PitchMark

Could rapper Kendrick Lamar get sued for using deepfake technology in his music video ‘The Heart Part 5’?

17 June 2022 14:21

Infamous rapper Kendrick Lamar's latest music video ‘The Heart Part 5’ is garnering views not only for the song, but also for the use of deepfake technology to morph his face into several popular faces from the entertainment industry. The question now is whether he can be sued for using different faces without seeking their permission.
In the video, he digitally adds the likene

Chinese singer Yu Yan called out for copying Taeyeon’s music visuals

16 June 2022 14:24

Chinese singer Yu Yan is being accused of copying visuals from K-pop singer Taeyeon’s “INVU” music video (MV) for her new song “Who” which was released on May 26. INVU is a song from an album of the same name that Time magazine called one of "The Best K-pop Albums of 2022 so far".
Netizens were quick to notice various similarities between the song's futuristic-themed visual and Taeyeon's music

Epic Games sued for copying Kyle Hanagami’s dance moves in its ‘Fortnite’ game

13 June 2022 09:38

Epic Games has been hit with a lawsuit by a Los Angeles-based choreographer Kyle Hanagami alleging it ripped off his dance steps in its Fortnite game.
Hanagami, who has choreographed for pop stars such as Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears, claimed in court that Epic Games took the "hook" segment of his dance from the viral video and used it without his permission in the "It's Complicated" Emot

Mariah Carey hit with copyright lawsuit for copying the song title "All I Want for Christmas is You"

10 June 2022 10:20

Songwriter Andy Stone has filed a copyright infringement case against singer Mariah Carey for using the title of his song in her widely-popular classic song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" which was released in 1994.
In 1989, five years before Carey's song became a hit, Stone composed, recorded, and released a song called "All I Want for Christmas Is You" under the name Vince Vance and the Va

Did Nike really come up with the 'Ballin' concept, or was it Adobe Bryant who pitched it to them?

7 June 2022 14:27

Graphic designer Landon T. Jones has filed an idea theft suit against Nike for stealing his design for the NCAA’s “March Madness” promotional campaign.
Jones, aka Adobe Bryant, claims to have pitched his idea to Nike’s marketing executive in April 2020 by providing a Dropbox link.
He further claims that the executive looked at the deck multiple times, but never contacted him to approve or re

Snapchat sued by Swiss rights collection society SUISA for refusing to pay its composers, songwriters and publishers

3 June 2022 12:48

Snap Inc., the owner of social media platform Snapchat, is being sued by Switzerland-based SUISA Digital Licensing for alleged copyright infringement.
SUISA Digital is a subsidiary of the music rights collection society SUISA that collects digital publishing royalties outside the U.S. for its 80,000 songwriters, composers, publishers and about 10 million works. It has created license agreements

Can IP laws protect your work from being ripped off when evolving technologies are constantly changing the rules of the game?

31 May 2022 09:43

Content creation is at an all-time high due to platforms such as Meta, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, and the advent of new technologies such as NFTs has brought all kinds of challenges for IP lawyers when it comes to protecting your innovations or creations.
World Intellectual Property Day is an annual event that is celebrated on April 26. The theme of this year’s event was “IP and Youth:

Comedian Amy Schumer called out for stealing a joke at Oscars, but says "I'm funny enough, I don’t need to steal shit."

30 May 2022 10:16

Amy Schumer has been accused of plagiarizing a joke from Twitter for her Oscars opening speech.
In her monologue, Schumer said: "Leonardo DiCaprio, what can I say about him? He has done so much to fight climate change and leave behind a cleaner, greener planet for his girlfriends. Because he's older and they are younger. Okay, you get it.”
The joke triggered huge laughs in the audience. Howe

Bill introduced to strip Disney of its copyright protection for Mickey Mouse may bring into question US’ global commitments to its IPR treaties

27 May 2022 10:43

US Senator Josh Hawley has introduced the Copyright Clause Restoration Act, a new bill to strip corporations like Disney of special copyright protections. His bill would limit new copyright protections to 56 years and make the change retroactive for massive corporations like Disney that have been granted long copyright monopolies.
The action comes after Florida lawmakers deprived Disney of spec

Ralph Lauren accused of plagiarising Malaysian designer's cape for Alicia Keys at the Met Gala

26 May 2022 10:22

US-based Malaysian designer Datuk Zang Toi accused Ralph Lauren of copying one of his designs for a cape, which was worn by singer Alicia Keys at the Met Gala earlier this month.
The singer arrived in a silver gown and black cape embroidered with New York skyline.
On the red carpet, Keys told Vogue that she and Lauren were inspired by the Big Apple, since they both hail from New York.
Key

teamLab sues a museum for copying its immersive art, but can it really be protected when the artwork itself is ever-changing?

23 May 2022 13:00

Japanese art collective teamLab, founded in 2001 and known for creating 360-degree interactive software environments, has sued the Museum of Dream Space (MODS) for violating its copyrights.
teamLab’s museums have become popular over the years. In fact, its museum installations and other players such as Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirrored Rooms” and the Color Factory are so successful that they ha

Australian designer Ambra Fossati accuses beauty influencer of copying a dress design

19 May 2022 11:33

Australian designer Ambra Fossati has accused a beauty influencer Shani Grimmond also hailing from Down Under, for allegedly copying her design.
The dress in question is a crew-neck maxi with long sleeves and sheer stretch knit that Grimmond hinted at releasing under her Sylk Swim label on her Instagram account, which has a massive following of 1.4 million users.
Fossati is a well-known desi

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