Marvel and DC Lose “Super Heroes” Trademark

In a striking development, Marvel Characters, Inc. and DC Comics have lost their trademark registrations for “SUPER HEROES” and “SUPER HERO” through a default judgment issued by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) on September 26, 2024. The Historical Journey of “Super Hero” The path to this moment began not with Marvel or DC, … Read more

Blade Runner vs. Elon Musk’s Cybercab

In a case that echoes recent AI-related intellectual property disputes like Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit over her voice being used without permission in AI training, Alcon Entertainment has filed a lawsuit against Tesla, Elon Musk, and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBDI) over the unauthorized use of Blade Runner 2049 imagery during Tesla’s cybercab launch event. The drama … Read more

Will AI Make Us Lazy?

As artificial intelligence continues to permeate various aspects of our daily lives, one can only wonder: Will AI make us lazy? This blog post explores the potential for AI to influence human behavior, particularly in terms of reducing motivation and effort, and examines the legal implications that may arise from this phenomenon. Task Automation and … Read more

The Case Against Anthropic and Claude AI

In August 2024, a class action lawsuit was filed against Anthropic PBC, a technology company recognized for developing advanced AI capabilities, notably its Claude family of large language models (LLMs). The lawsuit, spearheaded by authors Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber and Kirk Wallace Johnson, accuses Anthropic of unlawfully utilizing copyrighted materials—specifically, a vast collection of pirated … Read more

AI and Scarlett Johansson

In a bizarre case of life imitating art, actress Scarlett Johansson finds herself in a battle with OpenAI over the AI company’s alleged unauthorized mimicking of her distinctive voice. Back in 2013, Johansson voiced an advanced AI virtual assistant named Samantha in the Spike Jonze film “Her,” playing a role that explored the future implications … Read more

Another Suit on AI Use of Copyrighted News

A new front has opened up in the ongoing battle between tech giants and content creators. Eight major daily newspapers owned by Alden Global Capital have sued OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing the tech behemoths of illegally using millions of copyrighted news articles to train their AI chatbots, including the ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot. The lawsuit, … Read more

Copyright Protection for AI⁠⁠-⁠Generated Works

The U.S. Copyright Office has ruled that AI-generated artwork cannot be copyrighted. Let’s talk about that. But first a little background. What’s a Copyright A copyright is a legal right that grants exclusive control over the use and distribution of an original creative work. It gives the creator or owner of the work the exclusive … Read more

The Umpire Strikes Back

In an October 2020 decision, the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board refused to allow an applicant’s registration of the trademark “Millennial Falcon,” finding that Lucasfilm Entertainment Company had established the likelihood of confusion between “Millennial Falcon” and Lucasfilm’s “Millennum Falcon.” Of crucial importance: “Applicant believes that his mark “appropriately conjures up the phrase “Millennium … Read more

Space Force Trademark

The U.S. military apparently needs an intellectual property lawyer. Although the United States Space Force, the newest branch of the U.S. armed forces was announced two years ago, no one bothered to register the trademark. Well, that’s not quite accurate. The U.S. did apply to use the name ‘Space Force’ on clothing, two months after … Read more