What Are Statutory Damages and Why Do They Matter for Copyright Owners?

Posted on September 20, 2019September 23, 2019 by mchattie

One of the greatest advantages of a Registered copyright is the ability to have, in fact is a requirement, that statutory damages be awarded. A Registration also makes attorney’s fees much more likely. Under the Copyright Act, 17 USC §§501 et seq., creators of original works of authorship including literary, visual, dramatic, musical, and artistic works Read more about What Are Statutory Damages and Why Do They Matter for Copyright Owners?[…]

Supreme Court: Copyright Must Be Registered Before Filing Copyright Infringement Action

Posted on March 6, 2019March 7, 2019 by mchattielaw

By: Sarah A. Teitelman, Esq., Jules D. Zalon, Esq. and Christopher J. McHattie, Esq. On March 4, 2019, the United States Supreme Court resolved a long-standing circuit COURT split and held that a copyright owner must first obtain a copyright Certificate of Registration from the United States Copyright Office before instituting a copyright infringement action, Read more about Supreme Court: Copyright Must Be Registered Before Filing Copyright Infringement Action[…]

A Note-Worthy Development: Led Zeppelin May Face Retrial in Stairway to Heaven Copyright Case ♫♪

Posted on October 10, 2018June 2, 2023 by mchattielaw

Update from our previous blog post The Song Remains the Same: Jury Shows a Whole Lotta Love for Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven. Written by Sarah Teitelman with some help from Chris McHattie. On September 28, 2018, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals partially vacated the prior Central District’s verdict that Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven did Read more about A Note-Worthy Development: Led Zeppelin May Face Retrial in Stairway to Heaven Copyright Case ♫♪[…]

Monkeying Around with Copyright Law

Posted on September 13, 2017 by mchattie

The two-year ‘monkey selfie’ dispute between David Slater, a British Wildlife photographer, and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has driven copyright lawyers bananas and finally reached a settlement. Monkey See. Monkey Do. This legal battle began in the Indonesian jungle when Naruto, the macaque monkey, snapped a ‘selfie’ using Slater’s unattended Read more about Monkeying Around with Copyright Law[…]