Chuck D of Public Enemy Sues UMG for Underpayment of Royalties for Digital Downloads
This suit was filed a few months ago but it has just recently come under the Film. Esq. radar. On November 2, 2011, Carlton Douglas Ridenour (aka Chuck D of the musical group Public Enemy) filed a class action suit against UMG Recordings, Inc. (UMG) for various claims including breach of contract and violations of [...]
Copyright Suit Against Insane Clown Posse Filed on Halloween
Entity Productions, the company behind the music group Midnight Syndicate, is suing Psychopathic Records and the horror-rap group Insane Clown Posse (ICP) for copyright infringement. A copy of the full complaint can be downloaded from the link at the bottom of this post. The suit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern Division [...]
Winnie the Pooh Copyrights Remain With Disney
Disney was recently successful in fending off litigation surrounding rights in one of its most popular characters: Winnie the Pooh. Stephen Slesinger, Inc. (SSI) acquired copyrights in the Winnie the Pooh in 1930. In 1961 and 1983, SSI licensed its exclusive rights in the character to the Walt Disney Company. Later, Disney was named a [...]
(Some of) Superman Returns
There was a real drought in the Siegel v. Warner Brothers Entertainment (aka the Superman case), which was previously covered in posts about the general copyright issues and the Superman alter-ego theory. Now, a recent ruling held in the case that the Siegel family recaptured certain rights to the Superman character. Specifically, although ownership in [...]
Famous Monsters of Fair Use
Warren Publishing is the company behind such classic horror magazines like Eerie and Famous Monsters of Filmland. In the recent case of Warren Publishing Co. v. Spurlock, Warren Publishing was on the losing end of a copyright dispute involving covers from some of its magazines. The artwork of Basil Gogos appeared on the cover of [...]
A Note on Fair Use
“Fair use” is a phrase that often arises in conversations about copyright and the arts. Some of the mainstream use of the term, which leans towards a philosophical or political stance, indicates that there is a bit of confusion about what “fair use” means in practical terms. In the world of copyright law, “fair use” [...]
2008 in Review: Presence of Pinball Machine in Mel Gibson Movie Was Not Infringement
Gottlieb Development LLC distributes and sells the “Silver Slugger” pinball machine, which features copyrighted designs. The pinball machine appears in the background of a short scene in the 2000 Mel Gibson film What Women Want. In response to portrayal of the machine in the film, Gottlieb filed various claims against the film’s distributor (Paramount), including [...]