Posts in Publications
An Artist’s Right to Private Musical Experimentation

Last month, hip-hop singer and rapper Nicki Minaj landed a highly controversial victory. Minaj prevailed in a copyright infringement lawsuit after the Central District of California ruled that her private experimentation with another artist’s music is permissible under the fair use doctrine—even without a license from the copyright holder.

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StokeSignals Feature: We Like This Competitor’s Brand; Can We Do Something Similar?

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it doesn’t do much in terms of making your brand stand out. In fact, choosing a brand name that’s “inspired” by a similar one can not only result in confusion on the part of consumers, it can also lead to trademark registration refusals from the USPTO—or an infringement lawsuit.

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