Lutzker & Lutzker LLP

Lutzker & Lutzker Planning INBLF Reception for Attendees at International Trademark Association Annual Meeting

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:06:45 +0000

The firm is organizing a reception on behalf of the DC Chapter of the International Network of Boutique Law Firms (of which Arnold Lutzker is national Secretary and a member of the Board of Directors) for attendees at the annual meeting of the International Trademark Association. IP practitioners from around the world are expected to attend the reception, which will be held at Hubbard Hall, the first formal headquarters for the National Geographic Society dating from 1903, featuring its original library, an architectural gem, and fabulous photos from its history. Hubbard Hall is not generally open to the public.

Arnold Lutzker Publishes Article on Supreme Court Decision on Restoration of Copyright Protection

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 03:55:50 +0000

The lead article in the Spring 2012 edition of the AIME newsletter by Arnold Lutzker, “Golan v. Holder: Finishing the Symphony of Copyright Registration,” discusses the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of certain 1994 changes to the Copyright Act which restored copyright protection to works of foreign authors that had fallen into the public domain in the United States. The article also looks ahead to possible prospective implications of the Court’s strengthening of Congress’ hand in making changes to the term of copyright protection and the management of the public domain.

Lutzker & Lutzker Retained in Crystal Cathedral Ministries Bankruptcy Proceeding

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 04:05:33 +0000

The firm has been retained as expert IP counsel to assist in defending against copyright infringement claims filed by CCM’s founding minister and his family. The case is pending in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles.

Lutzker & Lutzker Client’s Movie To Be Featured in 2012 Filmfest DC

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 04:00:14 +0000

“An Article of Hope,” a documentary produced by Washington, D.C. film director Dan Cohen, will be shown on April 18, 2012 as part of the 2012 Filmfest DC and introduced by Arnold Lutzker, who is a Filmfest DC board member. This moving and inspirational feature film tells the story of a miniature Torah scroll that survived the Holocaust and was taken into space by Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, who perished along with the entire Columbia crew and the Torah when the space shuttle broke apart on re-entry in 2003. The film has won festival audience awards and acclaim from NASA.

Sam Moore Case: Tennessee Court to Decide Motion for Summary Judgment

admin — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 04:03:03 +0000

Following the completion of a long discovery period, Defendants The Weinstein Company, Concord Music Group, MGM Studios and Genius Products filed a motion for summary judgment in the case, arguing that there are no material issues of fact in dispute and that they should win as a matter of law. On February 26, 2012 Plaintiffs submitted an Opposition to the Motion, arguing that there are major disputes as to the material facts of the case, that Defendants’ procedural choice-of-law arguments are untenable, that Plaintiffs have valid and protectable trademarks which have been infringed by the movie and marketing campaign, and that the movie is about Sam Moore and violates his right of privacy by placing him in a false light. The parties are awaiting the court’s decision on the Defendants’ motion as well as on a host of other pending related motions.

UCLA Video Streaming Case Updated: Hearing Held on Motion to Dismiss Amended Complaint

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:50:29 +0000

In the UCLA video streaming case, on February 6, 2012 Judge Consuelo Marshall held a second hearing in the case, this time on UCLA’s renewed motion to dismiss the case in response to Ambrose/AIME’s second amended complaint (SAC). The SAC was filed in October 2011 following the judge’s dismissal of the case, largely on the basis of her opinion that sovereign immunity shields UCLA from suit and that AIME does not have standing to sue on behalf of its members, leaving open the fair use and other substantive copyright issues at the heart of the suit. The SAC contains expanded allegations as to the injury caused to AIME itself as an association by UCLA’s activities and the specific involvement of top UCLA officials in the decision to stream the Ambrose videos, as well as detailed allegations as to how the Video Furnace technology used by UCLA to stream the videos violated each of the exclusive rights of Ambrose as copyright owner. The parties are awaiting a decision from the judge. Regardless of the outcome, the case will likely head directly to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. See Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Motion to Dismiss the Second Amended Complaint.

Arnold Lutzker Publishes Article on Stop Online Piracy Act

admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:45:28 +0000

The lead article in the Winter 2012 edition of the AIME newsletter by Arnold Lutzker, “Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) Lights A Fire,” discusses proposed legislation designed to enhance the legal tools available to law enforcement and IP owners to attack rogue sites selling billions of dollars of pirated movies, counterfeit/adulterated drugs and false national security materials. The article sheds light on the contentious debate the proposed bill has engendered, with IP stakeholders pitted against SOPA opponents who argue that the legislation would stifle innovation and impose undue burdens on intermediaries such as online service providers, credit card companies and advertisers.

UCLA Video Streaming Case Updated: Second Amended Complaint Filed

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:16:16 +0000

In the UCLA video streaming case, on October 5, 2011 Judge Consuelo Marshall granted UCLA’s motion to dismiss the case, in an opinion primarily grounded on her view that sovereign immunity shields UCLA from suit and that AIME does not have standing to sue on behalf of its members. Thus the judge’s order did not definitively address the fair use and other substantive copyright issues at the heart of the suit. The order also permitted the plaintiffs to amend their complaint to add additional factual support for certain of the allegations. Accordingly on October 24, 2011 Lutzker & Lutzker filed a second amended complaint with expanded allegations as to the injury caused to AIME itself as an association by UCLA’s activities and the specific involvement of top UCLA officials in the decision to stream the Ambrose videos, as well as detailed allegations as to how the Video Furnace technology used by UCLA to stream the videos violated each of the exclusive rights of Ambrose as copyright owner. UCLA will now have an opportunity to respond to the second amended complaint, following which the judge will issue a new decision. See second amended complaint and exhibits Part 1, 2, and 3.

Lutzker Blog Update: Arnie Lutzker Teaching UMUC Course

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 22:34:26 +0000

Arnie Lutzker is currently teaching a month-long distance learning course for the Center for Intellectual Property Management of University of Maryland’s University College entitled “Copyright, Photos, Video, Art & Multimedia.” See the blog for more about the course.

Arnold and Susan Lutzker Publish Article on Patents for Educators

admin — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 22:27:19 +0000

The lead article in the Fall 2011 edition of the AIME newsletter by Arnold Lutzker and Susan Lutzker, “Patents: A Brief Primer,” discusses the third prong of intellectual property protection (the other two being copyrights and trademarks) and their broad impact on the tools and processes of learning. The article focuses both on legislative reform (the sweeping “America Invents Act” signed into law by President Obama on September 16); recent high-stakes lawsuits (such as the ongoing battle between Apple’s iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy to capture the tablet market); and big-dollar defensive patent strategies being adopted by major tech companies in the face of challenges that are certain to arise (for example, Google’s victory in a high-stakes bidding war to buy Motorola Mobility, a dedicated Android partner, for $12.5 billion).