intellectual property

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'LED Bulb' Shipment Was Really $500K in Fake Labubus

CPB seizes falsely labeled shipment from South Korea in Seattle

(Newser) - A shipment claiming to be light bulbs was intercepted at Seattle's airport, revealing more than 11,000 counterfeit Labubu dolls worth over $500,000—and raising new alarms over the booming trade in fake collectibles. The shipment, which arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport from South Korea labeled as...

Baby Shark Has Its Day in Court
Baby Shark
Scores a Win in Court
Aug 14, 2025 9:45 AM CDT

Baby Shark Scores a Win in Court

American composer loses claim that Pinkfong ripped off his work

(Newser) - South Korea's Supreme Court rejected a $21,600 damage claim on Thursday by an American composer who accused a South Korean kids content company of plagiarizing his version of "Baby Shark," ending a six-year legal battle over the globally popular tune known for its catchy "doo...

Snack Giant Sues Aldi Over 'Copycat' Packaging
Those Aldi Cookies
Aren't Oreos
Jun 3, 2025 9:50 AM CDT

Those Aldi Cookies Aren't Oreos

But 'copycat' packaging might confuse consumers, Mondelez says in new suit against grocery chain

(Newser) - The maker of Oreo cookies and other popular snacks is suing Aldi, accusing the supermarket chain of creating "copycat" packaging that "blatantly" infringes on its own trademarks for various brands. Per NBC News , the 72-page complaint filed in May by the Mondelez International conglomerate alleges that the Aldi...

Duke: White Lotus Went 'Too Far' With References

University especially didn't appreciate actor Jason Isaacs' suicide-themed scene while wearing Duke T-shirt

(Newser) - This season of HBO's The White Lotus has spurred quite a bit of water cooler buzz with some of its "crazy" plot twists , but Duke University isn't thrilled to be part of that conversation. One of the families portrayed on the show—the Ratliffs, played by Jason...

Birkenstock: Our Sandals Are Art. German Court: Nope

Shoemaker loses court case claiming that its shoes 'are copyright-protected works of applied art'

(Newser) - Birkenstocks: ubiquitous in summer, comfy, and very German. Sometimes they look chic and sometimes shabby. But can these sandals be considered art? That's the question Germany's Federal Court of Justice wrestled with Thursday, and it ruled they're just comfy footwear, reports the AP . Birkenstock—which is headquartered...

Ukraine Can't Trademark Salty Russian Insult

'Go f--- yourself' is perceived as a political slogan, EU court says

(Newser) - Ukraine's attempt to register the slogan "Russian warship, go f--- yourself" as a trademark has been rejected by the Court of Justice of the European Union. Politico reports that, in a ruling issued Wednesday, the court said registration of the term as an EU trademark has been rejected...

KFC Has Beef With Another Chain Over 'Original Recipe'

Iconic chicken chain sues Church's Texas Chicken over use of the term, not the recipe

(Newser) - The phrase "Our original recipe is back" doesn't seem a likely one to inspire litigation, and yet here we are. As CNN reports, iconic purveyor of all things fried chicken, KFC, has filed a lawsuit against Church's Texas Chicken—not over its swiping of the fast-food holy...

Interested in Buying Infowars? You'll Have Competition

Both Alex Jones' supporters and enemies are apparently vying to buy his site at auction

(Newser) - Alex Jones owes more than $1 billion to the families of Sandy Hook victims, the result of their defamation and emotional distress lawsuits against him for spreading conspiracy theories related to the 2012 massacre. Bidders are already champing at the bit to scoop up the assets he needs to sell...

Miley Cyrus Hit With Suit Over Bruno Mars Song

Complaint filed by Tempo Music says her 'Flowers' is too similar to Mars' 'When I Was Your Man'

(Newser) - If you think Miley Cyrus' Grammy-winning "Flowers" sounds strikingly similar to Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man," you're not the only one. TMZ reports that Tempo Music Investments, a firm that says it owns a portion of the copyright to Mars' tune, filed a lawsuit...

