Catching Up


Here are a number of interesting links I came across in the last month, presented without comment:
Eric Goldman and John Ottaviani: Top Cyberlaw Developments of 2006
Eriq Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, Esq: High-Tech, High Anxiety: Innovations Likely to Rattle Nerves: “Keep an eye out for these seven emerging technologies, all threatening to attract the ire of content owners in the new year.”
Google AdWords Trademark Policy
NY Times: Music of the Hemispheres: “You hear only one note, and you already know who it is… How we do this? Why are we so good at recognizing music?”
Ask.MeFi: For which products or services is it worth it to buy name brand instead of generic brand?
A dozen years ago on the internet: The Best and Worst of 1994 and Predictions for ’95
William Patry’s <a href=http://williampatry.blogspot.com/2007/01/my-treatise-is-now-available.html">Copyright treatise has been released along with The Patry Treatise Blog. See also Ann Bartow, The Hegemony of the Copyright Treatise. University of Cincinnati Law Review, Vol. 73, pp. 1-64, Fall 2004.
Thomas Field, IP Frontline: Lawyers Should Be Cautious When Copying Other Lawyers’ Work
Get a First Life
Ninth Circuit Opinions— an automatically generated feed for opinions from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. How about for the Second Circuit?
James Grimmelmann: The Structure of Search Engine Law
The TTABlog: Google Sues Leo Stoller’s Companies for RICO violations: “The 25-page Complaint, accompanied by nearly 200 pages of exhibits, charges the Defendants with violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), 18 U.S. C. Sec. 1961 et. seq., of Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, and of the law of unfair competition.” Complaint.
BBC News: Ninja kitten band win Coke battle: “The band, 7 Seconds of Love, argued that Coke used their song Ninja and its distinctive kitten-filled video without permission in a South American advert.”
New York Times: Levi’s Turns to Suing Its Rivals: “United States Patent and Trademark No. 1,139,254 is not much to look at: a pentagon surrounding a childlike drawing of a seagull in flight. But the design for a Levi’s pocket, first used 133 years ago, has become the biggest legal battleground in American fashion.”

Hollywood Reporter, Esq: File-Sharing Judge Questions ‘Making Available’ Standard: “On the meaning of “distribution,” Karas seemed to question whether “making available” is the same as “distribution,” saying the former was a “more passive concept.” Since U.S. copyright law does not recognize “making available” as actionable in itself, Karas asked Gabriel how he could use Barker’s list of available songs on the Kazaa service as proof of an infringing distribution activity.”

Andrew Raff @andrewraff