All Articles in “Inspired by” advertising

Before you recycle that dog-eared precedent, check out this sorry tale of pinched agreements and breach of copyright claims.   Topic: Copyright Who:  USP Strategies Plc and another -v- London…

Designer Global Images updated various McDonald’s branding devices, but has now sued the fast food leviathan for more than £1 million. What’s the beef?   Topic: Copyright Who: McDonald's/Global Images…

Can ITV Digital’s liquidator sell the rights in the lugubrious primate if creator Mother’s fees have not been paid?   Topic: Copyright Who: ITV Digital/Mother When: May 2002 Where: London…

Yves Saint Laurent have sued for copyright infringement over the recent Newcastle Brown advertisement parodying the notorious Sophie Dahl/Opium ad, but will they win in court?   Topic: Copyright Who:…

It’s not the first time there have been uncanny resemblances between unsuccessful pitch presentations and the client’s subsequent advertising.   Who: Guardian Newspaper Group and Fallon spaper Group and Fallon…

US publishers argued in vain that on-line versions of freelancer’s copy were “revisions” of the off-line story and needed no separate permission.   Topic: Copyright Who: New York Times and…

Voodoo Lounge’s owners couldn’t believe it when an apparently innocuous bar menu led to two threats of legal proceedings alleging infringement of intellectual property rights.   Topic: Copyright Who: Voodoo…

Soon discrepancies between the criminal penalties for trade mark and copyright infringement look like biting the dust.   Topic: Copyright New Development: New Development: Proposed new criminal sanctions for copyright…

A £20 million settlement between Ordnance Survey and the AA focuses the mind on the pitfalls of reproducing maps.   Topic: CopyrightWho: Ordnance Survey and the Automobile AssociationWhen: March 2001Where:…

Frito-Lay India claimed competitor Uncle Chipps infringed their copyright in a “free discs in crisps” promotion. What were their legal advisers on?   Topic:  Copyright Who:  Frito-Lay India, Uncle Chipps…

Under the headline “Revealed. Blair’s secret plan to form coalition” the Sunday Telegraph reproduced pretty much all of a secret minute written by former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown of…

“A Course in Miracles” was claimed to be religious instruction dictated to the author by Jesus Christ.   Who: Penguin Books USA Inc v. New Christians USA Inc v. New…