Weekly IP Buzz for week ending February 2, 2018
Video Games and New DMCA Exemptions; IP Risks and "The Big Game"; Steps Entrepreneurs Must Take to Protect Their Ideas
Here's a summary of interesting developments in intellectual property, technology, social media, and Internet law for the week ending February 2, 2018.
New DMCA Exemptions Proposed to Preserve Online Video Games
In the United States, copyright law protection that prohibits circumvention of digital rights management (“DRM”) is managed by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”). Specifically, the DMCA criminalizes the production and dissemination of any technology, device, or service that is aimed at bypassing copyright measures that restrict access to works with copyright protection. More
“The Big Game” Can Lead to Big IP Risks
Super Bowl XLIX was watched by more than 114.4 million viewers, and the cost for a 30-second advertisement spot during the broadcast went for a record $4.5 million. And of course, businesses – small and large – who are not paying millions of dollars for these advertising slots still want to capitalize on the interest in the lead-up to the game as well as the game itself. Businesses may come up with advertisements and promotions referring to the Super Bowl® in an attempt to benefit from the name recognition of the Super Bowl. But more times than not, they do not have permission to reference the Super Bowl in these ads/promotions. More
5 Vital Steps Entrepreneurs Must Take to Protect Their Big Ideas
As corporate America continues to downsize, small businesses and start-ups have picked up the slack. Today, small businesses employ nearly half of the U.S. workforce, and popular T.V. shows such as “Shark Tank” and “The Profit” fuel the fires of aspiring entrepreneurs who hope to make it big. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs don’t successfully protect their big ideas and could lose all or a sizeable chunk of their businesses.
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In addition to Thriving Attorney, Darin M. Klemchuk is founder of Klemchuk LLP, a litigation, intellectual property, and transactional law firm located in Dallas, Texas. He also co-founded Project K, a charity devoted to changing the world one random act of kindness at a time. Click to read more about Darin Klemchuk's practice as an intellectual property lawyer.
