How Napster Transformed a Copyright Shutdown to a $70m Price Tag

Articles, Intellectual Property
What happened Last week saw the conclusion of a $70 million sale of Napster – the online music store and subscription service – to the UK based, virtual reality music concert start-up, MelodyVR. This sale has generated prolific attention in the music industry particularly around the turnaround of Napster, whose trading history is riddled with Intellectual Property disputes and financial ...

Rise and shine: IP Strategy, the Kylie Jenner way

Articles, Intellectual Property Strategy
How they forged ahead Kylie Jenner Inc. filed three US trademark applications for the phrase “rise and shine” in October. This is a nod to the three seconds of Kylie Jenner singing to her daughter during a video tour of the Kylie Cosmetics HQ, which went viral. In typical Jenner-Kardashian fashion, this “rise and shine” moment received 1 billion TikTok ...

Has Apple Bitten Off More Than It Can Chew?

Articles, Intellectual Property
The 10th September 2019 Apple Conference in California marked the launch of the much-anticipated iPhone 11 range, which included the iPhone 11 Pro and the unimaginatively named iPhone 11 Pro Max. Despite other products also being unveiled at the event, including the Apple Watch Series 5 and the new iteration of the iPad, the brand-new iPhone was most definitely the ...

Why Slow and Steady Could Have Beaten Swift…

Articles, Copyrights
Mechanical vs copyright The acquisition of Big Mountain Label Group (“BMLG”) for $300m by Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holding was publicised in late June this year. An interesting aspect of this transaction, from an intellectual property (IP) perspective, stemmed from Taylor Swift’s recent statement that she plans to re-record the albums that were included as part of the transaction. This sparked ...

The Role of IP Rights in Green Technologies Innovation

Articles, Intellectual Property Rights
When it comes to climate change, intellectual property (“IP”) can be a matter of ‘life and death’! In 2013 the World Intellectual Property Organization (“WIPO”) joined the fight against global climate change by launching an on-line marketplace for green technology called WIPO GREEN; a platform aimed at accelerating the development and diffusion of green technologies through connecting technology owners and ...

Facebook presents Libra – what’s the key intangible asset involved?

Articles, Intellectual Property
Learning about the cryptocurrency, Libra Facebook has recently unveiled its ambitious project for a new global cryptocurrency, Libra. Facebook’s blockchain-powered currency will be backed by a basket of historically stable assets. This will lessen the high volatility experienced by other big crypto names such as Bitcoin, Ethereum or Ripple. Facebook isn’t embarking in this project alone. A large number of ...