Commentary, Current News James Ball Commentary, Current News James Ball

An Oregon Guitar Legal Battle

Selecting and developing trademarks and brands are frequently the most important decisions a business can make. Marks that appear secure may be open to attack years or even decades later. A lawsuit filed by Korg Inc. against Jack Meussdorffer highlights how even a long-standing, vigilantly protected mark can be open to attack.

Selecting and developing trademarks and brands are frequently the most important decisions a business can make. Marks that appear secure may be open to attack years or even decades later. A lawsuit filed by Korg Inc. against Jack Meussdorffer highlights how even a long-standing, vigilantly protected mark can be open to attack. - - - - "On Sept. 3, 2013, the multinational company Korg Inc. and its affiliates filed a complaint against Meussdorffer and his Phantom Guitar Works company, seeking to cancel several of Meussdorffer's long-held trademarks and claiming "tortious interference" with the brand's own models. Meussdorffer and his legal team filed a counter-claim, and the case has slogged on ever since."

http://www.oregonlive.com/music/index.ssf/2014/04/phantom_guitar_works_vox_korg_legal_battle.html - - - -

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Current News, Music James Ball Current News, Music James Ball

Big Labels Take Aim at Pandora on Royalties

The outcome of a new lawsuit filed by copyright owners against Pandora Media could have far-ranging consequences for recording artists, record labels, and internet music broadcasters. The RIAA and its constituents face an uphill battle, however. Who will survive, and what will be left of them?

The outcome of a new lawsuit filed by copyright owners against Pandora Media could have far-ranging consequences for recording artists, record labels, and internet music broadcasters. The RIAA and its constituents face an uphill battle, however. Who will survive, and what will be left of them? - - - - "The music industry has opened a new front in its war against Pandora Media: royalties for songs made before 1972.

On Thursday, several major record companies filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, accusing Pandora of violating the state’s common-law copyright protections by using recordings of older songs without permission. Along with a string of cases filed last year against Sirius XM Radio, the suit highlights an obscure legal issue that has come to the fore with the rise of streaming music online: that recordings made before Feb. 15, 1972, are not subject to federal copyright protection and may be missing out on tens of millions of dollars in royalties, according to industry estimates."

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/18/business/media/lawsuit-against-pandora-seeks-royalties-for-golden-oldies.html?_r=0 - - - -

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Q&A Bryan Wasetis Q&A Bryan Wasetis

About Our Posts

We'll be posting on topics relevant to the creative community, including industry guides and updates in trademark and copyright law.

We'll be posting on topics relevant to the creative community, including industry guides and updates in trademark and copyright law. If you have a question or a topic that you want to learn more about, drop us a line over on our contact page. We'll get back to you as soon as we can and may feature the Q&A as a post!

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