Blogs
Lizzo Knocks Out Copyright Co-Ownership Claim
On April 27th, 2021, the Grammy-winning pop singer Lizzo claims about the copyright owner of the hit song “Truth Hurts” once and for all. Three unknown music artists accused Lizzo of refusing to acknowledge their role in creating her song “Truth Hurts.” Among other things, the artists Justin Raisen, Jeremiah Raisen, and Yves Rothman (the…
Google Flexes Its Muscles for the Court in an Attempt to Dodge Claims that It Sold Pirated Master Recordings
On May 13, 2021, Google reached a tentative settlement to resolve three copyright lawsuits in which the owners of a variety of master recordings (“the owners”) alleged that Google sold pirated versions of over 270 of their master recordings. Two of the three suits involved the rights to Harry Arlen’s music. Arlen’s works have been…
Pepsi Finally Prevails in the 2016 Copyright Lawsuit Over Superbowl 50 Ad “The Joy of Dance”
On May 21st, 2021, a panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that PepsiCo (“Pepsi”) did not steal an advertising firm’s idea for a Super Bowl ad that aired in 2016. During Superbowl 50, Pepsi aired an ad entitled “The Joy of Dance,” which featured singer Janelle Monae…
Copyright Lawsuit Against Netflix Hit Series “Outer Banks” Tossed by Federal Judge in Georgia
On May 25th, 2021, Chief U.S. Judge Timothy C. Batten Sr. of the Northern District of Georgia tossed a copyright infringement suit against Netflix and the creators of its hit television show “Outer Banks.” “Outer Banks” is a mystery adventure series where a group of teenage friends searches for treasure after the disappearance of the…
Ice Cube’s Endorsement Lawsuit Against Robinhood Melts Away
On June 15th, 2021, a federal magistrate judge in the Northern District of California dismissed Ice Cube’s lawsuit against investment app “Robinhood.” O’Shea Jackson Sr., known professionally as “Ice Cube,” filed a lawsuit against Robinhood in March 2021 after Robinhood mentioned the rapper in a newsletter. In the newsletter, Robinhood used an image from the…
“Jesus and Mary Chain” Fight to Reclaim Their Copyrights
On June 14th, 2021, James and William Reid, brothers and founding members of the Scottish alternative rock band Jesus and Mary Chain, hit Warner Music Group Corp. (“Warners”) with a $2.5 million copyright infringement suit. The Reid brothers allege that Warner refuses to acknowledge and accept the band’s notice of termination of Warners’ ownership rights…
The Battle of the Interlocking Os: Kool Cigarettes vs. Bloom Marijuana
On June 3rd, 2021, a California federal judge rejected a cannabis company’s attempt to escape a trademark infringement suit brought by the manufacturer of Kool Cigarettes. Judge Otis D. Wright II ruled against Capna Intellectual (“Capana”) a Los Angeles- Based cannabis company, holding that the interlocking Os at the heart of Capana’s “Bloom” logo presented…
Kanye West Faces Sanctions Bid After Blasphemous Behavior During a Deposition
In a motion filed on June 9th, 2021, MyChannel asked the Court in California to require Kanye West to sit down for an in-person deposition after Mr. West “insulted and abused” the company’s attorney in a video deposition that only lasted 15 minutes before West stormed out. MyChannel also urged the judge to punish the…
Dershowitz’s Defamation Lawsuit Survives CNN’s Motion to Dismiss
On May 25th, 2021, U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal of the Southern District of Florida held that Alan Dershowitz’s $300 million defamation suit against CNN could proceed. Dershowitz, a famous lawyer known for helping Trump and other far-right politicians, filed the $300 million defamation suit against CNN on September 15th, 2020. The complaint concerned CNN’s…
Facebook Dodges Data Scraping Suit After District Court Chooses Not to Follow Recent Ninth Circuit Decisions
On May 14, 2021, the United States District Court in the Northern District of California granted a motion to dismiss in favor of Facebook in a class-action suit. The lawsuit alleged that Facebook used “data scraping” to collect Android users’ call and text logs and later sold that information to advertisers. The District Court granted…