What will the Implementation of the CASE Act mean for me? An Update on the Copyright Claims Board and Launch of ccb.gov — While the launch of a new, voluntary tribunal for copyright small claims is still a number of weeks away, the Copyright Office took a big step this week by unveiling the website for the Copyright Claims Board. Check out CCB.gov for more information, as well as some initial functionality that allows corporate entities to designate a service agent and libraries and archives to provide blanket opt-out of CCB proceedings.
Senate Approves Kathi Vidal for Patent and Trademark Office — Vidal takes the helm of the department after over a year without a permanent head. Among other functions, the USPTO advises the Executive Branch on matters of intellectual property policy (including copyright policy).
National Association Of Realtors Is Fighting A Copyright Ruling On Floor Plans — Forbes’ Brenda Richardson reports, “The National Association of Realtors is fighting a court ruling that says homeowners who post floor plans of their homes on Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and other websites could be open to copyright lawsuits. . . At the center of the issue is NAR’s claim that the ruling misrepresents federal law and would invalidate decades of legal precedent by allowing copyright infringement lawsuits to be filed against homeowners who make or display floor plans of their own homes.”
Mic’s Use of Screenshot of NY Post Article About the Woes of “Beautiful People” Qualifies for Fair Use — Analysis of a recent summary opinion from the Second Circuit affirming dismissal of a copyright infringement claim on fair use grounds.