The Copyright Office will host a webinar on July 15, 2020, at 2 p.m. eastern time on the new group registration option for short online literary works—for example, blog entries, social media posts, and online articles

Under this option, applicants may register up to fifty short online literary works with one application and one filing fee. To qualify, each work must contain at least 50 but no more than 17,500 words. The works must be written by the same individual, or co-written by the same individuals, and each writer must be named as the copyright claimant or claimants for each work. The works must be first published online within a three-calendar-month period. If the Office registers the claim, the registration will cover the text in each work as a separate work of authorship.

More here.

Put briefly, their use of photographer’s photo is fair use. Opinion from Southern Dist of NY here. That’s the image in dispute, of Eddie Van Halen, above right. Incidentally, are you a David or Sammy fan?

The Washington NFL franchise announced today, July 13, 2020, that it will drop the “Redskins” name and Indian head logo immediately, bowing to decades of criticism that they are offensive to Native Americans.

What about the trademarks?

Kinda like, original intent of the framers?

Interesting article via JD Supra on an issue that keeps coming up: whether non-commissioned, illegal street art on private property is blessed with intellectual property and moral rights.

“…despite the growing recognition of Black Lives Matter-inspired street art, including murals, illegally placed artwork will likely be subject to the wishes of the property owner. Even when an artwork achieves VARA protection, courts may still deny relief when the artwork has been installed without authorization from the property owner. Accordingly, artworks that are affixed to property, without the property owner’s permission (e.g., vandalism), may be subject to destruction, removal, or transfer of that particular manifestation.”

It seems inevitable that others who traded on this basis—loans against art—may find themselves in difficulty because of the Covid-19 pandemic. We have already heard numerous reports of discounting, and with lower prices, borrowers may struggle to pay back their debts.

A shrinking market could also have an impact on another strategy, that of betting on art via auction guarantees.

More here.

Attorneys looking for some interesting copyright content while getting that coveted CLE may want to look at this PLI program. You can even access this Practicing Law Institute webcast from the comfort of your own home and sweatpants. I’ll be leading the discussion around public art. Webcast will take place on June 25, 2020 starting at 9am EST. There are 5 other great presenters and practitioners leading very interesting discussions as well. Hope you can join us!

Overview

Why You Should Attend 

Copyright law continues to evolve in ways than inevitably capture public attention.  Recent years have delivered headline changes to what was once considered settled tenets of copyright law.  This program features a comprehensive review of copyright basics and its latest updates, covering the fundamentals behind copyright’s origins and enforcement considerations as well as key case law and regulatory developments.  Lawyers new to the practice should find this program to serve as a helpful primer whereas experienced copyright lawyers should find the coverage of recent updates most helpful.

What You Will Learn

– Basic Principles of Copyright Law 
– Enforcing Copyrights
– New Cases in Copyright Law—Internet and Beyond
– Intermediary Liability and the DMCA
– Copyright Issues in Visual Arts

Who Should Attend

Attorneys new to copyright law and more experienced practitioners seeking a review of the latest updates should find this program to be helpful.

More info here.