Firm Insights

A Copyright Riddle: When Is Copying Not an Infringement?

By Michael A. Kahn / February 8, 2022 / Comments Off on A Copyright Riddle: When Is Copying Not an Infringement?

Many view my fellow copyright lawyers as the Glamor Guys and Gals of the legal profession—at least compared to, say, business lawyers, who the public misperceives as wretched scriveners hunched over their desks grinding out “whereas” clauses for lengthy contracts filled with hereinafters, heretofores, and other incomprehensible legalese. And yes, I will concede that over…

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Winnie-the-Pooh and Hemingway Too: Happy Public Domain Day

By Michael A. Kahn / January 8, 2022 / Comments Off on Winnie-the-Pooh and Hemingway Too: Happy Public Domain Day

“It isn’t much good having anything exciting, if you can’t share it with somebody.” Well, guess what, Winnie? As of January 1, 2022, A.A. Milne’s beloved tale of the fictional teddy bear and his pals has entered the public domain and can now be shared with anybody. For free! Along with dozens of other books…

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Trademarks, Pelotons, and Heart Attacks: The Sex in the City Trifecta

By Michael A. Kahn / December 22, 2021 / Comments Off on Trademarks, Pelotons, and Heart Attacks: The Sex in the City Trifecta

We who toil in the field of intellectual property have our own NSFW collection of cases that we file in the folder labeled Stuff You Can’t Make Up. For example, did you know that the esteemed Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals had to grapple with whether the Fartman doll infringed the copyright in Pull My…

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