Hip-hop would not be where it is today but for the pivotal roles played by Bronx-based hip-hop legends Afrika Bambaata and Soulsonic Force.They put themselves on the map in the 1980s by releasing iconic tracks such as “Planet Rock,” “Looking for the Beat,” and “Renegade Funk” with record label Rhino Entertainment. Even today, big names […]
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Mark Towle recently petitioned the Supreme Court following an unfavorable decision from the 9th Circuit regarding his dispute with DC Comics. The dispute involves the iconic crime-fighting vehicle, the “Batmobile,” from the 1960s TV Show and 1989 movie, “Batman.” Until he was sued and enjoined, Towle, a mechanic from California,
Rude Music Inc., owned by Frankie Sullivan, is suing yet another politician for copyright infringement. The music company sued Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee for copyright infringement after he used the company’s song, “Eye of the Tiger,” at a rally in support of Kim Davis. Ms. Davis, the now infamous Kentucky clerk, was jailed after
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Rightscorp is a company that detects copyright infringement on behalf of companies like Warner Bros., by monitoring peer-to-peer file sharing. In March, John Blaha filed the suit that initiated the current class lawsuit against Rightscorp, Warner Bros., and BMG Rights Management. Blaha, on behalf of the class action participants, argues that
According to Law360 and the Hollywood Reporter, on Tuesday, a jury found that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams violated Marvin Gaye’s copyright it “Got to Give It Up” in their creation of the hit song, “Blurred Lines.” After more than a year of litigation, and two and a half days of jury deliberation, Thicke and Williams have been
According to the Hollywood Reporter, after declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Aereo auctioned off its assets last week, in an effort to recover funds to repay $4.2 million of various liabilities. Interestingly, no one bought the infamous antennas that were the heart of Aereo’s business model. Rather RPX Corporation bought the company’s patents for $225,000; Alliance Technology
And the fight continues…. According to Law360, the lawsuit began in August 2013 when the now defendants (Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and rapper T.I.) asked the court for a declaratory judgment to prove their, song “Blurred Lines,” did not infringe Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.” This strategic move backfired, as they now find themselves
According to Variety, Freeplay Music is suing four multichannel networks (MCNs) on YouTube. These include, AwesomenessTV, Big Frame (owned by AwesomenessTV), BroadbandTV, and Disney’s Maker Studios. Freeplay, a music licensing company, claims that these channels have infringed its copyrights in the the music it licenses to consumers. The Company also alleges that the defendants refused to negotiate
“Left Shark” became an Internet phenomenon after Katy Perry’s Super Bowl half-time show earlier this month. In fact, Perry now is seeking to assert a copyright claim in the character (an out-of-sync back-up dancer), according to TechDirt. After the show, Fernando Sosa sought to sell 3D printed versions of Left Shark online. Shortly thereafter, Perry’s
According to the LA Times, earlier this month, District Judge Dolly M. Gee, ruled in favor of the Dish Network’s implementation of several program recording tools. In 2012 and 2013, Dish unveiled four different mechanisms for recording shows–Dish Hopper, Prime Time Anytime, AutoHop, and Hopper Transfers. While the case originally named several large networks as plaintiffs,
According to Variety, Judge Sidney Thomas for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, ordered that the “Innocence of Muslims” video case be reheard en banc this upcoming December. The previous ruling shocked tech firms as the 9th Circuit ruled that Cindy Lee Garcia held a copyright interest in her very small role in the film, and ordered
