WilmerHale Partner Louis Tompros and Counsel Stephanie Lin discuss the Pepe the Frog copyright infringement case with host John Walsh. Louis, Stephanie and a team from WilmerHale assisted Matt Furie, the creator of Pepe the Frog, with enforcing his intellectual property rights to end the misappropriation of Pepe by alt-right entities. Louis and Stephanie discuss the legal actions brought on behalf of Furie, and his efforts to reclaim his work. The interview also highlights the challenges of “memeification” and how it applies to copyright protection.

Links:

• Background on Pepe the Frog copyright cases
• WilmerHale Assists Pepe the Frog Creator in Enforcing IP, Striking Back at Islamophobic Children’s Book
• Pepe the Frog’s Creator Obtains Monetary Settlement from Infowars
• In trademark law, certain marks can become generic.
• Copyright law doesn’t have that exception: just because something becomes extremely popular doesn’t mean that the copyright holder loses control.
• United Feature Syndicate, Inc. v. Jeff Koons (regarding use of Odie image from Garfield comic strip)
• ‘Meme-ification’ Isn’t A Thing, ‘Pepe’ Artist Tells Infowars (Law360—free login required)
• Furie v. Infowars, LLC
• “Feels Good Man” documentary: The film can be viewed on various streaming platforms and on PBS.
• Matt Furie’s website

US Commission on Civil Rights Commissioner and WilmerHale Partner Debo Adegbile and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot discuss the US Conference of Mayors’ blueprint for improving policing and promoting equal justice in America’s cities. The interview highlights the challenges of balancing the need to ensure public safety with crafting necessary reforms that protect people’s civil rights. They discuss the polarizing concept of defunding the police, the impact of COVID-19 on public safety, the importance of mayors having a seat at the table for city policymaking, and the critical responsibility of both police departments and communities in ensuring peace.

Topics covered:

• The US Conference of Mayors’ August release of a Report on Police Reform and Racial Justice.
• WilmerHale served as counsel to the working group that developed the blueprint.
• Lightfoot’s professional background in law.
• Bringing policymaking to the city level, not just the federal level. 
• Defunding the police versus ensuring an equitable distribution of resources in communities.
• Reexamining the job description for police officers.
• The impact of COVID-19 on public safety.
• Communities’ impatience following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others, and how the public can play a role in putting into action the blueprint from the US Conference of Mayors’ report.
• The Trump Administration’s view of police reform and civil unrest in contrast with that of the Obama Administration and other administrations.

Other links:

• John Walsh’s bio
• Brendan McGuire’s bio

In the Public Interest launches December 8!

From COVID-19 and civil unrest to climate change, the election and beyond, In the Public Interest explores the legal and policy challenges capturing the public interest. WilmerHale Partners John Walsh, a former Colorado United States Attorney, and Brendan McGuire, a former Assistant US Attorney in the Southern District of New York, provide a front-row seat to the events making headlines. In each episode, they’ll pass the mic to those with unique perspectives on the most challenging issues of the day.

Listen to the Trailer episode and subscribe today. Join us for our first episode, a discussion between Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and WilmerHale Partner Debo Adegbile, available December 8 wherever you listen to your podcasts.