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World IP Day 2024: Why respecting intellectual property is key to promoting sustainable innovation

World IP Day 2024: Why respecting intellectual property is key to promoting sustainable innovation

Whether you are a creator or an innovator, it is crucial to get your work protected as intellectual property before you market it and get paid by vendors.
To celebrate World IP Day 2024's theme - IP and the SDGs: Building our common future with innovation and creativity, PitchMark hosted an interesting webinar featuring PitchMark founder Mark Laudi, legal advisor Frank Rittman and our special g

Elon Musk's social media platform sued for copyright infringement by marketing agency

Elon Musk's social media platform sued for copyright infringement by marketing agency

Legal-marketing firm X Social Media LLC filed a lawsuit against X Corp (formerly known as Twitter), in a federal district court in Florida, alleging that the social media giant's new name and related marketing campaign violates its registered trade and service marks featuring the letter "X" constituting both unfair competition and a deceptive trade practice.
The plaintiff is situated in Winderm

How the intellectual property is perceived around the world – a survey by WIPO

How the intellectual property is perceived around the world – a survey by WIPO

According to a major new survey on consumer perceptions of intellectual property (IP), two-thirds of consumers have a favorable view of the function that IP plays in their economies.
The findings of WIPO Pulse, the world’s first global survey of general awareness of and attitudes toward intellectual property, are based on responses from 25,000 (non-IP specialists) people aged 18 to 65 years old

Image source for Stephen Thaler AI-created "A Recent Entrance to Paradise" - https://news.artnet.com/art-world/court-shot-down-ai-art-copyright-again-2352452

US Federal Court denies copyright for Stephan Thaler‘s AI-generated art

You can create all the generative AI art you want, but it won't be covered by copyright regulations.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a federal court determined that AI-generated art cannot be protected by copyrights since copyright law only applies to human people.
After the US Copyright Office twice denied plaintiff Stephan Thaler a copyright for a picture produced by his program, the

Nigerian court orders Coca-Cola to pay compensation for copyright infringement

Nigerian court orders Coca-Cola to pay compensation for copyright infringement

Coca-Cola Nigeria Plc and it’s local bottler, the Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC), have been ordered by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Nigeria, to pay three million Naira (approximately USD 3,875) for copyright infringement of a person’s literary work, despite NBC’s argument that the works in question were not protected by copyright.
The plaintiff, Onilemarun, claimed in the lawsuit t

Nicki Minaj accused of idea theft for her upcoming song "Barbie World"

Nicki Minaj accused of idea theft for her upcoming song "Barbie World"

American rapper Nicki Minaj is accused of stealing the concept for her upcoming song “Barbie World” from other rappers Swaatie and Jason Martin.
Martin, popularly known as Problem, took to social media to express his displeasure.
Martin claimed that he and Saweetie wrote a song together, which they then sent to Minaj for a possible duet.
Instead of nurturing this triangle of talent, he al

Ed Sheeran sued for ripping off Marvin Gaye’s classic ‘Let’s Get It On’

Ed Sheeran sued for ripping off Marvin Gaye’s classic ‘Let’s Get It On’

British pop superstar Ed Sheeran has been accused of plagiarizing Marvin Gaye's 1973 hit song Let's Get It On in his 2014 hit song Thinking Out Loud, but has denied the allegations in court arguing that similarities between the songs involve basic musical “building blocks” that are not protected by copyright.
The plaintiffs are the heirs of Marvin Gaye's songwriting partner Ed Townsend and incl

Image source: Onepeg

Nexon sues creators of “Dark and Darker” game over copyright infringement

Japanese-South Korean video game publisher Nexon has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against a gaming studio and creators, accusing them of stealing trade secrets.
The defendants in the lawsuit are Ironmace Studios, the developers behind the multiplayer looter Dark and Darker, Ironmace’s founder Terence Seungha Park, and Dark and Darker developer Ju-Hyun Choi.
The two Korean companies

Rip-off or not: Jack Daniel's Vs Bad Spaniels – a case involving whiskey and a dog toy

Rip-off or not: Jack Daniel's Vs Bad Spaniels – a case involving whiskey and a dog toy

Renowned Tennessee whiskey firm Jack Daniel's is attempting to prohibit the production and distribution of a chewy dog toy called Bad Spaniels, which is decorated in the style of one of its bottles.
The toy features a spaniel and a play on 40% alcohol by volume: "43% poo by volume, 100% smelly."
The bottle is part of the Silly Squeakers series of dog toys, which was created by VIP Products,

Court dismisses lawsuit filed against artist Julie Torres for using the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s photo

Court dismisses lawsuit filed against artist Julie Torres for using the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s photo

An Atlanta federal judge dismissed a copyright infringement claim brought against Georgia artist Julie Torres for using a picture of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, on the grounds that the photography agency Creative Photographers Inc. lacked legal grounds to bring the lawsuit.
In November 2021, the agency filed a lawsuit against Torres for not seeking prior permission to use the late U.S

Japan court orders JPY 500 million in damages over "fast movie" uploads that earned just JPY 7 million for the infringer

Japan court orders JPY 500 million in damages over "fast movie" uploads that earned just JPY 7 million for the infringer

With an aim to deter unauthorized use of copyright-protected work for personal benefits, the Tokyo District Court ordered a man and woman in their 20s to pay JPY 500 million (USD3.6 million) in damages for uploading minutes-long, edited versions of their films - known as "fast movies" on YouTube - without permission.
The duo edited and published ‘fast movies’ for 54 works, including "Shin Godz

Photographer sues media outlet Gannett for copyright infringement over the use of photo she shot

Photographer sues media outlet Gannett for copyright infringement over the use of photo she shot

US-based photographer Stephanie Campbell has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Gannett Media Corp. and more than 220 Gannett news outlets for allegedly using a photo she shot without permission.
Campbell claims she owns the right to a photo she took of former National Football League coach Katie Sowers, which Gannett obtained through a screenshot to publish to their readers and sub

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PitchMark protects the expression of your original concepts, designs, proposals, business plans, creative pitches, music - in short, any idea that you conceived and published, and claim as your own. It gives you peace-of-mind by signalling to whoever you share it with that you are its creator, and that you wish to be respected as such.

If you receive or evaluate ideas or pitches, join PitchMark as a sign of your commitment to respect the Intellectual Property rights of their creators. Attract more in-depth pitches from a wider range of sources. Highlight your PitchMark membership in your Sustainability or CSR Report.

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