U.S Copyright Law

AN ATHLETE’S RIGHTS TO PROTECT AND EXPLOIT THEIR PERSONAL BRAND

While the recent strong performance of the Toronto Raptors in the NBA finals has brought joy and hope to Toronto sports fans and supporters of Canadian basketball, it has also brought with it a flood of media coverage. The daily spotlight being shone on the team should come as no surprise to anybody, nor should the fact that anything even remotely associated with Raptor’s star forward, Kawhi Leonard (“Leonard”), is met with an exceptional amount of scrutiny. So, one can imagine just how much attention a story might receive involving one of the NBA’s biggest stars and the sports industry’s largest apparel company. As was widely reported earlier this week by just about every single news media outlet in North America, Leonard has initiated legal action against sports apparel giant Nike Inc. (“Nike”) over control of his personal branding.

Copyright Comparison Series - Part 3: Case Law

This is the third and final part of our copyright comparison looking at rules and regulations in Canada and the United States. Part 3 looks at different landmark cases that have helped shape the landscape of how copyright law is interpreted in Canada. Make sure to check out parts 1 and 2 in the series.

Copyright Comparison Series - Part 2: Fair Dealing versus Fair Use

This is the second part of our copyright comparison looking at rules and regulations in Canada and the United States. Part 2 looks at the differences between the principles of Fair Dealing in Canada and Fair Use in the U.S. Make sure to check out Part 1 that provides an introduction and insight into derivative works in both countries.

Copyright Comparison Series - Part 1: Derivative Works in Canada and the U.S.

This is the first part of our copyright comparison series looking rules and regulation in Canada and the United States. This comparison of the Canadian concepts of fair dealing and “derivative works” with equivalent provisions of the U.S. Copyright Code will highlight the broad protection afforded to users of pre-existing works in Canada. Make sure to look out for parts 2 and 3.