When Consent Isn’t Enough – The TTAB’s Decision in In re Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla



A consent agreement can be a powerful tool to overcome a USPTO likelihood-of-confusion refusal—but only if it’s done right. In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin attorneys Scott Hervey and Richard Buckley discuss the TTAB’s precedential decision in In re Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, where the Board rejected a one-page consent agreement as a “naked consent” insufficient to overcome a Section 2(d) refusal. Continue reading When Consent Isn’t Enough – The TTAB’s Decision in In re Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla

Protecting Fictional Characters: Copyright and Trademark Strategies



Can a car, a superhero, or even a cartoon sidekick be protected by copyright? In this episode of The Briefing, Scott Hervey and Matt Sugarman break down how fictional characters earn legal protection — and when they don’t.
 
From DC Comics v. Towle (the “Batmobile” case) to Carroll Shelby Licensing v. Halicki (the “Eleanor” case), Scott and Matt explore the three-part test for character copyrightability, how trademark rights can extend protection, and what creators and studios can do to safeguard their most valuable IP assets.

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The Nirvana Baby Lawsuit – A Win for Nirvana



A federal court has granted summary judgment for Nirvana, dismissing Spencer Elden’s claim that the Nevermind album cover — depicting him as a baby — constituted child pornography. In this episode of The Briefing, Scott Hervey and James Kachmar revisit their earlier coverage of the Ninth Circuit’s decision and unpack how the district court’s final ruling turned on artistic intent and context rather than perception.

Continue reading The Nirvana Baby Lawsuit – A Win for Nirvana


Studios Beware: The Danger of the Beauty and the Beast Copyright Decision



Disney faced a copyright lawsuit over the use of MOVA facial-capture software in Beauty and the Beast. A jury found Disney vicariously liable, the district court threw out the verdict, but the Ninth Circuit has now reinstated it. In this episode of The Briefing, Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler discuss:

Continue reading Studios Beware: The Danger of the Beauty and the Beast Copyright Decision


George Santos vs. Jimmy Kimmel: Why the 2nd Circuit Sided with Comedy



Former Congressman George Santos sued Jimmy Kimmel after the late-night host used Cameo videos in a comedy segment called “Will Santos Say It?” Santos claimed copyright infringement and fraud, but both the District Court and the Second Circuit said Kimmel’s use was fair use. In this episode of The Briefing, Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler break down:
 
● How Kimmel obtained the videos using fake Cameo accounts
 
● Why the District Court dismissed Santos’s case
 
● How the Second Circuit reinforced that criticism and satire are protected under fair use
 
● Why Santos’s contract and fraud claims also failed
Watch this episode on YouTube.

Neil Young vs. Chrome Hearts: When Rock Meets Runway in Court



Neil Young vs. Chrome Hearts: When Rock Meets Runway in CourtNeil Young vs. Chrome Hearts — What happens when a rock legend collides with a luxury fashion powerhouse? Chrome Hearts has filed suit against Neil Young, claiming his new band “Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts” infringes on their famous trademark

 
On this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub attorneys Scott Hervey and James Kachmar unpack the lawsuit, analyze the likelihood of confusion, and compare it to the Lady Gaga “Mayhem” case. Plus, they share practical takeaways for musicians to avoid trademark trouble.

Continue reading Neil Young vs. Chrome Hearts: When Rock Meets Runway in Court


Anthropic Settles AI Training Case for $1.5 Billion +



The Anthropic settlement shows just how costly copyright missteps can be in AI development. Anthropic has agreed to a $1.5B settlement after a court found that keeping a permanent library of pirated books was not fair use—even though training its AI model on those same works was.
 
On this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub attorneys Scott Hervey and Matt Sugarman discuss the ruling, the settlement, and what it means for future copyright claims against AI companies.

Continue reading Anthropic Settles AI Training Case for $1.5 Billion +


Is the Bored Ape Yacht Club Trademark Claim Just Monkey Business?



The Yuga Labs v. Ryder Ripps case is shaking up NFTs and trademarks. In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub attorneys Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler unpack the Ninth Circuit’s ruling on whether NFTs count as “goods,” why the First Amendment defense fell flat, and what it all means for the future of digital asset law.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Continue reading Is the Bored Ape Yacht Club Trademark Claim Just Monkey Business?


Court Says “No Way” To 50 Cent’s Battle Over Skill House



50 Cent’s two-minute cameo in the horror film “Skill House” turned into a full-blown legal battle over credits, contracts, and control. In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub entertainment and IP attorneys Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler break down what went wrong—and what Hollywood can learn from it.
Watch this episode on YouTube.

Continue reading Court Says “No Way” To 50 Cent’s Battle Over Skill House


The Doctrine of Foreign Equivalents: What It Means for Your Brand



You came up with a clever brand name in a foreign language—great! But did you know it might be refused by the USPTO? In this episode of The Briefing, Scott Hervey and Richard Buckley break down what a doctrine is, how trademark examiners apply it, and other important considerations for choosing foreign-language marks.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Continue reading The Doctrine of Foreign Equivalents: What It Means for Your Brand