1. Calvin Designer Label developed a website using the terms Playboy and Playmate to direct users to the site. Calvin also used both terms in the body of its web pages to which users were directed. Playboy Enterprises, Inc. owned the trademarks to both words Playboy and Playmate. Playboy Enterprises filed a lawsuit seeking to have the court issue an injunction ordering Calvin to cease using the two words. Is the court likely to grant Playboy an injunction?
2. Webster R. McGee developed a website using the domain name of “Card Service.” Cardservice International, Inc., a separate company, maintained that the term used by McGee was confusingly similar to the word owned by Cardservice. Cardservice filed a lawsuit requesting that the court issue an injunction directing McGee to cease using the term “Card Service.” Is Cardservice likely to be successful in obtaining the permanent injunction?
3. Rural Telephone Service Company was a public utility providing telephone service to several communities in Kansas. Rural published a typical telephone directory consisting of white pages and yellow pages. Feist Publications was a publishing company specializing in publishing telephone directories for large geographical areas. Feist copied much of the white pages of Rural’s directory without permission. Rural sued Feist for copyright infringement and won. Feist appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States. Is the Supreme Court likely to rule that Rural’s copyright is valid?
4. Six freelance writers sold articles for publication in print to a variety of popular newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Newsday, and Sports Illustrated. Nexis allowed computer users to retrieve the online version of these articles, which also were placed electronically onto CD-ROMs. The six freelance writers filed a lawsuit, arguing that, while they had granted permission to have their work appear in print form, they had never granted permission to have their work appear in electronic form. Are the plaintiffs likely to succeed in this lawsuit?