Law Update Newsletters
Scroll through Ted Sabety’s take on developing stories in the field of technology, electronic media, IP and fashion.
Google Wins its Long Dispute with Oracle over the Java Computer Language API
April 5, 2021. Google LLC v. Oracle America, Inc. 593 U.S. __(2021). We wrote last year about the ongoing legal battle between Google and Oracle over Java computer language and its potential to create copyright over a computer language. The US Supreme Court handed Google a win without addressing the computer language issue head-on. The Court noted that there were two questions before it: (i)...
Join Our Mailing List
Newsletter Archives
President-Elect Donald Trump May Have an Intellectual Property Policy
We have been asked about the election of Donald Trump to the office of the presidency and its impact on intellectual property. We have not found a formal position paper issued by the Trump campaign regarding the United States or international intellectual property...
Knives are Out at the U.S. Copyright Office
It is reported that Maria Pallante, the head of the U.S. Copyright Office, was abruptly removed from her post on Friday. The removal process was reported to include locking down her computer accounts. According to Billboard Magazine, a music industry trade rag,...
Google’s Use of Android in certain Java “Declaring Code”
May 2016. Copyright Law. ORACLE v. GOOGLE (ND Ca). A Jury in the Federal District Court, ND California Finds Google’s Use of Android in certain Java “Declaring Code” that is Owned by Oracle is Fair Use. This was a copyright and patent case brought against Google by...
Impediment For Copyright Owners Of User-Generated Online Content
There is a new impediment for copyright owners trying to police the unauthorized use of copyrighted works in user-generated online content, especially videos. The Federal appeals court Ninth Circuit ruled in Lenz v. Universal Music that a copyright owner has to...
Computer-Related Patent Claims Breathed Back To Life
The judiciary has breathed life back into innumerable computer-related patent claims that were considered moribund. The U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit reversed its precedent regarding whether a computer method claim, where some steps are performed by one party...
The Copyright Infringement Case Over The Song “Blurred Lines”
Are Pharrell and Thicke $7 Million dollars (plus legal fees) poorer and the heirs of Marvin Gaye that much richer (minus legal fees)? Don’t be so sure. In the copyright infringement case making the news, where a jury decided the song “Blurred Lines” was an infringing...
Just Released New “Net Neutrality” Regulations
The Federal Communications Commission by a vote of 3-2 just released its new “net neutrality” regulations. The earth-shaking decision is that the F.C.C.’s order “reclassifies ‘broadband Internet access service’… as a ‘telecommunications service’ under Title II.” That...
Strengthening Of U.S. Copyright Protections Of Computer Programs
The U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit has significantly strengthened U.S. copyright protection of computer programs. The Court reversed and remanded the Oracle v. Google case. Oracle sued Google alleging that the Android platform infringed its copyrights in the...
Broadcast Digital Television Copy Protection Regulations
2003 Begins with a Flurry of Activity in the Copyright Protection Arena. Range of Media Industry Players File Comments on Broadcast Digital Television Copy Protection Regulations. December 6th, 2002 In response to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Notice...
Digital Copyright Protection Battlefront Moves to the F.C.C.
Federal Communications Commission considers a mandate for a digital copyright protection scheme. On August 9, 2002, the Federal Communications Commission (F.C.C.) released its Second Report and Order, In the Matter of Review of the Commissions Rules and Policies...