Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

IP News

By Howard Shire and Shaleen J. Patel
December 01, 2020

NY District Court Adds to Confusion Surrounding Embedding

In the rapidly changing environment surrounding the legal issue of embedding (a type of inline linking that displays images and videos hosted somewhere other than the current publisher's servers), the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has added another ruling that places the liability associated with such behavior in uncertain waters. On Nov. 2, 2020, the court dismissed plaintiff Michael Barret Boesen's Complaint against United Sports Publications, Ltd. (USP) on the grounds that it failed to allege a claim for which relief could be granted under Rule 12(b)(6). Boesen v. United Sports Publs., Ltd., No. 20-CV-1552 (ARR) (SIL), 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 203682 (E.D.N.Y. Nov. 2, 2020)

Embedding social media has been a commonplace practice for years. Indeed, it is still commonplace to see Instagram and twitter posts embedded throughout other publishers' content. Such a practice seemed safe under the Ninth Circuit's "server test" adopted in Perfect 10, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc, 508 F.3d 1146 (9th Cir. 2007). However, in recent years, the notion that embedders may be liable as copyright infringers has resurfaced as courts outside of the Ninth Circuit address the issue. See, e.g., Goldman v. Breitbart News Network LLC, 302 F. Supp. 3d 585, 590 (S.D.N.Y. 2018); Leader's Inst., LLC v. Jackson, No. 3:14-CV-3572-B, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19355, 29-30 (N.D. Tex. Nov. 22, 2017); McGucken v. Newsweek LLC, No. 19 Civ. 9617 (KPF), 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 96126 (S.D.N.Y. Jun. 1, 2020).

On Dec. 6, 2019, world-renowned tennis player Caroline Wozniacki announced her retirement from the sport on her Instagram page. The post included a low-resolution version of a photograph taken by Boesen in 2002 depicting a young Wozniacki about to serve. That same day, USP ran an article embedding Wozniacki's original Instagram post featuring a cropped version of Boesen's photograph. USP embedded the post without a license or permission from Boesen. After Boesen filed an amended complaint for copyright infringement, USP moved to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6). Discussing the merits of Boesen's complaint, the court analyzed whether or not USP's article constituted fair use.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

'Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P.': A Tutorial On Contract Liability for Real Estate Purchasers Image

In June 2024, the First Department decided Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P., which resolved a question of liability for a group of condominium apartment buyers and in so doing, touched on a wide range of issues about how contracts can obligate purchasers of real property.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

CoStar Wins Injunction for Breach-of-Contract Damages In CRE Database Access Lawsuit Image

Latham & Watkins helped the largest U.S. commercial real estate research company prevail in a breach-of-contract dispute in District of Columbia federal court.

Fresh Filings Image

Notable recent court filings in entertainment law.