Episodes

139
Sept. 15, 2023

Failure to Disclose Relationship with Real Party in Interest Results in Serious Sanctions

Failure to disclose certain relationships with a third party may result in significant consequences from the court. Scott Hervey and Eric Caligiuri talk about this on this episode of The Briefing. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Scott: In our last discussion with my colleague Eric Caligiuri, we looked into a case where a federal court denied discovery request aimed at uncovering details surrounding the financing of a plaintiff’s patent litigation case. T...
138
Sept. 8, 2023

How to Avoid Bearing The Risks of A Naked License

In Blue Mountain Holdings v. Bliss Nutraceuticals, the 11th Circuit upheld a U.S. District Court finding that Lighthouse Enterprises issued a naked license to Blue Mountain, which covered the trademark in question. Scott Hervey and Eric Caligiuri discuss this case and how to avoid bearing the risks of a naked license in this episode of The Briefing. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Scott: The trademark dispute in Blue Mountain Holdings versus Blitz Nutrace...
137
Sept. 1, 2023

A Prototypical Corporate Salesperson is Not Patentable

The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated seven patents owned by an AI technology company after applying the two-step Alice test. Scott Hervey and Audrey Millemann talk about this decision on this episode of The Briefing. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Scott: Under the Alice test for patent subject matter eligibility, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals continues to strike down patents directed to abstract ideas. The case of People AI, Inc. V. C...
136
Aug. 25, 2023

Deepfakes vs Right of Publicity: Navigating the Intersection Between Free Speech and Protected Rights

The rise of deepfakes is a growing concern within the entertainment industry. Scott Hervey and Jamie Lincenberg discuss this and the intersection between free speech and protected rights on this episode of The Briefing. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Scott: Deepfakes and AI-generated likeness are not just the concerns of striking actors. Just ask Drake, The Weeknd, and UMG, a Drake and Weeknd collaboration that busted the Internet in May of this year wa...
135
Aug. 18, 2023

Shedding Light on ‘Willful Blindness’: Brandy Melville v Redbubble

In the case of Brandy Melville v Redbubble, a three judge appellate panel explored whether an owner of an online market place is liable for contributory trademark infringement. Scott Hervey and Jamie Lincenberg discuss this on this episode of The Briefing. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Scott: On today’s episode of The Briefing, we will be taking a dive into the Willful Blindness Doctrine which is highlighted by a recent filed opinion in the case between...
134
Aug. 11, 2023

No CTRL-ALT-DEL For the Server Test

Alexis Hunley v. Instagram has been referred to as one of the top copyright cases to watch this year. Scott Hervey and Jamie Lincenberg discuss this case on this episode of The Briefing. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Scott: It’s been referred to as one of the top copyright cases to watch this year. The case Alexis Hunley v. Instagram. It questioned the scope and validity of the server test, a copyright doctrine that was established by the 9th Circuit an...
133
Aug. 4, 2023

Zillow Loses Second Round of Copyright Fight

The Ninth Circuit recently issued an opinion affirming that Zillow infringed thousands of copyrights owned by a real estate photography studio. Scott Hervey and James Kachmar discuss this case on this episode of The Briefing. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel, here. Show Notes: Scott: In 2019, the 9th Circuit affirmed the trial court’s judgment against Zillow Group based on Zillow’s use of VHT’s photographs on Zillow’s Digs platform. In June of this year 2023, this case fou...
132
July 28, 2023

Is Warhol Bad for Documentarians?

There is some concern that the Supreme Court’s decision in Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith will harm the documentary filmmaking community. Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler discuss the implications of this case on this episode of The Briefing. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Scott: When Andy Warhol Foundation versus Goldsmith was pending before the Supreme Court, a group of prominent documentary filmmakers, including the makers of The Last Days of Vietnam...
131
July 21, 2023

The Supreme Court Limits the Reach of The Lanham Act

The U.S. Supreme Court recently decided that trademark infringement claims under the Lanham Act only apply if the infringing “use in commerce” occurs in the United States. Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler talk about this case on this installment of The Briefing. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Tara: Extraterritorial? Not quite for the Lanham Act. The U.S. Supreme Court recently decided that trademark infringement claims under the Lanham Act only apply if the...
130
July 14, 2023

Netflix Settles Defamation Dispute with Docu Film Subjects

The subjects of a documentary have dropped their long-standing defamation lawsuit against Netflix and producers. Scott Hervey and Jamie Lincenberg talk about this case on this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show notes: Scott: As of last week, a longstanding lawsuit against Netflix and producers, Doc Shop Productions, has been dropped. In a previous episode of The Briefing, we discussed the then-current status of the case wh...
129
July 7, 2023

Bad Spaniels in the Doghouse – Jack Daniels Prevails in Trademark Fight

The U.S. Supreme Court provided clarification on the application of the Rogers test in relation to Jack Daniels v. VIP Products. Scott Hervey and Jamie Lincenberg talk about this ruling on this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Scott: In the case of Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc. v. VIP Products, the Supreme Court has spoken and provided clarification on the application of the Rogers test and whether the parodic us...
128
June 30, 2023

Court Rules Litigation Funding Not Relevant in Netflix v. GoTV

A court denied Netflix’s request for GoTV Streaming to supply documents relating to the source of its patent litigation funding. Scott Hervey and Eric Caligiuri discuss this dispute on this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Read more about this case here.
127
June 23, 2023

