Black Keys Sue Pizza Hut for Song Theft The Black Keys, a duo from the rock mecca of Akron, Ohio, have sued Pizza Hut for copyright infringement. The suit concerns this Pizza Hut commercial (warning: lousy audio), which allegedly contains portions of their single “Gold on the Ceiling.” Based on what I’ve been able to hear of the Pizza Hut commercial, it’s not entirely clear if the ‘Hut (people call it that, right?) uses the actual recording or if they just hired a band to make a reasonable facsimile of “Gold.” Either way, it’s probably not good news for Yum!…
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Archives: Entertainment Law
University of Alabama Sacked for a Trademark Loss
June 13, 2012
A significant trademark ruling came down on Monday in University of Ala. Bd of Trustees v. New Life, Inc. The case pitted the University of Alabama, a longtime college football powerhouse, against Daniel Moore, an artist who creates and sells paintings of famous ‘Bama football plays. The University claimed that these images, such as the one to the left of this paragraph, violated their trademark rights in the distinctive ‘Bama uniform and logo. Does an artist have the right to use trademarks in his works? And what are the broader implications of the ruling?
Battleship v. American Battleship
May 24, 2012
Battleship v. American Battleship Universal has had several problems with its recent wannabe blockbuster Battleship. The main problem is that it was a box-office bomb. Despite the fact that movie fans have been able to see this coming from miles away, Universal also decided to pick a fight with an obscure movie studio, Global Asylum, over an allegedly similar movie. To be fair, Global Asylum has been asking for this fight for a long time. Read on for the story of Battleship v. American Battleship.
Is LMFAO an Immoral or Scandalous Trademark?
April 26, 2012
Is LMFAO NSFT (Not Safe For Trademarking)? Is LMFAO an Immoral or Scandalous Trademark? LMFAO is a Los Angeles-based dance-pop duo. You may know them from such timeless classics as “Sexy and I Know It” and “Sorry For Party Rocking.” In 2008, they applied to register several trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The applications were refused, among other reasons, because the marks were found to consist of “immoral or scandalous matter.” They have now re-applied – how do they plan to get around this issue?
