the movie,…
Los Angeles, CA – EuropaCorp is a French motion picture studio that produced the feature film “I Love You Phillip Morris,” starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. In a May 8, 2009 agreement, EuropaCorp licensed to Consolidated Pictures all domestic distribution rights in the movie, including all theatrical, home video,…
Los Angeles, CA – Zynga Game Network is a social gaming company and provides numerous games, such as Zynga Poker, Mafia Wars, FarmVille, YoVille, Cafe World and Word Twist, that are available on Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, iPhone and iPod Touch, among others. Zynga has several pending USPTO trademark applications for…