USPTO Suspends Applications Including Criticisms of Known Living Figures

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear the USPTO’s appeal of a Federal Circuit ruling that allows individuals to register trademarks using the name of a living person without their consent. Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler discuss this on this episode of The Briefing. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Tara: The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the USPTO’s appeal of a Federal Circuit ruling that allows individuals to secure registration of a trademark using the ...
126
June 16, 2023

What Now for Fair Use After Warhol v. Goldsmith

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith that Andy Warhol’s portrait of music legend Prince did not qualify as fair use under copyright law. Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler talk about this decision on this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Cases Discussed: Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music Show Notes: Scott: In a closely watched copyright case, the U.S. Supreme Court r...
125
June 9, 2023

The Protectability of Short Phrases

While iconic catchphrases from TV and film can hold significant equity, protection of them can be spotty. Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler talk about the protectability of short phrases on this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Scott: Show me the money. Who you going to call? Go ahead, make my day. These are a few iconic phrases with significant equity. But protection of catchphrases like this are spotty. We are goin...
124
June 2, 2023

No Beating Around the Bush: TTAB Upholds Anti-Pot Policy

The Trademark Trial and Appeals Board denied an application to register a trademark for essential oil dispensers meant to fill smoking devices with cannabis-based oils. Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler talk about this case on this episode of The Briefing. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show notes: Scott: On May 3, the TTAB issued a precedential opinion denying an application to register a line of essential oil dispensers used to dispense premeasured amounts of cannabis-...
123
May 26, 2023

Aaron Judge Hits a Grand Slam Before the Trademark Trial and Appeal

Major League Baseball player Aaron Judge went before the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board to block a person’s attempt to secure trademark rights for slogans that play on his name. Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo discuss this dispute on this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Josh: Welcome to the Briefing. Today we have some interesting news coming out of the sports world. Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees captain, h...
122
May 19, 2023

AI Generated Fake Drake Song – Legit or Lawsuit?

The Universal Music Group is accusing a TikTok creator of copyright infringement after they published an AI-Generated song that was made to sound like a Drake and Weeknd collaboration. Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo discuss this dispute in this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Cases Discussed: Middler v. Ford Astley v. Matthew Hauri, pka Yung Gravy Show Notes: Scott: Last week, a new Drake and Weeknd collaboration disrupt...
121
May 12, 2023

Chipotle and Sweetgreen Settle Food Fight Over CHIPOTLE Trademark

Popular food chains Chipotle and Sweetgreen settled a trademark dispute relating to Sweetgreen’s use of ‘CHIPOTLE’ on its menu. Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo talk about this dispute on this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Scott: I’m Scott Hervey with Weintraub Tobin. Josh: And I’m Josh Escovedo with Weintraub Tobin. Over the course of a few days, Chipotle and Sweetgreen engaged in a trademark skirmish concern...
120
May 5, 2023

Woodward Asks Court to Dump Trump’s Complaint

Journalist Bob Woodward asked the court to dismiss former President Trump’s copyright infringement claim regarding Woodward’s audio book “The Trump Tapes,” which consists of 20 raw audio interviews with Trump. Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo talk about this case on this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Cases Discussed: Trump v. Woodward Taggart v. WMAQ Channel 5 Chicago Show Notes: Scott: Veteran investigative reporter Bob W...
119
April 28, 2023

SCOTUS Hears Arguments in VIP Products V. Jack Daniels

The Supreme Court has finally heard arguments in the VIP Products v. Jack Daniels case, in which the whiskey company accused the dog toy maker of infringing its trademark with its whiskey bottle chew toy. Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo discuss this dispute in the episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Scott: I’m Scott Hervey with Weintraub Tobin. Josh: and I’m Josh Escovedo with Weintraub Tobin. The Supreme Court has ...
118
April 21, 2023

Trademark Claim Over ‘Anne of Green Gables – The Musical’ Hits Sour Note With NY Producer

The Anne of Green Gables Licensing Authority is accusing a New York theater production company of trademark infringement for producing a show titled ‘Anne of Green Gables – The Musical.’ Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo talk about this dispute on this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Cases Discussed: Anne With An E, Limited Liability Company v. Anne of Green Gables Licensing Authority Inc. Hermes v. Rothschild Show Notes: Sc...
117
April 14, 2023

Law Firm Sues Las Vegas Raiders for Threatening Trademark Infringement Claim

The NFL and Las Vegas Raiders threatened to sue a local law firm for trademark infringement, after the firm hired one of its athletes to appear in an advertisement with black and silver branding. Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo talk about this dispute on this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Scott: I’m Scott Hervey with Weintraub Tobin. Josh: I’m Josh Escovedo with Weintraub Tobin. A dispute has arisen between t...
116
April 7, 2023

Copyright Office Issues Guidance for Works Containing Material Generated by AI

The US Copyright Office issued a policy statement regarding the registration of works that contain material generated by AI technology. Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo talk about this clarification on this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog. Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel here. Show Notes: Scott: With the buzz still fresh from the copyright office’s partial revocation of the registration issued to Kristina Kashtanova for the graphic novel, Zarya of the Dawn. On Mar...