Pharrell has a strong claim for copyright infringement for the unlicensed (and highly inappropriate in light of the context) use of his work.
This Ninth Circuit decision could damage copyright's important limits, spurring more lawsuits and chilling the creation of new music.
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* Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams will officially be appealing the $7.4 million "Blurred Lines" verdict that was handed down against them earlier this week. Both musicians were likely decidedly unhappy about having to give up their spare pocket change to pay for a lawsuit they thought they should've won. [Hollywood Reporter] * Another law school is teaching a marijuana law class, and it's scheduled on Fridays so students won't take it as a novelty course. For potheads, having to drag your ass out of bed when you don't have other classes is a disincentivizer. [Columbus Dispatch] * After reaping the benefits of serving as lead counsel in Detroit's bankruptcy, Jones Day decided to pay the city back by opening an office. The firm will recruit for the new office internally. Raise your hand if you're excited to move to Detroit, associates. [Am Law Daily] * “I don’t know where he is. I haven’t got a clue.” Paul Ceglia, the man who claimed he owned half of Facebook based on a faux contract and is now facing fraud charges, has suddenly and conveniently disappeared ahead of his May trial. Dislike. [Bloomberg] * If for some reason you're still interested in applying to law school, here's a timeline that will help you get through the application process. Step 1: Figure out if you actually need to go to law school. Step 2: Abandon the rest of the steps. [U.S. News & World Report]
* The Thomas M. Cooley Law School is planning to sell one of its academic buildings for an asking price of $8.15 million. Dear Lord, the school will lose some of its library square footage. NOOOOOOOOO! [Lansing State Journal] * Contrary to his client's hit anthem, Pharrell's lawyer isn't happy. He says YouTube has been "blithely" ignoring his requests to take down music for which it lacks performance rights, and it may result in a $1B lawsuit. [Hollywood Reporter] * Clifford Sloan, the State Department's special envoy on Guantánamo Bay, appointed in 2013 to help shut down the detention center, is returning to the loving arms of Skadden's partnership on January 1, 2015. Gitmo is still open. Oops. [Am Law Daily] * After 30 years, the Food and Drug Administration decided to lift its lifetime ban on blood donation for gay men. Now gay men just have to abstain from doing gay things for a year -- like having sex with other men -- to donate blood. Yay? [WSJ Law Blog] * If you've been wondering what the most ridiculous lawsuits of 2014 are, we've got you covered. These are the top 10 most absurd cases filed over the course of the past year. You may remember some of these from our coverage. [Faces of Lawsuit Abuse]
Get ready for the awkwardness of lawyers dancing.
The artists behind Blurred Lines file a federal action for a declaratory judgment that their song isn't a ripoff. You be the judge.
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* Sorry ladies, but Seth Meyers is now engaged. To a lawyer of all people. Alexi Ashe of AC Investment Management graduated from Southwestern University School of Law and previously worked at the King’s County District Attorney’s Office, Human Rights First, and the Somaly Mam Foundation. [Gawker] * A D.C. law firm is giving away its law library. An unscrupulous law school could bolster its U.S. News ranking because they count the number of volumes in law libraries even though no one has used a bound legal reporter in a decade. [Constitutional Daily] * “But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? And does it rise to the level of nuisance?” Just one gem over on this Tumblr. [Shakespeare Takes the Bar Exam] * The Ohio Supreme Court may hear a speeding ticket case because there are no more pressing issues in Ohio. [USA Today] * Pharrell is suing will.i.am because the latter seems to think he owns a trademark in every sentence with “I am” in it. And Pharrell quotes from noted legal authority Dr. Seuss. [Jezebel] * Does Dwight Howard’s decision to sign with the Rockets highlight how state taxes pose a hidden threat to league parity? [TaxProf Blog] * Still hankering for Supreme Court discussion? Here’s a thorough roundtable examination of the previous term. [Construction Magazine] * Have a good legal-themed short fiction idea? Enter the ABA Journal’s Ross Writing Contest and you could win $3,000. [ABA Journal]