Parody

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 11.22.22

* Comedy clearly isn't alive on Twitter. But is it alive with the glory of Trademarking? [SCOTUSblog] * Memento Mori US News Law School Rankings? [NYT] * Could getting rid of standardized tests get rid of diversity? Quick, let's figure it out before the Court overturns affirmative action! [Bloomberg Law] * Whodathunk the quick succession of middle fingers toward US News could carry Antitrust implications? [The Reg Review]

By Chris Williams
Copyright

Fad Flashback: Eighties Toy Dispute Pits Cuddly Against Crude

Thirty years ago this month, the Topps Company released Garbage Pail Kids, a series of trading cards/stickers designed to parody Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. Both induced mania in the 1980s, made their companies millions, then almost in tandem, lost their mass appeal. But before the madness stopped, the Kids met in court, where a judge determined whether the Garbage Pail Kids infringed Cabbage Patch Kids intellectual property.

By Samantha Beckett
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 01.13.15

* From the "Why the hell didn't you settle this?" file: Now that Alexandra Marchuk's case against Faruqi & Faruqi and Juan Monteverde has gone to trial, it seems the firm is getting all sorts of publicity -- mostly negative. [New York Post] * Supreme Court justices are really just like us... they show up late to work, too. Because Justice Antonin Scalia was stuck in traffic this morning, Chief Justice John Roberts had to summarize two of Scalia's opinions from the bench. Oops! [NPR] * Speaking of Justice Scalia, the Supreme jurist managed to sneak in a citation to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice in his opinion in Whitfield v. United States to show the common usage of the word “accompany." [Volokh Conspiracy / Washington Post] * Remember Dennis Doyle, the lawyer who lost his job and dropped $25K to see every single Knicks game this season? He said this of his tragic endeavor: "I can’t shut it down. I’m in too deep. ... I’ll see it through—if it doesn’t kill me first." [Bleacher Report] * An Idaho prosecutor is having regrets over the fact that he chose to issue an arrest warrant for a 9-year-old boy on gum-stealing charges, calling it “a mistake under the circumstances.” That kid must be the coolest on the playground. [ABA Journal] * "Trying to suppress [the value of parody] with violence is a fool’s errand." In the wake of the horror of the Charlie Hebdo shootings, it's worth recognizing that here in the U.S., we owe much to rappers who have capitalized on free speech. [LinkedIn]

By Staci Zaretsky
Bail

Morning Docket: 04.20.12

* George Zimmerman will appear before Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. today to request bail. What kind of evidence will the prosecutor have to present for bond to be denied? [Miami Herald] * Should prostitution be legalized? 70% of our readers think it should be (and not just because it’d mean they’d be employed nine months after graduation). But let’s get some more input from others on this topic. [Room for Debate / New York Times] * “Bring me Solo and the Wookiee. They will all suffer for this outrage.” Rajabba the Hut seems to have had a second Goldman Sachs tipper. Say hello to Rajat Gupta, who has pleaded not guilty. [Bloomberg] * Counsel in the Gucci v. Guess trademark case wrapped up their closing arguments in court yesterday. It’s generally not a good thing when the judge interrupts you to question your late filing. [Businessweek] * Uh, apparently there’s a legal battle concerning intellectual property having to do with a Three Stooges porn parody. I personally shudder to think of how Curly is portrayed. [Hollywood, Esq. / Hollywood Reporter] * After taking a blow from that fake beef lawsuit, Taco Bell’s sales are up thanks to its Doritos taco. Because getting your fingers covered in orange crap totally makes up for the “taco meat filling.” [Washington Post]

By Staci Zaretsky