November 2010 IP&T News Summary

For those who don’t follow KLF Legal on Facebook or Twitter, here are some of the stories I shared in November. Wikileaks, copyright trolls and Sarah Palin, oh my.

Scan the headlines and you may find something interesting:

Rethink social media policies in light of NLRB complaint, lawyers say

US embassy cables: The job of the media is not to protect the powerful from embarrassment

Blogger released from Egyptian jail after four years

SAP Must Pay Oracle $1.3 Billion Over Unit’s Downloads

Judge to Righthaven: Show why lawsuit shouldn’t be dismissed

David Kernell, Palin E-mail Hacker, Sentenced To Year In Custody

Sarah Palin sues website for leaking excerpts of new book

Oregon Senator Vows To Block Internet Blacklist Bill

Lawyer wants “Goliath verdict” against RIAA in abuse trial

Labor board: Facebook vent against supervisor not grounds for firing

Police recruits must provide social sites’ passwords

Legal Attack on Internet Music Storage Threatens ‘Safe Harbor’ Rules for Online Businesses

The Case Against COICA

Dealing with Online Customer Reviews

Copyright Lawyers Sue Lawyer Who Helped Copyright Defendants

New Oklahoma law gives estate executors control over the social networking profiles of dead people

Bach: Anti-Copyright Activist?

The State of The Music Industry and the Delegitimization of Artists

Every Inch Counts: Porn Filesharing Lawsuits Crest 30K Defendants

Recent months: October

Indiana Intellectual Property Litigation Summary – November 2010

The following Intellectual Property cases were filed in Indiana in November 2010:

Northern District of Indiana

Broadcast Music Inc et al v. Shenanigans Inc et al (Copyright)

Southern District of Indiana

CNH America, LLC v. Davis Equipment Sales & Service, Inc. (Trademark)

Connecticut Electric, Inc. v. Pacific Coast Breaker, Inc. et al (Trademark)

OctoberSeptemberAugustJuly

Indiana Copyright Litigation Update – BMI v. Shenanigans

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Broadcast Music Inc et al v. Shenanigans Inc et al

Defendant played 10 songs in his Anderson “Couples Only” establishment, Shenanigans, without a license from BMI, one of three main performance royalty organizations (along w/ ASCAP and SESAC). BMI claims to be caused “great” and “incalculable” damage. Actually, it’s probably about $0.25/song in the jukebox, but we know what they’re saying. While BMI seems like a cranky giant, it’s actually doing this on behalf of all of the artists it represents. Otherwise, nobody collects money and artists have to bring these lawsuits themselves.

Here are the songs allegedly infringed (listen to FULL PLAYLIST):

  1. Gimme Three Steps – Lynryd Skynyrd
  2. Hard to Handle – Black Crowes
  3. Inside Out – Eve 6
  4. Old Time Rock and Roll – Bob Seger
  5. Rocky Mountain Way – Joe Walsh
  6. Simple Man – Lynyrd Skynyrd
  7. Cumbersome – Seven Mary Three
  8. I Love This Bar – Toby Keith
  9. Linus and Lucy – Vince Guaraldi
  10. Bleed it Out – Linkin Park

Leave a comment or send an email if you’d like a full copy of the Complaint.

Court Case Number: 2:10-cv-00458-TLS -APR
File Date: Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Plaintiff: Broadcast Music Inc
Songs of Universal Inc
EMI Virgin Songs Inc
Rondor Music International Inc
Less Than Zero Music
Southfield Road Music
Fake and Jaded Music
Muscle Shoals Sound Publishing Co
PeerMusic III Ltd
Barn-Storm Music Inc
Belkin Music
EMI Blackwood Music Inc
Seven Mary Three Music
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Big Yellow Dog LLC
Tokeco Tunes
Lee Mendelson Film Productions Inc
Universal Music-Z Tunes LLC
Chesterchaz Publishing
Rob Bourdon Music
Nondisclosure Agreement Music
Big Bad Mr Hahn Music
Kenji Kobayashi Music
Plaintiff Counsel: Christopher S. Riley of Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Defendant: Shenanigans Inc, Matthew Kelly
Cause: Copyright Infringement
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Theresa L. Springmann
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Andrew P. Rodovich

Indiana IP Seminar Alert – IP Ethics: Patent, Trademark, Copyright & Technology

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Upcoming Seminar:

IP Ethics: Patent, Trademark, Copyright & Technology

December 9, 2010 Thursday 1:30pm – 5:00pm

Intellectual property matters often implicate ethic rules in particular ways. This program is designed to cover special ethical considerations the major areas of intellectual property law, providing both the basic IP particular rules & the latest legal developments.

Speakers: Mr. Bruce W. Longbottom, Eli Lilly & Company; Mr. Anthony J. Rose, Meitus Gelbert Rose, LLP; and Ms. Nancy G. Tinsley, Roche Diagnostics Operations Inc.

Location: Baker & Daniels LLP, 600 E 96th St, Ste 600

Credit Hours: 3.00 (Ethics & NAC)

Sponsor: IndyBar Intellectual Property Section

Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – Connecticut Electric v. Pacific Coast Breaker et al

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Connecticut Electric, Inc. v. Pacific Coast Breaker, Inc. et al

Plaintiff owns the  ZINSCO mark, which has been in use in connection with circuit breakers since 1974. Defendant initially bought Plaintiff’s circuits breakers for resale but then allegedly began manufacturing and selling its own counterfeit circuit breakers bearing the ZINSCO mark. Plaintiff also claims trade dress in the overall look and feel of the circuit breakers.

This case has an interesting public health component. Unlike the original ZINSCO breakers, which undergo a certification process, the knock-off breakers have not been tested (and therefore are not marked with the certification mark of a national testing lab). Let’s hope not many homes have had faulty ZINSCO breakers installed.

Court Case Number: 1:10-cv-01440-LJM-TAB
File Date: Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Plaintiff: Connecticut Electric, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Douglas B. Bates of Stites & Harbison LLP, Vincent Allen of Carstens & Cahoon LLP
Defendant: Pacific Coast Breaker, Inc., PC Systems, Inc.
Cause: Trademark Counterfeiting, Trademark Infringement, Federal Trademark Dilution, Unfair Competition, False Designation of Origin & False Description, Trade Dress Infringement, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition, Forgery Under IC 35-43-5-2(b), Counterfeiting Under IC 35-43-5-2(a)
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Larry J. McKinney
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Tim A. Baker