Tag archives: Copyright infringement

U.S. Supreme Court sides with Google and ends software copyright battle

By Allie Porter (US) and Felicia Boyd (US) on April 14, 2021 Posted in Copyright

The Supreme Court ruled on whether Google’s copying of Oracle's Java SE API program was a protected “fair use” under US copyright law.… Continue reading

Copyright, “fair use,” and educational institutions

By Susan Ross (US) on June 19, 2019 Posted in Copyright

On May 23, 2019, a federal jury unanimously found that the Houston Independent School District willfully infringed 36 of DynaStudy’s copyrighted study guides, and awarded $9.2 million dollars. (DynaStudy, Inc. v. Houston Independent School District, Case No. 4:16-cv-01442 (S.D. Tex. May 23, 2019) (verdict, document #316). As this case illustrates, “educational” use is a very … Continue reading

When can you sue for copyright infringement in the US?

By Joy Wang (US) on March 12, 2019 Posted in Copyright

On March 4, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court settled a split between federal appeals courts regarding when a copyright owner may sue for copyright infringement.… Continue reading

Public laws, private standards and copyright “fair use”

By Susan Ross (US) on August 1, 2018 Posted in Copyright

On July 17, 2018, the federal appeals court located in Washington, D.C. issued a ruling in a case involving an intersection of copyrighted material (standards) and non-copyrightable material (laws and regulations). The appeals court remanded the matter back to the trial court, to determine under what circumstances a non-profit organization could publish private standards as … Continue reading

Trial Court ruling: game over Team Copyright

By Susan Ross (US) on June 22, 2018 Posted in Copyright

We had previously covered the March 22, 2017 U.S. Supreme Court copyright ruling on designs on cheerleader uniforms. In Star Athletica, L.L.C. v. Varsity Brands Inc., a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the two-dimensional designs on cheerleaders uniforms were at least in theory eligible for copyright protection. On August 10, 2017, seven … Continue reading

Career Step – Lessons on joint authorship of copyright

By Sophie Lees (AU) on May 3, 2018 Posted in Copyright

A recent decision of the Federal Court of Australia, Career Step, LLC v TalentMed Pty Ltd (No 2) [2018] FCA 132 (Career Step) provides a useful reminder of the principles that apply when determining whether a new copyright work is the result of joint authorship. Joint Authorship – what does the law say? The question … Continue reading

Go Team Copyright!

By Susan Ross (US) on April 5, 2017 Posted in Copyright

On March 22, 2017, while millions of viewers were watching U.S. college basketball teams vie for the national championship, the uniforms worn by the cheerleaders became the focus of a U.S. Supreme Court copyright ruling. In Star Athletica, L.L.C. v. Varsity Brands Inc., a majority of the Supreme Court ruled that the two-dimensional designs on … Continue reading

Copyrightability of private standards in federal regulations

By Susan Ross (US) on February 22, 2017 Posted in Copyright

On February 2, 2017, a federal trial court judge in Washington, D.C. ruled, in a 55-page opinion, that private standards developing organizations (“SDOs”) do not lose their copyright or trademark protection if a federal regulation adopts their standards. Background This case, American Society for Testing and Materials v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc., Case. No. 13-cv-1215 (TSC) (D.D.C. … Continue reading