Addressing legal issues with the latest technological developments and social media trends.
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In “The Case of Prince, a Dancing Baby and the DMCA Takedown Notice,” we discussed the potential impact of the Ninth Circuit decision in Lenz v. Universal Music Corp., 801 F.3d 1126 (2015), a.k.a. the “dancing baby case,” in which the appeals court held that under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), copyright holders have a “duty to consider—in good faith and prior to sending a takedown notification—whether allegedly infringing material constitutes fair use.” However, in considering whether there is fair use, the court was “mindful of the pressing crush of voluminous infringing content that copyright holders face in a digital age.” To deal with this reality, the court affirmed that computers may be leveraged to support the fair use analysis.

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2000px-US-FederalTradeCommission-Seal_svgWe’ve written previously on the rise in FTC scrutiny and enforcement regarding the use by companies of paid digital influencers without the proper disclosures. Recently, retailer Lord & Taylor found itself in the FTC’s crosshairs when it employed bloggers and Nylon magazine as part of a very successful campaign to promote a clothing collection online and on social media. Unfortunately, the campaign was less successful in its compliance with the FTC Act.

Along with colleagues Lori Levine and Lauren Lynch Flick, we’ve taken a closer look at the case in Lord & Taylor Case Shows the Importance of Transparency in Advertising, itself just the latest example of how companies can run into trouble when they fail to fully disclose a promotion or advertisement.

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We recently wrote about a musician who got into some trouble with a court by using social media to flaunt images of hundred dollar bills after he had filed for bankruptcy. Now, an Atlanta-based rapper known as Rolls Royce Rizzy has been found to offend trademark laws through his use of social media. In January 2015, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA LLC (collectively, “Rolls-Royce”) filed a suit against Robert Davis (aka “Rolls Royce Rizzy”) for various claims, including trademark dilution, trademark infringement and unfair competition/false designation of origin under the Lanham Act.

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We have written previously about the role of traditional discovery roles in “newer” platforms, and how social media content can be discoverable and used in litigation. What about using information from social media in jury selection? U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup says no.

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NewsofNote

Intel and Sony give us an idea of the future of virtual reality; Google goes shopping in the cloud; the FBI warns consumers about car hacking; the Internet of Thing’s language problem; and more …

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The U.S. Patent Office has long granted patents on new card games, but the path for patenting card games was narrowed by a Federal Circuit ruling last Thursday. In In Re Smith, the Federal Circuit Court ruled that patent claims on a new card game were ineligible for patent protection, even if the card game is novel and non-obvious. The court did acknowledge, though, that some card games are potentially patentable if they satisfy certain criteria.

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For businesses offering services requiring a contractor’s license in multiple states, the rules governing traditional contractor advertising can be complex enough in their own right. But when you add social media to the mix? Well, then knowing where to look and what rules to follow can become even more of a challenge.

Over on the construction and real estate law blog, Gravel2Gavel, colleagues Amy Pierce and Rob James have written two posts of interest to any contractors trying to navigate the often complex intersection between advertising and social media. The first, Contractor Advertising in the Age of Social Media, explores some of the hows and whys of this increased complexity. Its companion piece, A Resource Guide for Contractor Advertising on Social Media, provides what could be an invaluable starting point for any contractor wishing to take advantage of the immense potential for customer generation and relationship building present with social media platforms … without running afoul of the ever-changing, myriad state and municipal laws, regulations and guidance that govern such advertising.

 

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NewsofNoteMain

A virtual reality refresher course; Google and privacy concerns; Snapchat visits the dugout; WeChat has some homework for Chinese student; and more …

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Fair-useAt its heart, social media’s purpose is sharing content;  however, fair use can only take one so far. A recent case serves as yet another reminder to exercise caution when reposting content, and that, in a litigious society, it is advisable to take the conservative approach and secure permission before reposting another’s content, even when there has been some modification of that content.

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GE’s tech chief discusses gamification and cars; Apple and the FBI’s faceoff continues; Microsoft will give developers a new toy to play with; man’s best friend takes a disliking to man’s made friend; and more …

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