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  • Deepfake of Ukraine’s Zelenskyy shows that IP laws governing such tech is urgently needed

    Recently, a video featuring a deepfake version of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared on social media, asking his troops to surrender in the ongoing war with Russia.
    The video was quickly identified as a fake, partly due to its poor quality. Zelenskyy also swiftly posted a video of himself exposing the deepfake, and Facebook, YouTube and Twitter announced they had removed the vide

  • IP Chit Chat with film producer Juan Foo

    Thanks to technological advancement, new platforms are being launched every other day, providing more opportunities for creators to share their stories with the world. However, that also means that protecting the intellectual property rights of these stories is more important than ever. In the first interview in our new IP Chit Chat series, we speak to veteran Singapore film producer Juan Foo abou

  • Rip-off or not: Bored Ape Yacht Club vs Bored Wukong


    Another day, another kerfuffle in the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) — and this time, the fuss is all about cartoon monkeys. 
    The Bored Ape Yacht Club is an NFT project that has attracted a lot of interest from celebrities. It comprises a collection of 10,000 illustrations of apes, and digital ownership of these gives buyers bragging rights, the ability to monetise their ape avatars v

  • The important role of IP as Philippines aims to become Southeast Asia's top creative economy

    In September 2021, the Philippines’ House of Representatives passed a landmark bill known as the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act. It could soon become a law, and its goal is nothing less than to make the country Southeast Asia's top creative economy by 2030.
    Already, the Philippines’ creative sector is full of potential. In 2014, with little government support, the creative econo

  • How the war in Ukraine is changing IP laws in Russia and beyond

    Countries around the world have levied heavy sanctions on Russia ever since it invaded Ukraine. Some multinational companies have also halted their operations in the country. In turn, Russia has retaliated with a series of bans and even changed its intellectual property laws.
    Many movie studios in the West have refused to release new movies in Russia. Warner Bros had planned to release The Batm

  • NFTs are the latest frontier in musicians’ long battle to gain control over their IP

    In the music business, the ownership of intellectual property has often been a controversial subject, and that’s all because of the lopsided balance of control. In short, record companies tend to seize most of the control. But that might change, if start-ups pushing ownership models based on non-fungible tokens (NFTs) take off.
    In the short amount of time that NFTs have become a trending topic

  • Funny business: Comedians seek royalties for their IP

    Should comedians get paid like musicians and receive royalties from platforms that profit from their material? That's certainly a payment model that one group is championing. According to the Wall Street Journal, a group of comedians, led by global rights administration company, Spoken Giants, wants to be paid royalties when their jokes are played on radio and streaming services such as Spotify an

  • Who owns the IP rights to HK icon Anita Mui’s life and legacy?

    Anita, a biopic about Hong Kong pop icon Anita Mui, drew critical praise and achieved commercial success when it was released last year. However, the movie has also sparked litigation from the late entertainer’s brother, who claims that the film’s production company has infringed on his rights over two registered trademarks.
    According to the South China Morning Post, Peter Mui, Anita’s elder b

  • Rip-off or not: Makers of Russian movie Yolki 8 accused of copying "human Christmas tree" photo concept

    Social media is filled with photos and videos used by people who do not seek permission from the original creators. Most recently, for example, a Russian production house was pinpointed as having copied the original concept of a photographer without bothering to tweak the original concept even slightly.
    In December 2015, photographer Stig Havard Dirdal was hired by the Norwegian camera store St

  • High Court dismisses claim for copyright infringement in pop song

    The following article by Rachel Alexander was first published here by Wiggin, a UK based firm focused on the practice of media, technology and intellectual property law. It is re-published here with Wiggin's permission.

    The claimant, Kelly-Marie Smith, is the composer and lyricist of a song, “Can You Tell Me”. The song was never released commercially, but in October 2007 Ms Smith perform

  • Nike sues StockX for violating trademarks over NFTs

    Non-fungible tokens or NFTs continue to be in vogue in 2022, but so have the confusions and legal issues arising from them. In the latest round of actions, Nike has sued StockX for violating trademarks by selling its digital tokens without permission.
    StockX is a US-based online resale marketplace that sells streetwear, handbags, and other goods, valued at about US$3.8 billion. In January, it

  • High Court grants first website blocking order in relation to stream ripping sites

    The following article by Rachel Alexander was first published here by Wiggin, a UK based firm focused on the practice of media, technology and intellectual property law. It is re-published here with Wiggin's permission.

    The claimant record companies issued proceedings against the six main internet service providers in the UK seeking an order pursuant to s 97A of the Copyright, Designs

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