USPTO & Copyright Office to Take on Sovereign Immunity in Copyright

On April 28, 2020, in the wake of the disastrous Supreme Court decision against copyright holders in Allen v. Cooper, Senators Thom Tillis (R) and Patrick Leahy (D) have called for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Copyright Office to “advise on the pervasiveness and prevalence of States’ infringements of copyrights.” The letters state that, “The Supreme Court's ruling last month in Allen v. Cooper created a situation in which copyright owners are without remedy if a State infringes their copyright and claims State sovereign immunity under the Eleventh Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.” READ MORE

Piracy & Plunder by North Carolina!

An extensive list of the press coverage surrounding Allen v. Cooper. This lawsuit arises out of the retrieval of Blackbeard’s pirate ship. According to the complaint filed in the case, North Carolina was not content to use Nautilus Productions videography as agreed and began making unauthorized copies, covering up their misconduct and passing and amending legislation to protect their copyright infringements. Defendants in addition to the Governor and the State include employees of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and the Friends of Queen Anne’s Revenge non-profit. PRESS COVERAGE