Dancing the Fortnite Away

The Copyright Act provides for copyright protection in “pantomimes and choreographic works”, but they have to be fixed in tangible form. According to the Copyright Office, “choreography is the composition and arrangement of a related series of dance movements and patterns organized into a coherent whole”, and pantomime is “the art of imitating, presenting, or … Read more

Inked Up for Copyright

We have previously discussed that ownership of copyright defaults to the creator of work and that someone else can’t just use or duplicate the work without the owner’s permission. So, it wouldn’t be surprising to those who read our blog regularly to hear that some creators are upset that a party has taken their works … Read more

Berne[d] by Copyright Treaties

In 1886 a bunch of countries got together in one of the most important international treaties in history. Called the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, it was intended to address the evil of cross-border infringement of Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. These books were so popular in … Read more

Trademarks: The Shopper’s Law

I love trademark law.  I admit it.  I have used the hashtag #trademarknerd more than once.  One reason that I love it is that it is part of everyday life. If you shop, you use and understand trademark law.  And here you thought you were just buying shampoo. Trademarks are completely based on customer perceptions.  … Read more