A good band name is an incredibly valuable commodity. Pearl Jam might not be one of the most enduring rock bands of all time had they kept their original plan of being named after a disgraced former NBA player, or one. An audience may not recognize individual band members, but when they perform under one famous name, fans flock to support the group.
Category Archives: Fun Facts
Copyright Trivia: Music Edition
Which of the following acts violates copyright? Choose all that apply.
- Photocopying living American composer Philip Glass’ “Akhnaten” (1983) scores for a famous orchestra to perform for a live audience without paying.
- Using a portion of Frederic Chopin’s “Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2” (1830) in your new pop song.
- Recording your own quintet performance of “Strum” (2006) by Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Composer Jessie Montgomery with her permission.
- Playing “Married Life” by Michael Giacchino, the song from Disney Pixar’s adorable film UP on FM/AM radio at the bookstore.
Jodorowsky’s Dune – How Understanding Copyright Can Save You $3 Million
Recently, the concept of NFTs, or Non-Fungible Tokens, have taken over the internet as the new, hot investment. Unfortunately, so too have people’s misconceptions about what owning an NFT actually is. Many investors think that owning an NFT of a digital image means owning the underlying copyright to the image. Spoiler alert – it doesn’t.
IP and Furry Friends: Fun Patented Puppy Products
Don’t we all love pets? I have to admit that I am biased. My interest in IP related pet products arose from my very own puppy, Java. I, like most pet owners, have a lot of toys for Java. And, like most pet owners, I always buy more.
The Sound of Science: Musicians Who Were Also Inventors
When people think about musicians, they usually don’t think inventor. But some musicians broke the mold when they patented their inventions. Let’s explore these true renaissance people. We should make note of these talented folks who generally own both copyright on their music (and sound recordings) AND patents on their inventions
6 Fun Facts About IP: From Colors to Smells!
Before coming to law school, I knew close to nothing about Intellectual Property (IP). But, I quickly realized that IP law can be interesting. In my previous post, I explained how I became interested in IP. In this post, I will share some fun facts that I have learned about IP in the past year. Continue reading
Eight Great Pumpkin Patents
Fall is here which means stores and front stoops are full of all things pumpkin! Taking IP this Fall has made me realize that many great fall items may have some kind of intellectual property (IP) protection. That’s been one of my favorite parts of learning more about IP, the realization that it truly impacts all areas of our lives. To help prove my point I rounded up some of the most interesting pumpkin related patents I could find. Continue reading
Trademark Trivia: Sports Edition!
Which of the following is NOT a federally registered trademark?
- “Taco Tuesday,” as in LeBron James’s social media celebrations of eating tacos on Tuesdays
- “Three-peat,” as in winning three consecutive championships
- Blue athletic turf, as in Boise State’s famous blue and orange football field
- “Fear the Brow,” as in NBA star Anthony Davis’s very distinct unibrow
Correct Answer: A!
Once you know a little more about trademarks and how individuals and companies register them, the answer should make a lot more sense. Let’s start there!
Continue readingIP Did you know? Behind the Scenes of Copyright in Pop Culture
Intellectual Property (“IP”) is everywhere. IP laws cover things we interact with daily, like media, technology and even health care through patents, trademarks and copyrights. One of the reasons IP is so interesting is that despite its big impact it tends to be behind the scenes enough that many probably don’t even realize its influence. This post highlights some of these interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits of copyright law.
Continue readingA Toast to Patents
How has patent law affected the bourbon industry? Faced with ample free time as a result of the stay-at-home order during the COVID-19 pandemic, this thought popped into my head while I was reminiscing about my past vacation to Kentucky’s renowned Bourbon Trail. Continue reading