Copyright in classic films protects famous characters from reach of merchandisers *

USA - January 6 2012
In the recent case of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., et. al. v. X One X Productions, A.V.E.L.A., Inc., et al., 644 F.3d 584 (8th Cir. 2011), the plaintiff film companies declared victory over merchandisers attempting to sell products depicting images of famous characters from the films The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind and Tom & Jerry.

Co-authors: Kimberly B. Herman, Laura A. Stacey.

Apple v. Psystar underscores the strength of software license agreements and the limits of the copyright misuse defense *

USA - October 20 2011
A recent decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals underscores the importance of distributing software under a carefully drafted software license agreement (“SLA”).

Co-authors: Kimberly B. Herman, Laura A. Stacey.

Recent decision reaffirms software license restrictions *

USA - September 29 2010
For decades, software vendors have allowed customers to obtain and use their computer software programs under contracts known as End User License Agreements ("EULAs").

Co-authors: Kimberly B. Herman, Christopher T. Stevenson.