Catch the latest blog updates and news from Assaad Lyn on everything from deep dives on trademarked movie characters to public copyright and contract lawsuits. Grab some coffee and enjoy!
EA To Be Acquired by PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners
Electronic Arts, (EA) announced on Septemeber 29, 2025 in a press release that it will be acquired by PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. PIF is a Saudi Arabian investment firm, while Silver Lake and Affinity Partners are American investment firms. Read the full press release here: https://ir.ea.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2025/EA-Announces-Agreement-to-be-Acquired-by-PIF-Silver-Lake-and-Affinity-Partners-for-55-Billion/default.aspx
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Scammers are impersonating US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
There’s a new scam out there. An “urgent” call or text might look like it is from the USPTO. They ask for payment by clicking a link in the text or email, and complete an application before someone else does and steals your trademark. The USPTO does not ask for money up front. The fees included in…
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BU vs. BU?
On August 8, 2025, Baylor University filed a claim against Boston University for trademark infringement. This case is rather narrow, as it is about a very particular trademark claim. Baylor University has an interlocking letter design that they have been using for a long time, and Baylor says Boston University has also used this same design, causing…
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Nintendo Shuts Down Fan Project and Makes Live-Action Announcement
Nintendo has always been one to shut down fan projects. This time, a live-action movie was officially announced. Notice that the fan project was taken down around Feb. 4th, and the live-action movie was announced on March 28th.
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Corporate Transparency Act blocked by federal court.
The Corporate Transparency Act was supposed to make everyone file beneficial ownership reports. That has been blocked, so you don’t have to do that…yet. We don’t know what will happen to this right now, but it is not necessary to file a beneficial ownership report immediately. If you already did, great! If you didn’t, you’re in luck!
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Video Game Publisher Agreement Template
For anyone interested in what a video game publisher contract looks like, Neil Jones was kind enough to share his wonderful “how-to” video game publisher agreement template! Follow the link below to the file, watch the video, and download it! https://www.aerialknight.com/publishing-agreement-template-kit.html
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CA Governor Gavin Newsome Signed a New Transparency Bill
At the end of September, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new bill, AB2426, which forces digital storefronts to admit that the buyer is acquiring a license to the product, not buying it outright. The law will take effect next year (2025) What is the purpose of using the word “license” instead of “buy?” We turn to copyright…
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Game soundtracks send their own message
I realize I’m 5 years late to the party, but I must say that The Messenger is a game that blew me away. A lot of this comes from not knowing much about the game. I thought it was just going to be a Ninja Gaiden homage, and I was only partially right. The game makes a…
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Unauthorized Derivative Work – Rings of Power Lawsuit
In April of 2023, Demetrious Polychron (the plaintiff) filed a lawsuit against Amazon and the Tolkien estate. Mr. Polychron claimed that the Rings of Power tv show took ideas from his fan-fiction book, The Fellowship of the King, which had a copyright back in 2017. This fan-fiction book was a project that Mr. Polychron took on himself,…
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Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard Deal Can Temporarily Proceed
In January 2022, Microsoft announced that it would acquire Activision-Blizzard. Buying such a large company is quite the ordeal. Due to the size of the acquisition several government bodies that govern commerce are reviewing the deal for anti-trust concerns. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) eventually filed a lawsuit in order to block the acquisition, citing anti-trust concerns.…
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Assaad Lyn: Attorney At Law 