We covered on our blog in March a ruling from the Copyright Review Board regarding a case of an invention made by artificial intelligence (AI). The copyright application claimed an artwork created by a computer algorithm running autonomously on a machine. The...
Patterson Thuente IP Principals Jim Patterson recently won a favorable settlement for a solo artist in a copyright infringement case involving a Minnesota-based Fortune 500 retailer. Filip Zrnzević, a photographer from Belgrade, Serbia, noticed one of his pictures...
There are three requirements people must fulfill to copyright something: The work must be fixed in a permanent state. It must be an expression of an idea. The work must be creative. However, there is another requirement that may not be as explicit: copyrights can...
As a creator, you have ideas that no one else does. Your ingenuity and innovative skill has allowed you to carve a new path where there wasn’t one before - something most people never even attempt. Unfortunately, some will not hold the same reverence for your work,...
If you are a musician, artist, or other creative, you have probably heard any number of suspicious rumors about copyrighting your material. One of the most prevalent is the trope about “emailing your work to yourself” in lieu of filing an official copyright. While...
If you are a Taylor Swift fan, or you happen to listen to hits radio, you may have noticed that the megastar is re-releasing many of her older songs with the suffix "Taylor's Version" appended to the titles. This is not just a clever marketing play to help her fans...
Food plays a significant role in the holiday season. People might dust off their grandmother's pumpkin pie recipe or whip up some of their famous wild rice soup to share at a party. However, just because someone's name is on a recipe does not mean they own it, at...
Exclusivity can have a tremendous impact on the price and demand for a product or service. Often, people are willing to pay more for something they view as elite or unattainable by others. For instance, there can be an incredible demand for luxury handbags or limited...
Copyright infringement can be a serious — and costly — violation. And often, infringers are people who intentionally misuse someone else's protected work without permission and without paying for the right to use, reproduce or distribute copyrighted materials....
Artistic works are more accessible than ever before. Individuals can share their creations across the world in a single upload to social media. Having this platform can launch an artist's career, but it also leaves them vulnerable to copyright disputes regarding...