Category: Copyright

Yes, in some circumstances, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) prohibits owners of certain computer and electronic equipment from attempting to repair the devices by accessing the computer software. From the vantage of  the manufacturer of the video game console, preventing access to the console software helps prevent piracy. But, there are exceptions, and consumers […]

Recently, a website called hitpiece.com launched. This website claims to sell NFTs of songs. The problem is that the website has no license or permission to use the songs. And the library of NFTs include some of the biggest names in the music industry and some of our personal favorites (Jackie Venson). The use of […]

The Copyright Act gives legal protections to original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible medium. The rights granted by the Copyright Act include a “bundle” of rights including, among other rights, the right to make copies of the original work and the right to exclude others from using or making copies of […]

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are a type of cryptocurrency that are uniquely valued representations of different assets. While more common cryptocurrencies are fungible, meaning they are identical to each other and can traded at equivalency (i.e. 1 bitcoin = 1 bitcoin), NFTs cannot be traded or exchanged equally. One NFT does not hold the same value […]

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is comprised of rules that apply to copyrighted material that may be infringed upon on the internet. A DMCA notice informs a company, individual, or other web host that they are hosting copyright-infringing material. Such copyrighted material could be, for example, written works, videos, audio or music files, artwork, photos, […]

Many are aware that copyright law protects original works of authorship like books, paintings, movies, sculptures, and more. Interestingly enough, something very similar to copyright law also protects computer chips (or more accurately, the etchings placed on or in computer chips that make them work). In 1984, Congress enacted the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act (“SCPA”) […]

Trademarks, patents and copyrights are three of the basic types of intellectual property (“IP”). In the US, each is legally protected by statutory and regulatory registration/application regimes. In addition, all three types of IP are explicitly protected by international law pursuant to many international treaties and agreements. A fourth major type of IP involves trade […]

The first sale doctrine is a legal doctrine that applies to copyrights, patents and trademarks. The doctrine is slightly different for the three types of intellectual properties. But, in general, in each case, the first sale doctrine prevents owners/holders of intellectual property rights from controlling what happens to a physical product or work after it […]

A copyright notice is a specific type of formal statement placed on copies of a works of original authorship. For works published before 1989, a copyright notice was required for the work to have the full protections of US copyright laws. However, since 1989, a copyright notice is not required for full legal protection, but […]

If you own a website, it is important to have a copyright notice — also known as a copyright footer — prominently located on your home page and on other pages. Technically, under the current US copyright laws, a copyright notice is not legally necessary for the protection of your original content. But there are […]