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Can You Trademark a Song Title?

Many musicians assume they can trademark a song title, but trademark law works differently than copyright law. While a single song title usually cannot be registered as a trademark, there are situations where a title can become legally protectable through branding, merchandise, or use across a series of creative works.

August 03, 2026

A phone which has a lock symbol on it; EarPods, glasses, desk plant can be seen as well

Three Music Streaming Services Are Being Sued Over Unpaid Royalties

Google Play, Tidal, and Slacker Radio all have something in common with Spotify, and it isn’t that they’re music streaming services. It’s that musicians, who claim their music is being offered for streaming without licenses or royalty payments, have sued them this year for copyright infringement.

March 22, 2016

People walking around in front of the SCOTUS

Spotify is Being Sued For Copyright Infringement

Spotify’s year is not off to a great start. Two different songwriters have filed class action suits against the streaming music service, alleging copyright infringement.

January 20, 2016

A glass of gin-based cocktail

Artist Jeff Koons Is Being Sued for Copying An Old Gin Ad

Famed pop artist Jeff Koons was hit with a lawsuit recently by a photographer named Mitchell Gray for copyright infringement over a photo Gray allowed Gordon’s Gin to use in a 1986 ad.

January 12, 2016

Music editing on a laptop

Meet The Slants: This Band’s Fight Over The Right to Trademark its Name Could Impact What Happens With The Washington Redskins

This past July, a Federal District Court affirmed the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board’s cancellation of the Washington Redskins’s trademark for being disparaging toward Native Americans. The NFL team filed its appeal this month in a bid to get back its registration.

November 17, 2015

A vinyl record

A Twenty-Year Perspective: The Winners and Losers of the Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act

Last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the its music streaming service had gained 15 million total users since its June release, with 6.5 million of them being paying subscribers. It has quickly joined the other streaming services that now make it easier than ever to enjoy the music we love in the digital space.

November 10, 2015

A group of employees talking to each other at work

“Let’s get crazy” with DMCA takedown notices

On February 7, 2007, a young Pennsylvania woman named Stephanie Lenz uploaded to YouTube a video of her two adorable children dancing to the Prince song “Let’s Go Crazy.” She titled the 29-second long video “Let’s Get Crazy #1,” and then (probably) went about the rest of her day.

September 22, 2015

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