When people ask me questions like “who owns the copyright on a monkey selfie,” I feel so full of…what’s the opposite of shame? Pride? No, not that far from shame. Less shame? Yeah. Let’s examine this serious, important, and hilarious issue. Photographer David Slater was in the Indonesian wilderness in 2011 when a crested black macaque used one of his cameras and took a bunch of pictures with it. One of those pictures was the amazing selfie seen above. Eventually the photo was uploaded to Wikipedia’s Wikimedia Commons. Slater filed a takedown request on the grounds that he owns the…
Menu
Archives: Uncategorized
Using Copyright to Suppress Criticism?
August 11, 2014
Most artists don’t like to be criticized. Is it going too far to use the tools of copyright to suppress criticism of one’s art? That’s the discussion going around about comics artist Randy Queen and his use of Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notices against Escher Girls, a blog that challenged Queen’s depictions of female anatomy.
Applebee’s No Tech Tuesday Trademark Application
July 22, 2014
Applebee’s, the restaurant chain, has filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to protect the phrase NO TECH TUESDAYS as a trademark. The application applies to the following services (beware – trademark law involves a lot of capital letters): RESTAURANT AND BAR SERVICES, INCLUDING RESTAURANT CARRYOUT SERVICES. But has Applebee’s damaged its chances at a trademark registration with statements made about the application to the press?
Social Media Law: Can Employers Require Disclaimers by Employees?
May 13, 2014
It’s been a while since I took a look at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and its rulings on employer social media policies. A recent case involving the grocery chain Kroger addressed the question of whether employers can require employees to post a disclaimer whenever they communicate about work-related issues online. This is an exploration of an evolving part of social media law.
