News & Updates

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!

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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by Assaad

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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by Assaad

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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by Assaad

TACO BELL WANTS TO FREE TACO TUESDAY

On Tuesday, May 16, 2023, Taco Bell, filed a petition at the USPTO to cancel the “Taco Tuesday” mark from the small chain, Taco John’s. Yes, the phrase “Taco Tuesday” is owned by a small chain. The phrase was being used by this chain in the 1980s in order to drive up sales. It was originally “Taco…

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by Assaad

What Is Going on with Wizards of the Coast?

Wizards of the Coast, the publisher of the popular Dungeons & Dragons series (and a subsidiary of Hasbro) has come under scrutiny lately, because of the proposed changes to their Open Games License (or OGL). The OGL is basically a license to use certain mechanics of Dungeons & Dragons and fans can create royalty-free content. Basically, it’s…

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by Assaad

FTC Fines Epic Games $520M Over Children’s Privacy

On Monday, December 19, 2022, the FTC announced that Epic Games will pay a $520 million fine in order to settle allegations of violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and collecting children’s personal data without obtaining consent from the parent or guardian. Epic acknowledged the settlement in a statement, saying in part: “No developer creates…

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by Assaad

Adidas Owns Shoes After Breaking Ties with Ye

On October 25 2022, Adidas ended its relationship with Kanye West (or Ye), after Kanye made antisemitic remarks. Adidas and Ye had a partnership with the Ye’s Yeezy brand. That partnership produced various shoes. In its statement, Adidas said:“After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production…

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by Assaad

THOUGHTS ON “INDIE GAMES” BOOK

I was lucky enough to receive the book Indie Games by Mike Diver as a gift. There was a lot of discovery while reading it. The book covered almost every genre, from puzzles, to platformers, to action-adventure games. It mentions some popular games like No Man’s Sky, and a personal favorite, Cuphead, but to my surprise, I…

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by Assaad

She-Hulk Episode 5 Discussion

She-Hulk, episode 5 is centered around a trademark case! I have been excited to write about this one, and I’ll try to point out certain legal points during the trademark case! The end of episode 4 ended with Jen Walters/She-Hulk being sued for trademark infringement. Titania has made a skincare, beauty, & wellness line using the name…

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by Assaad

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