intellectual property

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Interested in Buying Infowars? You'll Have Competition

Both Alex Jones' supporters and enemies are apparently vying to buy his site at auction

(Newser) - Alex Jones owes more than $1 billion to the families of Sandy Hook victims, the result of their defamation and emotional distress lawsuits against him for spreading conspiracy theories related to the 2012 massacre. Bidders are already champing at the bit to scoop up the assets he needs to sell...

Miley Cyrus Hit With Suit Over Bruno Mars Song

Complaint filed by Tempo Music says her 'Flowers' is too similar to Mars' 'When I Was Your Man'

(Newser) - If you think Miley Cyrus' Grammy-winning "Flowers" sounds strikingly similar to Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man," you're not the only one. TMZ reports that Tempo Music Investments, a firm that says it owns a portion of the copyright to Mars' tune, filed a lawsuit...

'David' Says It Beat 'Goliath' in 'Big Mac' Trademark Fight

Irish rival Supermac's contested McDonald's use of the label for certain items

(Newser) - The decision is about more than burger names, but when it comes to burger names, it's a big one. McDonald's on Wednesday lost a European Union trademark dispute over the Big Mac name after a top EU court sided with Irish fast-food rival Supermac's in a long-running...

Cher Is the Victor in Suit Against Sonny Bono's Widow

Singer wins complaint against Mary Bono over royalties; Cher is owed about $418K

(Newser) - When Cher officially split with her partner in life and business, Sonny Bono, in 1978, their divorce settlement left Bono with ownership of their song catalog, including such hits as "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On," and Cher with a 50% stake in publishing...

Golfing Great Loses Round in Name, Likeness Battle

Jack Nicklaus is up against a former business partner in court

(Newser) - A golfing great has lost an attempt to win back control of his name and likeness from a former business partner. A federal judge in Florida tossed part of Jack Nicklaus' intellectual property case against a company that bought the rights to his name, image, and likeness, Sports Illustrated reports....

Twitter May Have a Problem With Its Shiny New Logo

Trademark infringement questions arise over news that Meta, Microsoft also have 'X' registered

(Newser) - "X" may not mark the spot after all for Elon Musk in his attempted rebrand of Twitter. Although Musk has officially unveiled the 24th letter of the alphabet as his social media site's new name and identity, Insider reports that rival Meta appears to own the trademark for...

Twitter Threatens Meta With Lawsuit Over Threads

Rival accuses Zuckerberg of hiring former employees to acquire trade secrets

(Newser) - Twitter has welcomed Threads aboard by threatening to sue its owner, Meta. CEO Mark Zuckerberg received a letter hours after Thread's launch Wednesday accusing the more senior social media platform of "systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter's trade secrets and other intellectual property," Semafor reports...

Taco Bell on Trademark War: 'Taco Tuesday' Belongs to All

Fast-food giant asks Patent and Trademark Office to force smaller chain to give up rights to the term

(Newser) - Declaring a mission to liberate "Taco Tuesday" for all, Taco Bell is asking US regulators to force Wyoming-based Taco John's to abandon its long-standing claim to the trademark. Too many businesses and others refer to "Taco Tuesday" for Taco John's to be able to have exclusive...

Baghdad's 'Starbucks' Points to Growing Problem in Iraq

Country is a hub for trademark violation, costing companies billions

(Newser) - Everything from the signboard outside down to the napkins bears the official emblem of the top international coffee chain. But in Baghdad, looks are deceiving: The "Starbucks" in the Iraqi capital is unlicensed. Real Starbucks merchandise is imported from neighboring countries to stock the three cafes in the city,...

Sorry, Mariah, You're Not the Only 'Queen of Christmas'

Trademark office denies singer's claim for rights to the phrase

(Newser) - Mariah Carey isn't getting the holiday gift she wanted from the US Patent and Trademark Office. The office on Tuesday denied the singer's request to trademark "Queen of Christmas," after rejecting her applications for "QOC" and "Princess Christmas" earlier this month, per the Washington ...

