Intellectual Property Law

In applying for a trademark registration, there are certain factors that can spell rejection or approval. Based on the Chinese trademark law, qualified elements for trademark registration are, any visual symbols able to identify the products and services of a legal person or company from others within the market. These symbols include words, letters, figures […]

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Credit to Howard Knopf (@howardknopf) for bringing this story to my attention. The relationship between copyright and freedom of expression is often overlooked. Yet these two legal spheres can interact at a delicate nexus. There is an inherent tension between copyright and free expression; a grant of copyright is also a grant to control a […]

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A Swedish brewery has, according to The Drinks Business, lost a legal battle against the owners of the Jagermeister brand after it was alleged that the name of one of their drinks was too similar to the well-known brand. Mr Magnus Jensen filed an application to register his new beer “Jagarol After Hunt” as registered […]

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The well-known punk-pop band Green Day have won their legal battle against an artist after it was claimed that the band had infringed the artist’s copyright in one of their music videos. The case, reported at Reuters and The Music, originated from a video that Green Day produced for use in its 2009 global tour. This video, shown […]

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Below are ten of the last month’s best intellectual property law blogs and news posts from around the web:- A Collection of Copyright Carry Ons with the CopyKat (The 1709 Blog) The 1709 Blog offers a whistle-stop tour from around the world of copyright over the last month. From copyright reform in China to dentists […]

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It has emerged that the producers of Let It Be, the shortly-to-open West End musical which covers the musical lives of the Beatles, are being sued by a rival Beatles production. The Let It Be musical, which is shortly to open on Broadway, is being sued by the creators of “Rain”, a Beatles tribute show […]

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The Woody Allen film “Midnight in Paris” has reportedly been cleared of copyright infringement by a judge in the United States. The lawsuit was brought by the owners of the rights to the literary works of the late William Faulkner after it was contended that a nine-word quote taken from one of Faulkner’s novels had […]

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The rules of parody: a lesson from America

by Tom Cox on June 7, 2013

As it currently stands UK copyright law does not allow a specific exception for parody use. This means that someone desiring to make a parody will have to ask for the copyright holder’s permission or attempt to procure a licence from that holder. The grant of a licence is at the complete discretion of the […]

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