(800) 594-4480
Menu   

Archives: First Amendment Law

George W. Bush – Copyright Infringer?


George W. Bush – Copyright Infringer? A copyright controversy has erupted over the noted painter and former baseball team owner George W. Bush. It appears as though his portraits of current and former world leaders are all based on pre-existing images found through Google searches. Has the ex-President committed copyright infringement, and is his work protected under the defense of fair use?

Read More

Copyright Fair Use: Can I Use a Politician’s Headshot in a Political Blog?


Copyright Fair Use: Can I Use a Politician’s Headshot in a Political Blog? I’ve talked about copyright fair use often on this blog, but I haven’t had many opportunities to talk about it in the context of political speech. Generally speaking, political speech is afforded the highest level of protection under the First Amendment. Accordingly, when a fair use defense is asserted in a copyright infringement case, the political nature of the alleged infringer’s publication will be taken into account. So what does this mean for political blogs when it comes to politicians’ headshots?

Read More

Phoenix (the band) Stands Up For Copyright Fair Use


Phoenix (the band) Stands Up For Copyright Fair Use Phoenix, the French rock band behind the hits 1901 and Lisztomania, have come out in favor of fair use of their copyrighted works. Do these kinds of statements signal a move towards a more rational understanding of copyright law?

Read More

Comic Creators Q&A


Comic Creators Q&A On Saturday, February 22, 2014, I had the pleasure of speaking with a group of creators in Manhattan Beach, California at the Comic Bug, perhaps the world’s finest comic book store (bonus points to anyone who gets the comic book joke hidden in that sentence – and full disclosure: the Bug is operated by my good friend Mike Wellman.) About 30 creators from various fields – including comics, film, and video games – were in attendance. I thought it would be interesting to go through some of the questions & answers that we discussed. If you were…

Read More

Want to receive all the latest updates? Contact me today

Click Here

Receive updates from the Keep it Legal blog

I’m glad you enjoy the blog, and I’d love to keep you updated with all the latest legal tips and business law strategy news.

Enter your name and email below, and we’ll be in touch!