Just in time for the Season 3 premiere, let's take a look
back at Empire's year in
IP litigation.
Like the fictional Lyon family, which is constantly beset by
threats from Feds, old criminal connections, and music business
competitors, their show Empire finds itself a regular
target for infringement claims. As with any successful show (or
family), many people want to claim credit and their own slice of a
quite lucrative pie. The folks behind Empire have
successfully fended off a number of claims to date in California,
but a recent decision in Michigan broke their winning streak,
leaving one copyright claim as unresolved as an end-of-season
cliffhanger. With more cases pending in New York, Pennsylvania and
Virginia, we may soon be able to publish a survey of how each
circuit handles copyright motions to dismiss, entirely through the
lens of Empire cases.
