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  • Advertising agency accuses Coinbase of idea theft

    The US-based cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase’s 60-second super bowl ad was a massive hit, but it was accused of copying someone else’s idea without giving credit to the company that came up with the concept.
    In February, the exchange aired a simple colorful QR code that floated on the screen for a minute which could be scanned to redeem $15 worth of free Bitcoin and a chance to win US

  • Rip-off or not: Croatia coin design winner blamed for plagiarism

    The winner of Croatia’s coin logo competition is accused of copying the design from a 17-year-old photo taken by a Scottish photographer and has since withdrawn from the competition and returned the prize money.Croatia needs a new coin design for circulation as it is adopting the Euro currency in 2023. To achieve this goal, the country’s central bank had organized a competition for the best design

  • PitchMark is now on Medium.com too

    PitchMark is pleased to announce that our content is now available on the Medium platform as well.
    We are excited about engaging Medium’s community of creators and innovators, and will continue raising awareness of the importance of registering their valuable intellectual property before sharing it with the world.
    If you’re on Medium and want to help us get to know this new universe better,

  • 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

  • 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 Batman m

  • 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 Stavan

  • 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 performed a

  • 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

  • Spanx’s founder couldn’t afford a patent attorney. So she figured out how to protect her IP herself.

    Twenty years ago, American entrepreneur Sara Blakely launched a business selling shapewear that was more comfortable and more effective than anything else on the market at the time. She called the brand Spanx. And in 2021, she sold a majority share of this business to investment company Blackstone, bringing her net worth to over US$1 billion.
    Blakely couldn’t have grown her business without tre

  • Rip-off or not: Wordle and the word games it inspired

    Wordle is the new sensation sweeping the Internet, and it all boils down to its resolutely simple rules. This word game is hosted on an ad-free website, you can only play it once a day, and the creator has no intention of making the game addictive or viral. There isn’t even an app version — at least not an official one.
    Still, this game of guessing a different five-letter English word each day

  • Singapore association launches guide to best practices in pitching

    Here’s a subject close to the hearts of all innovators whose livelihoods depend on successfully pitching their original ideas to potential clients — what are some key guidelines that can make productive working relationships more likely?
    To address this issue, the Association of Advertising and Marketing Singapore (AAMS) and global marketing consultancy R3 have developed a Pitch Best Practices

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