Let’s Do a Word Association: Copyright … Copycat … Catwoman … Batman … Batmobile!

George Barris, the creator of the 1966 Batmobile and many other classic custom cars, died at the age of 89 last fall.  Barris and his brother opened Barris Kustoms in Los Angeles after World War II, and their unique and creative customizing work on cars brought them attention in the Southern California auto scene.  Success…
Read More

DTSA, UTSA, SCTSA … What’s the Big Deal?

Wyche Inside IP By Wallace K. Lightsey   On May 11, 2016, President Obama signed into law the “Defend Trade Secrets Act,” or “DTSA,” creating for the first time a federal civil remedy for trade secret misappropriation. In an era of increasingly contentious partisan politics, the DTSA received a level of bipartisan support in the…
Read More

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you …” And here’s your birthday present: A lawsuit!

Wyche Inside IP By Wallace Lightsey According to the Guinness Book of Records, “Happy Birthday to You” is the most recognizable song in the English language.  Certainly it has to be one of the most, if not the most, frequently performed songs in history.  But did you know that there is a company that claims…
Read More

Stairway to a Heavenly Defense Verdict, for Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Sorry, Justin Bieber!

Wyche Inside IP By Wallace Lightsey In June, a Los Angeles jury decided that Led Zeppelin did not commit copyright infringement in its rock classic, Stairway to Heaven, considered by many to be the greatest rock song ever recorded.  The song was accused of infringing a 1967 song called Taurus by the band Spirit, which had…
Read More

Administration Rolls Out Final Emissions Standards for Big Trucks

EPA and the U.S. Department of Transportation finalized new emission and fuel efficiency standards yeterday for “medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.”  These categories include not only 18-wheelers but also buses, vans, and large pickup trucks among others. According to EPA, the vehicles covered account for only 5% of road traffic but 20% of emissions and fuel…
Read More