The Journal of Intellectual Property Law

The line between fan adaptations and copyright infringement can be a blurry one, especially when it comes to fictional characters. Taylor Pernini discusses the copyrightability of individual characters in fiction. Taylor’s blog is accessible at https://jiplonline.com//turning-character-copyright-insid/. About the Author Taylor Pernini currently serves on the Managing Board of the Journal of Intellectual Property Law. Taylor grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, before heading off ...to Louisiana to pursue her undergraduate degree at Louisiana State University. She graduated from the LSU Honors College with a degree in English Literature and a minor in International Studies. Taylor’s blog addresses, a topic she first developed an interest in while writing her undergraduate thesis on fanfiction. When she isn’t studying for class, Taylor enjoys traveling to new places, reading, and spending time with friends and family. After graduation, she plans to practice law in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. See more

Cloud computing, whether that refers to data storage or service models like Software as a Service (SaaS) offers businesses an attractive cost-saving opportunity but leaves users at risk of losing valuable trade secrets. Abbey J. Duhé argues that the current avenues for legal recourse, though bountiful, are not enough to actually protect the value of these assets. Abbey’s blog is available at https://jiplonline.com//get-your-head-out-of-the-clouds-t/ About the Author ... Abbey J. Duhé is a 3L at the University of Georgia School of Law. Originally from Huntsville, AL, she graduated from Auburn University with a B.A. in public relations. Prior to law school, she worked for a healthcare company in Nashville, TN. There, Abbey gained valuable business experience and an interest in working with companies to develop and implement innovative growth strategies. She had the opportunity to see how vital software can be to the success of a company - whether that is using it as an internal resource or building it as a separate business model. This blog topic speaks to that interest. After graduation, Abbey will work at Fortson, Bentley & Griffin, P.A. in Athens, GA in their corporate department.

In his note, Feeling Cute, Might [Have To] Delete Later: Defending Against the Modern Day Copyright Troll, Austin Joseph examines the clash between celebrities and paparazzi, specifically copyright trolls. By analyzing a recent case involving supermodel Gigi Hadid, Austin lists potential defenses celebrities may have against copyright trolls. Further, he asserts that the Copyright Act must evolve to meet the needs of a growing social media culture. Austin’s note has been ...published in the Journal of Intellectual Property Law, Volume 27, Issue 2, which is accessible at https://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/jipl/vol27/iss2/7/. About the Author Austin Joseph currently serves as the Executive Notes Editor of the Journal of Intellectual Property Law. He is from Waycross, Georgia, and he attended the University of Georgia for undergrad where he studied Entertainment and Media Studies. As someone interested in pop culture and the entertainment industry, Austin wrote a note combining this interest and intellectual property law. Upon graduation, Austin will work in the Atlanta area at Meriwether & Tharp.

In her blog All Dressed Up with No Place to Go: When the Copyright Infringement Pleading Standard Confusion Means Cases Can’t Get Beyond the Complaint and Answer, Brittany Blanchard discusses the ambiguity that exists in relation to the pleading standard for copyright infringement claims. Brittany’s blog is now available at https://jiplonline.com//all-dressed-up-with-no-place-to-g/. About the Author Brittany Blanchard currently serves on the Managing Board of the Journa...l of Intellectual Property Law. She is from a small town in West Georgia called Mt. Zion. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia with her degree in social work. Brittany knew very little about intellectual property when she joined JIPL, so she reached out to UGA law librarians, Professor Mangan, and Professor Shipley for possible topics. Through those discussions and further research, she realized there was a large discrepancy in the pleading standards for copyright infringement claims that was greatly affecting litigation but was not being written about in academic journals. Brittany worked to fill that gap through this blog. Though unsure of her precise plans after graduation, Brittany is excited to begin practicing law after getting married to her best friend, Ashton, in May. See more

The power struggle between the federal and state governments is a hallmark of the American Legal system. With the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Allen v. Cooper, 140 S. Ct. 994, (2020), the balance of power has shifted back to the states. In his blog, Grant Cole explores both the alternative arguments in Allen and the impact the case will have on future legislative action in this area. Check out Grant’s blog at https://jiplonline.com//state-copyright-piracy-an-analysi/.... About the Author Grant Cole currently serves on the Managing Board of the Journal of Intellectual Property Law. Grant was born and raised in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia before earning a Finance degree from the University of Georgia. Grant has been researching sovereign immunity throughout his tenure at law school and was excited when the Supreme Court decided a case this year centered around that issue. Once graduating, Grant hopes to practice business or health law. In his free time, Grant enjoys hanging out with his family (he is a triplet), staying fit, and watching football.

Large tech companies like Google and Amazon have developed facial recognition technology by feeding the large number of publicly available photos on social media through advanced machine-learning algorithms. In her blog entitled Your Face is the Product: Facial Recognition Technology and the Right of Publicity, Emily Hanson discusses the need for an extension of the right of publicity doctrine to keep these companies from profiting from images they do not own. Emily’s blog is available at https://jiplonline.com//your-face-is-the-product-facial-r/.