The British computer and video game magazine Edge reported on May 1 that the Japanese restaurant group Monteroza has filed a claim against Nintendo Co., Ltd. alleging trademark infringement. Monteroza claims that the Wii U WaraWara trademark, used as part of the “WaraWara Plaza” screen that players initially see when turning on the console, is too
Internet memes take many forms, but whether they are images, videos or phrases, it is important to understand that memes are also subject to copyright protection. “Keyboard Cat” is a 1984 video of a cat named “Fatso” in a blue shirt that appears to be playing an electronic keyboard that was uploaded to YouTube in
Shortly after its release in 2009 Mobigame’s Edge had to be removed from the US and UK Apple Store because of a trademark claim by Tim Langdell, founder of Edge Games, Inc. Multiple outlets have referred to Langdell as a “trademark troll” because of his recurring tendency to sue any game maker who used the term “edge”
Viacom has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Google’s YouTube service for using unauthorized clips of television shows like “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report” and “South Park.” The $1 billion lawsuit was first filed in 2007 and a judge sided with YouTube in 2010, although a federal appeals court abandoned the original ruling. On
Several people believe that fashion cannot be protected by copyright law, but there are several laws that prohibit the sale of counterfeit goods, including the Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act, the Trademark Counterfeiting Act of 1984 and the Anticounterfeiting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA). However, the New York Post reported on April 7 that Councilwoman
When Facebook Inc., the owner of the world’s largest social-networking service, unveiled a “timeline” feature on its user pages in September 2011, it was quickly hit with a lawsuit alleging trademark infringement and unfair competition. The lawsuit was filed by Timelines Inc., a Chicago-based company founded in 2007 and started a website in 2009 that lets
WRC-TV news anchor Jim Vance provided some on air commentary regarding the long controversial name of the Washington Redskins. Vance has received numerous honors and awards since joining WRC in 1969, but the opposition to the name and logo of that market’s football team likely predates Vance’s arrival at the Washington DC NBC affiliate. Vance
Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., a case heard by the US Supreme Court last October, was such an important copyright infringement matter. The decision in this case was thought to carry potentially devastating implications for individuals and businesses involved in the “gray market,” the trade of commodities through irregular although not necessarily illegal methods. Supap
In late 2012, networking giant Cisco Systems Inc. launched a marketing and branding campaign with print, television and web advertisements featuring the tagline “Tomorrow Starts Here.” As the technology news website All Things Digital noted, the campaign came after a year of “gut-wrenching round of layoffs” that involved the company cutting 6,500 jobs and eliminating
Kim, Kourtney and Khloé Kardashian introduced their cosmetics line, Khroma Beauty, last year. While the makeup has been garnering some headlines, it has not been for the reasons that the reality television stars might have been hoping. In November, the owners of Beverly Hills–based cosmetics company Chroma Makeup Studio issued a public statement complaining that
