The Art of Asserting a Parody Defense

Posted Sep 25, 2023 | Law Student Blog,

By Kim Ly, University of Michigan Law School, Juris Doctorate Candidate, 2025 From The Onion to memes to more recently, the movie, Bottoms, parodying occurs when you take other work and then build on top of it. Parodies can be humorous and poignant, or, neither, like the movie Meet...

Introduction to Copyright Rights and Licenses

Posted Sep 03, 2023 | Law Student Blog,

By John Lee, University of Arkansas graduate and prospective law student for entering Class of 2024 Most creatives have a basic familiarity with the concept of copyrights. Even so, the world of copyright can sometimes feel like a mystical maze for those trying to figure out what rights they...

Style or Substance? Lawsuits Threaten Latin Music

Posted Aug 24, 2023 | Law Student Blog,

By Gabriella Cepeda, Saint Louis University School of Law, Juris Doctor Candidate, 2025 In recent news, lawsuits alleging copyright infringement have been filed against several prominent artists in the Latin music industry, including Daddy Yankee, Luis Fonsi, and El Chombo. In their reggaeton songs, these musicians are accused of...

The Potential Financial Pitfalls of Remaking Old Movies

Posted Aug 24, 2023 | Law Student Blog,

By Gabriella Cepeda, Saint Louis University School of Law, Juris Doctor Candidate, 2025 In recent years, Hollywood has witnessed a surge in the remake trend, targeting classic movies and beloved childhood favorites. This nostalgia-driven approach has proven successful in generating initial excitement among fans. However, the remakes of films...

Hope For Filmmakers Amidst the SAG-AFTRA Strike

Posted Aug 23, 2023 | Law Student Blog,

By Z’necia Hall, Saint Louis University School of Law, Juris Doctor Candidate On May 2, 2023, the Writers Guild of America, better known as the WGA, went on strike. The union could not come to an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), and as...

Documentary Filmmaking: Navigating the Ethical and Legal Landscape

Posted Aug 23, 2023 | Law Student Blog,

By Gabriella Cepeda, Saint Louis University School of Law, Juris Doctor Candidate, 2025 Documentary filmmaking is a powerful medium that allows filmmakers to explore and shed light on important social, cultural, and political issues. However, along with the creative process comes a range of legal and ethical considerations that...

Three Strikes, You’re Out: YouTube Reactors and Copyright

Posted Aug 23, 2023 | Law Student Blog,

By Taylor Scribner, Washington University School of Law, Juris Doctorate Candidate, 2025 If you’ve ever spent more than a few minutes on YouTube, you’ve likely come across videos uploaded to the platform by Reactors. Reactors are platform (i.e. YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, etc.) users who film and share videos of...

Making an AI Singing Model?

Posted Aug 14, 2023 | Law Student Blog,

By Emma Zhuang, Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, LLM candidate, 2023 The Rise of the “AI Singer”The emergence of AI singers marks a significant milestone in the realm of music. These virtual vocalists are brought to life through the training of AI models using vast collections...

Copyright Infringement or Creative Coincidence?

Posted Jul 10, 2023 | Law Student Blog,

by John Lee, University of Arkansas graduate and prospective law student Every day approximately 120,000 new songs are released across streaming platforms. That’s more than 40 million songs each and every year! It’s no wonder then that it seems like every time a song becomes a hit it gets...

Jack Daniel’s Sues Bad Spaniels

Posted Jul 10, 2023 | Law Student Blog,

By Kim Ly, University of Michigan Law School, Juris Doctorate Candidate, 2025 On June 8, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court released a decision in Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc. v. VIP Products LLC that clarified the First Amendment parody defense in trademark cases in a way that should benefit brand...

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