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Can a YouTube channel deliver smart public policy commentary? Can the rational people that constitute the majority of Americans have a place to have the voice heard? I believe the answers are Yes and Yes.
Tuk's Rules is a weekly video series focused on legal issues, politics, government power, the Constitution and people's need to be FREE. Subscribe to the TLO YouTube Channel and you'll see a new episode every Wednesday. EP1 drops next week!
This is case about a rock band, a dubious and inflammatory stage name, and the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It's also a matter of free speech, and the concept that speech - including offensive speech - is Constitutionally protected. There are a lot of hot button issues in this case.
The rock band? The Oregon based, self styled "Chinatown dance rock" band The Slants.
Read moreWhen the founders of Bangor Trust Brewing needed legal guidance to launch their new venture, they chose Tuk Law Offices. TLO emphasizes practical, economical legal advice and guidance for startups and small businesses all across Pennsylvania.
A special thank you to Zachary Hartzell, TLO's creative strategist for the great work he did on this project.
(c) 2017 The Law Offices of Bryan Tuk, PC, All Rights Reserved.
PayPal filed suit against Pandora in federal court in the Southern District of New York, alleging that Pandora's logo infringes on the trademarked property of PayPal.
You can read the entire complaint here.
The crux of PayPal's complaint and allegations can be found in the beginning paragraphs of the complaint:
Read morePreviously, I wrote and have covered in the TLO live webinars an interesting copyright case that could affect scholastic and independent music programs nationwide. That case is Tresona Multimedia, LLC v. Burbank High School Vocal Music Association, Inc., et al. in federal court in the the Central District of California.
One of the most startling claims that Tresona alleged was that the choir’s booster organization can be held liable for alleged copyright infringement involving the school ensemble's performances. This was a novel theory and to my knowledge never tested before.
Fortunately, sanity has intervened in this case. The booster organization in this case filed a motion for summary judgment, which if granted, would have excused them from the case. They were successful.
On February 22, 2017, US District Judge Stephen V. Wilson ruled that the boosters’ motion for summary judgment was granted. The legal standard for granting a summary judgment motion in federal court is basically that if the judge or jury assumed all the facts that the plaintiff alleged were true, that no reasonable jury would agree with the plaintiff’s legal theory. In other words, that the plaintiff’s legal theory was so substantively weak that no one could rule in their favor.
In so doing, Judge Wilson rejected Tresona's legal theory that a booster organization can beheld liable for copyright infringement alleged against a performing ensemble which the boosters’ financially support. This is sound policy and can be summed up by the following quote from Judge Wilson’s opinion:
"To find that the Boosters Club exercised control over Greene and Carroll would be analogous to finding that a high school football team's boosters club could tell the coach what plays to run."
Bryan Tuk has been named to the Board of Directors of the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus. "We are delighted to welcome Bryan Tuk to our board of directors." said Edwina French, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus. "His legal expertise, coupled with his knowledge and personal experiences working with non-profits, will be a tremendous asset to Pittsburgh Youth Chorus as we work to increase our outreach in the Pittsburgh region."
"Engaging in the community is incredibly important. With TLO's continuing expansion into Pittsburgh, this is a terrific opportunity to support a worthy nonprofit arts organization that is doing great work there," said Bryan Tuk.
As the Pittsburgh region’s leading and premier choral ensemble for young singers, Pittsburgh Youth Chorus is dedicated to enriching lives through professional-level choral education and performance. Pittsburgh Youth Chorus provides opportunities for a diverse group of children to realize their innate artistic potential and share experiences that enrich their lives while benefiting their families and communities. Over the years, more than 2200 children and teens have participated in PYC's progressive program of choral education, mastering challenging choral repertoire in a variety of genres and languages and receiving a solid education in music theory and vocal production.