This Isn't Your Mother's Winnie the Pooh
This Isn't Your Mother's
Winnie the Pooh
MOVIE TRAILER
Sep 2, 2022 10:02 AM CDT

This Isn't Your Mother's Winnie the Pooh

Public domain rules allow for this gory adaptation

(Newser) - This is why you should always read the reviews carefully before taking your kids to the theater. The trailer for a new Winnie the Pooh movie, based on the lovable bear created by UK author AA Milne, dropped Wednesday. But in this nearly two-minute sneak peek at Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and ...

Fastest Man in the World Wants Ownership of His Victory Pose

Retired sprinter Usain Bolt has filed to trademark signature celebration move to use logo on merch

(Newser) - If you're a famous athlete with the name "Bolt," and you've got a signature victory move that resembles a jagged line of electricity, chances are you're going to make sure you control that likeness. There's only one man this situation currently applies to in...

Netflix Sues Over Bridgerton Musical

Fan tribute is evolving into a commercial success

(Newser) - Music based on the hit Netflix series Bridgerton has been a success. Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear wrote 15 songs, picking up fans on TikTok, then released an album that won a Grammy in April. The fans included Netflix, the Verge reports. "Absolutely blown away by the Bridgerton musical...

Artist: 'Metaverse' Insta Handle Blocked After FB Name Change

Australia's Thea-Mai Baumann used the 'metaverse' handle, then suddenly got blocked

(Newser) - For nearly a decade, Thea-Mai Baumann, once the owner of an augmented-reality company called Metaverse Makeovers, used the Instagram handle "metaverse" to showcase her creative work. Last month, however, the Australian artist says she suddenly wasn't able to access her Insta, and she suspects Facebook's recent rebranding...

Accused Streamer Faces 514 Years in Prison

Bill Carrasquillo allegedly stole copyrighted content from cable firms, sold it to his own subscribers

(Newser) - For most people, getting arrested is, at the very least, an inconvenience. For Bill Omar Carrasquillo, his Tuesday detention was "100% a relief." That's what the 35-year-old YouTuber known as "Omi in a Hellcat" told FOX 29 Philadelphia on Wednesday outside his Swedesboro, NJ, home after...

Banksy Just Suffered a 'Devastating' Loss

Street artist loses EU trademark fight with greeting card company over his own artwork

(Newser) - In a desperate move to claim the trademark for one of his most famous works, British street artist Banksy, usually known for floating untethered in anonymity, opened up a shop last fall, hoping to sway European Union judges in his favor. His efforts—deemed a "weakass attempt" by Techdirt...

China Gives Ivanka Trump 5 Trademarks
Ivanka Trump
Has 5 New
Trademarks
Jan 21, 2019 9:30 AM CST

Ivanka Trump Has 5 New Trademarks

In China, which is in trade negotiations with her father's administration

(Newser) - The Chinese government has granted Ivanka Trump's company preliminary approval for another five trademarks this month, reports the AP , as her father's administration pushes ahead on trade negotiations with China. Four trademarks, including child care centers, sunglasses, and wedding dresses, were approved on Sunday. A fifth, covering brokerage,...

Trump Readies a Hefty Penalty on China

President prepares to unveil $60B in tariffs despite concern from US businesses

(Newser) - President Trump has long believed China engages in unfair trade practices with the US, and senior aides recently presented him with a proposal for $30 billion in annual tariffs against Beijing. Not good enough, said Trump, who ordered them to double the amount to $60 billion, reports the Washington Post ...

When Girls' Dolls 'Leaned In,' and Why It's All a 'Sham'

Closer look at intellectual property war between Barbie and Bratz reveals much deeper stuff

(Newser) - Barbie dolls have dominated the toy landscape for girls since their 1959 intro—which made it a big deal when Bratz dolls hit the scene in 2001 and started stealing market share, spurring a years-long legal war between Barbie maker Mattel and Bratz creator MGA, a Mattel competitor. As Jill...

Trump Thinks China Rips Off US Businesses, May Act Soon

He's poised to open an official investigation against Beijing

(Newser) - Either President Trump is about to get tough on China over trade or the White House wants Beijing to think he's about to get tough on trade. The White House is putting the word out that the president thinks China is ripping off American businesses and aims to take...

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