In a case involving a 1980’s rocker, an iconic figure in the pop art movement, and a celebrity photographer, the Supreme Court recently tweaked the four-part copyright fair use test in its decision in Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith. The shift in fair use, though subtle, may have profound implications for artists who build upon existing creative works—and, of course, businesses and persons who may want to use resulting copyrighted material.
Background
In 1981, celebrity photographer Lynn Goldsmith photographed
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The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of: Copyright in Fictional Characters
When branding a new product, many businesses allude to copyrighted works either to honor a creative work or cash in on a pop culture success. The practice is very common across a wide variety of products, including t-shirts, stickers, craft beers, and even car commercials. You may even be considering alluding to a copyrighted work for your next product. Unfortunately, brand creators are often unaware of the dangers associated with the practice as it risks trademark and copyright infringement.
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Copyrights: The Difference in Deposits
Generally, to properly file a copyright application, the applicant must complete three components. First, the applicant must complete an online application. This process is relatively straightforward and requires certain pieces of information to be filled out and specified concerning the type of work, year of creation, publication information, author(s), claimant(s), and certain limits on use (if applicable). Second, the applicant must submit a filing fee by credit card, debit card, bank account, or deposit account. Lastly, the applicant must
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Tiktok Creators Making Major Moves In the Copyright World
Late last month, a little clock-app and a handful of online creators made moves that are likely to permanently alter the existing copyright landscape. That’s right, Tiktok, an app with over 689 million active monthly users, and creators like Keara Wilson (the dancer who choreographed the insanely viral Savage Challenge dance to the Megan Thee Stallion song entitled Savage) have turned to the U.S. Copyright Office to ensure that the original creators of the app’s signature dance moves are
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