Copyright

Latest Blog Post

Do You Need Permission to Cover a Song?

Covering a song can boost visibility and creativity, but it also raises important copyright questions. This guide explains when you need permission to record, post, or perform a cover, how licenses work, and what can happen if you skip the legal steps.

December 24, 2025

Beatles album

Paul McCartney and Sony/ATV Settle Over Rights to Beatles Music

Paul McCartney sued Sony/ATV, seeking a declaratory judgment on whether he would be able to regain his copyright ownership share to the music he helped create.

July 25, 2017

An empty courtroom, rows of seats can be seen

Is Zorro in the Public Domain? Lawsuit to Find Out Moves Forward

In 2013, Robert Cabell filed a complaint against Zorro Productions in the state of Washington to determine whether the company rightfully owned the intellectual property rights to Zorro, and sought cancellation of its trademarks related to the character, among other claims.

June 20, 2017

A pastry chef icing a cupcake

Pastry Chef Sues Food Network Over Recipe How-to Video

LaBau, who owns the copyright registration for her snow globe cupcake how-to video, is asking the court to temporarily, preliminarily and permanently enjoin Food Network from displaying the video on their Facebook page.

June 13, 2017

Two people playing a video game

Judge Allows Video Game Maker’s Declaratory Judgment Counterclaim on Issue of Displaying Copyrighted Tattoos in Games to Proceed

Last February, Solid Oak Sketches sued Take-Two for copyright infringement for featuring Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, DeAndre Jordan, Kenyon Martin, and Eric Bledsoe with tattoo designs that the agency claimed to own, in the game franchise NBA 2K.

June 06, 2017

A microphone

Lawsuit Brought Against Conan O’Brien For Allegedly Stolen Jokes Allowed to Move Forward

On May 12th, a federal judge for the Southern District of California denied in part comedian and late night talk show host Conan O’Brien’s motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit from Robert Alexander Kaseberg.

May 30, 2017

A microphone

RIAA Sues Internet Service Provider Grande Communications For Not Acting on Customer Copyright Infringement

RIAA has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Grande Communications due to Grande Communications not taking “meaningful action against repeat infringers,” customers who repeatedly download music illegally using BitTorrent.

May 09, 2017

The Fried Firm Logo

Advocates for the Creative Mind