MercuryNews.com: “Cablevision suspends network DVR experiment” (Cablevision is developing a server-based, as opposed to set top based (such as Tivo), digital video recording service. It has been sued for copyright infringement by the major movie studios and TV networks).
You’re On Your Own As To What To Make Of All This
Gawker: “Battle of Shiloh:”
Gawker: “We Fought The Good Fight”
Gawker: “Does This Mean We’re Off The Hook?”
EFF: Brangelina, Shiloh and Fair Use
That Soccer Ball On That Plane Can Mean Only One Thing
International Herald Tribune:”Can’t tell the sponsors without a scorecard”
Continuing our in-depth coverage of ambush marketing in honor of the World Cup, we note that Lufthansa is painting soccer balls on the nose of its planes, to the annoyance of FIFA, and to Air Emirates, which paid a lot of money to FIFA for the right to tell consumers that it paid a lot of money to FIFA.
Practice pointer: If you client will engage in ambush marketing, advise that it avoid statements such as this:
“People might think we are a sponsor,” said Amelie Lorenz, a spokeswoman for Lufthansa, “but that’s good for us.”
World Cup 2006 is the official world soccer championship of The Trademark Blog.
“Should I Copyright That Patent For Trademarks?”
Jessica Stone Levy: “Commonly Confused Concepts, or: “Should I copyright that patent for trademarks?”
MOU Between Luxury Brand Owners and Beijing Landlords
IP Dragon: “Trailblazing MOU Between Luxury Brand Owners and Landlords” (Ageement signed between luxury brand companies (?) and Beijing landlords to evict tenants who repeatedly sell copied goods.)
New UK Tech Law Blog: Naked Law
“UK Technology Law Laid Bare by Cambridge Lawyers” HT Denise.
The FIFA World Cup Is The Official Soccer Championship Of The Trademark Blog
BrandRepublic: “Fifa triumphs in World Cup trademark spat with Ferrero” (Nov 2005)
DW-World.de: “Business and Events at Mercy of FIFA’s Trademark Control.’ (March 2006)
Prague Post: “Court Ruling in Germany eases companies’ uses of FIFA World Cup in marketing campaigns.’ (May 31, 2006)
Yahoo Sports: World Cup Fever hits Germany, from sex stores to department stores (June 2006)
TheLawyer.com: “Forget Argentina and Brazil” Ben Moshinsky looks at the key players in the mission to protect Fifa’s World Cup IP. (May 2006)
Blast From The Past On Ambush Marketing
2002 BrandChannel article on Ambush Marketing during the last World Cup.
Adidas v Grand Slam Dress Code
The organizers of the Grand Slam tennis events (U.S. Open, Wimbledon, etc) promulgate a dress code that minimizes the use of trademarks, so as to prevent tennis players from looking like Nascar drivers. Some manufacturers argued that Aididas’ three stripe design constituted one such identification that should be prohibited. Adidas sued the Grand Slam group, arguing that competitors’ source-identifying design elements were not coming under comparable scrutiny, and that the dress code runs afoul of EC competition rules.
Adidas-Solomon AG v. Lawn Tennis Associaton, et. al., [2006] EWHC 1318 (Ch).
IPKat discussion here.
TimesOnline.co.uk coverage here.
Prior Adidas statement on dispute here.
Paparazzi Thwarted, Infringement Continues
Freakonomics notes that:
“Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt solve a big problem-the illicit distribution of photos of their new baby-by distributing the pictures themselves and donating the proceeds to charity, thereby thwarting the paparazzi free market and potentially setting a new model for future celebrity photo ops.”
However:
There is still illicit distribution. CNN reports that Hello! magazine, which purchased the photos, is suing various websites for running the photo.