Not all related to writing though. For example, the Supreme Court has ruled that cheerleader uniforms can be copyrighted, which is a big break from past. Though I admit the difference between “copyright the design elements” and “copyright the uniforms” still isn’t clear to me.
•A bong-maker must pay Starbucks almost a half-million for its use of “Dabbacino.”
•Lucasfilm is none too happy with the operator of the Lightsaber Academy.
•Bob Segar’s albums aren’t staying around physically, there’s no digital versions — will his work fade away?
•No, a printer company’s patents do not give it the right to tell you which toner cartridge you use.
•A National Review writer says the Bechdel test for movies (are there more than two women in the film? Do they talk to each other? About something other than the hero?) is as silly as rating a movie by whether it has cowboys in it.
•A federal court has rejected one patent troll’s claim that they own the rights to podcasting.
•Atari says Nestle ripped off a classic videogame for a TV commercial.
•Has Google become a generic term?
•A racist YouTube video used a Marvel cosplayer’s image without their consent.
•A streaming service that lets you edit out cussing/bare boobs/etc. to your own taste doesn’t have the right to make those cuts.
•I’ve heard of books gaming the bestseller lists before, but this is an extreme case.
•I didn’t realize San Diego Comic-Con claims a trademark on Comic-Con and apparently variations of the name.
•The creator of Pepe the Frog shut down a publisher using Pepe in racist children’s books. Said publisher will have to pay the settlement in the case to the Council on American Islamic Relations.
