Copyright

REDUCING RISKS: Court Finds Copyright Act Does Not Preempt State Trade Secret Claim

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Over the years, it has proven difficult to fit software in any one category of IP protection. And while software’s ability to seemingly transcend patents, copyright, and trade secrets provides software developers and technology companies with options, it also makes it challenging to decide which will provide the best way to enforce those rights. There are obviously risks and benefits to each form of protection. However, the courts have reduced at least one risk: preemption of state trade secret laws by the Copyright Act. READ MORE →

The Gloves Are Off: Competing Biopics Battle For Hollywood Purse

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Hollywood’s heavy-hitters often enter the ring over unauthorized biographies. Elizabeth Taylor famously invoked her rights of publicity and privacy in an attempt to shut down an unofficial docudrama about her life; Clint Eastwood sued the author and publisher of his unsanctioned biography for libel; and a film production company brought claims for copyright and trademark infringement against the producers of the biopic Lovelace starring Amanda Seyfried. Hollywood’s newest matchup involves misappropriation of trade secrets, a growing concern in the entertainment industry, especially after the recent Sony hack. READ MORE →

Trade Secret Sauce: Trade Secrets, Not Copyright, Protect Chefs

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While they say that a grand jury could “indict a ham sandwich,” the First Circuit recently reminded chefs that you can’t copyright a chicken sandwich. Specifically, a former employee of a Puerto Rican Church’s Chicken franchisee sued the franchisee for copyright infringement for the recipe to the “Pechu” sandwich, a sandwich he and his wife claimed to have created in the late-80s [1]. After hunting and pecking over the relevant authorities, the First Circuit clucked in disapproval, reminding the culinary world that the recipe for the sandwich at issue, no matter how tasty, is not copyrightable. READ MORE →

Fifth Circuit Revisits Copyright Preemption of Trade Secret Law

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The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently revisited the issue of the Copyright Law preemption of trade secrets claims in Spear Marketing, Inc. v. Bancorpsouth Bank. The decision not only resolved the scope of Copyright Law preemption in the Fifth Circuit, but also made clear that the Fifth Circuit “join[s] the majority position” to hold that state law claims based on ideas fixed in tangible media are preempted by §301(a). The decision creates greater clarity and uniformity in Copyright Law preemption and should help litigants avoid wasting resources by filing actions based on state law claims that are preempted. READ MORE →

Texas Federal Court: Copyright Law Doesn’t Preempt Trade Secrets Claim Where “Extra” Elements Exist

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We’ve blogged on trade secret preemption before (here and here, for instance), but we’ve usually focused on trade secrets claims preempting other types of claims, and not the other way around.

But, as the cowboy in the cult-classic film The Big Lebowski noted, “Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes, well, he eats you.” So, this time, we are discussing a recent case that involved the question of when trade secret claims are preempted by Copyright Law. READ MORE →