Nintendo shut down a Metroid fan project in late August. A little more than a month later, the anticipated Metroid Dread will release. Historically, Nintendo has shut down fan projects, and they have every right to defend their intellectual property. But what power does Nintendo actually have? The apparent fan project was a 2D remakeContinue reading “Nintendo Defends Copyright – Shuts Down Metroid Fan Project”
Author Archives: Assaad
Recent USPTO Delays
The USPTO has been experiencing a surge in applications, which has lead to processing delays. Normally a trademark examiner would be assigned 3-4 months after filing. Now it’s taking 5-6 months. Take a look at the tables as of the time of this writing from the USPTO itself. The reasons for these delays stem fromContinue reading “Recent USPTO Delays”
Behind the Scenes: Finished Writing A Novel!
On Monday, April 26, I finished writing the first draft of my novel! Just under 1 year ago, I found a course called “write your first novel” on Coursera. The pandemic work from home life was in full swing, so I figured I should give it a try. It’s something that I’ve wanted to doContinue reading “Behind the Scenes: Finished Writing A Novel!”
Copyright and Trademark Lawsuit News
NIKE AND MSCHF AGREE TO SETTLE The latest news worthy trademark case has been Nike v. MSCHF. This case was a trademark infringement case based on the headline smashing “Satan Shoe”. The shoes were a limited release coinciding with Lil Nas X’s latest music video, Montero (Call Me By Your Name). The shoes themselves wereContinue reading “Copyright and Trademark Lawsuit News”
Copyright Act §106
When someone creates a work of art, whether that’s a book, a script, a photo, or a movie, copyright protection is automatically granted. Copyright law also gives the author, (or authors) the rights listed below. (1) To reproduce the copyrighted work in copes or phonorecords; The right to reproduce, or make more copies of theContinue reading “Copyright Act §106”
Video Game Company, Raw Fury, Publishes Publisher Agreement
Is the publisher making the final decision about the marketing? Who decides on what functions are in the game? What about expanding into other forms of entertainment, such as movies, or books? If you’ve had questions like this, then you may finally have some answers on those questions! The video game company Raw Fury, hasContinue reading “Video Game Company, Raw Fury, Publishes Publisher Agreement”
USPTO To Increase Fees, Effective January 2, 2021
Looks like the USPTO is increasing trademark fees next year. Effective January 2 2021. See final rule: https://www.uspto.gov/trademark/laws-regulations/updated-trademark-ttab-fees-processes?utm_campaign=subscriptioncenter&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term= Of note in particular:TEAS Standard: $350 per classUp from $275 per class TEAS Plus: $250 per classUp from $225 per class Processing fee for failing to meet TEAS Plus requirements: $100 per classDown from $125 per class
Licensing: Copyright
Last time, I wrote an article about the basics of licensing. This time, I will go into a deeper discussion about the complications of “owning the rights” to something. A lot of people ask about “owning the rights” to something. It can be a copyrighted work, a trademark, or something else. This article will focusContinue reading “Licensing: Copyright”
Licensing: Why does it Matter?
Many creative industries have to deal with the question of owning the rights to their creations, and giving up some or all of those rights for certain reasons. What does the rights owner need to do? They need to license their work! What does licensing mean? A license is permission to use the current owner’sContinue reading “Licensing: Why does it Matter?”
Guest Appearance on Podcast!
I was lucky enough to be interviewed for a podcast, Walk The Talk, hosted by my dear friend, Aldís Elfarsdóttir, where I answered questions regarding being an attorney, creative writing, ballroom dancing, and more. Know that you are more than what you do, beyond the labels and titles, you are a person. https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/52po5MsdCLL10QG6ytrOC9
Assaad Lyn: Attorney At Law | © 2022 