'David' Says It Beat 'Goliath' in 'Big Mac' Trademark Fight

Irish rival Supermac's contested McDonald's use of the label for certain items

(Newser) - The decision is about more than burger names, but when it comes to burger names, it's a big one. McDonald's on Wednesday lost a European Union trademark dispute over the Big Mac name after a top EU court sided with Irish fast-food rival Supermac's in a long-running...

Cher Is the Victor in Suit Against Sonny Bono's Widow

Singer wins complaint against Mary Bono over royalties; Cher is owed about $418K

(Newser) - When Cher officially split with her partner in life and business, Sonny Bono, in 1978, their divorce settlement left Bono with ownership of their song catalog, including such hits as "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On," and Cher with a 50% stake in publishing...

Golfing Great Loses Round in Name, Likeness Battle

Jack Nicklaus is up against a former business partner in court

(Newser) - A golfing great has lost an attempt to win back control of his name and likeness from a former business partner. A federal judge in Florida tossed part of Jack Nicklaus' intellectual property case against a company that bought the rights to his name, image, and likeness, Sports Illustrated reports....

Twitter May Have a Problem With Its Shiny New Logo

Trademark infringement questions arise over news that Meta, Microsoft also have 'X' registered

(Newser) - "X" may not mark the spot after all for Elon Musk in his attempted rebrand of Twitter. Although Musk has officially unveiled the 24th letter of the alphabet as his social media site's new name and identity, Insider reports that rival Meta appears to own the trademark for...

Twitter Threatens Meta With Lawsuit Over Threads

Rival accuses Zuckerberg of hiring former employees to acquire trade secrets

(Newser) - Twitter has welcomed Threads aboard by threatening to sue its owner, Meta. CEO Mark Zuckerberg received a letter hours after Thread's launch Wednesday accusing the more senior social media platform of "systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter's trade secrets and other intellectual property," Semafor reports...

Taco Bell on Trademark War: 'Taco Tuesday' Belongs to All

Fast-food giant asks Patent and Trademark Office to force smaller chain to give up rights to the term

(Newser) - Declaring a mission to liberate "Taco Tuesday" for all, Taco Bell is asking US regulators to force Wyoming-based Taco John's to abandon its long-standing claim to the trademark. Too many businesses and others refer to "Taco Tuesday" for Taco John's to be able to have exclusive...

Baghdad's 'Starbucks' Points to Growing Problem in Iraq

Country is a hub for trademark violation, costing companies billions

(Newser) - Everything from the signboard outside down to the napkins bears the official emblem of the top international coffee chain. But in Baghdad, looks are deceiving: The "Starbucks" in the Iraqi capital is unlicensed. Real Starbucks merchandise is imported from neighboring countries to stock the three cafes in the city,...

Sorry, Mariah, You're Not the Only 'Queen of Christmas'

Trademark office denies singer's claim for rights to the phrase

(Newser) - Mariah Carey isn't getting the holiday gift she wanted from the US Patent and Trademark Office. The office on Tuesday denied the singer's request to trademark "Queen of Christmas," after rejecting her applications for "QOC" and "Princess Christmas" earlier this month, per the Washington ...

This Isn't Your Mother's Winnie the Pooh
This Isn't Your Mother's
Winnie the Pooh
MOVIE TRAILER
Sep 2, 2022 10:02 AM CDT

This Isn't Your Mother's Winnie the Pooh

Public domain rules allow for this gory adaptation

(Newser) - This is why you should always read the reviews carefully before taking your kids to the theater. The trailer for a new Winnie the Pooh movie, based on the lovable bear created by UK author AA Milne, dropped Wednesday. But in this nearly two-minute sneak peek at Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and ...

Fastest Man in the World Wants Ownership of His Victory Pose

Retired sprinter Usain Bolt has filed to trademark signature celebration move to use logo on merch

(Newser) - If you're a famous athlete with the name "Bolt," and you've got a signature victory move that resembles a jagged line of electricity, chances are you're going to make sure you control that likeness. There's only one man this situation currently applies to in...

Netflix Sues Over Bridgerton Musical

Fan tribute is evolving into a commercial success

(Newser) - Music based on the hit Netflix series Bridgerton has been a success. Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear wrote 15 songs, picking up fans on TikTok, then released an album that won a Grammy in April. The fans included Netflix, the Verge reports. "Absolutely blown away by the Bridgerton musical...

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