IP Blog
Copyright
SCOTUS Reverses Copyright Infringement Against Google, Copying API was Fair Use: Google LLC v. Oracle America, Inc.
In a long anticipated decision, the Supreme Court of the United States has held that Google’s copying of code of an Application Programming Interface (API) developed by Oracle is a fair use of that code. The Court held, 6-2, that Google only copied code “needed to allow programmers to put their accrued talents to work in a new and transformative...
Copyrightability Clarified for Designs of “Useful” Articles
On March 22, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Star Athletica, L.L.C. v. Varsity Brands, Inc., ruling that decorative designs of cheerleading uniforms may be eligible for copyright protection.[1] In so deciding, the Court clarified the application of the copyright laws to designs of “useful” articles. Previously, as has been my experience in the registration and enforcement of designs of...