Communications Law | Media & Entertainment | Digital Regulation Introduction: When Seconds Cost Millions In an age dominated by TikTok, podcasts, and viral clips, an audio snippet can be broadcast to millions in minutes—without full context. But as media editing tools evolve and audiences shrink attention spans, legal challenges surrounding edited
Tag: copyright infringement
Megatron Mimicry: Authors Sue Microsoft Over Pirated Books in AI Training
Copyright Infringement | Fair Use Debate | Industry-Wide Implications In late June 2025, a coalition of high-profile authors—including Kai Bird, Jia Tolentino, and Daniel Okrent—filed a landmark lawsuit in the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs allege Microsoft trained its Megatron large language model (LM) on nearly 200,000 pirated books, producing outputs that
Evaluating the Kim Marasco v. Taylor Swift Lawsuit: Merit, Copyright, and the Boundaries of Inspiration
In 2024, Florida author Kim Marasco filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against global music icon Taylor Swift. Marasco alleges that Swift’s Lover album artwork and some of the lyrics contain unauthorized references to her 2016 novel Fallen from Grace. The suit has drawn significant media attention, raising questions about the
Understanding the Fair Use Doctrine: What You Need to Know
In today’s content-driven economy, the Fair Use Doctrine is one of the most commonly cited and often misunderstood principles in U.S. copyright law. Whether you're a content creator, tech platform, academic institution, or corporate media user, understanding fair use is critical for managing copyright risks and maximizing legal use of
Shein Faces RICO Lawsuit Over Alleged Systematic Design Theft
In a significant legal development, fast-fashion giant Shein is confronting a federal racketeering lawsuit filed by independent designers Krista Perry, Larissa Martinez, and Jay Baron. The lawsuit, initiated in July 2023, alleges that Shein engaged in a pattern of intellectual property theft by systematically copying and selling their original designs