Related Resources

Barbie v. "Barbie Girl". (Article)
Abstract: The dismissal of toy-maker Mattel's suit against MCA Records over the Aqua song, "Barbie Girl" was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The toy company had claimed that the song, which was released last year as a single by the Danish group, infringed on its copyright and that it associated "sexual and other unsavory themes with Mattel's Barbie products."

Negativland on Fair Use, Negativland
Abstract: As Duchamp pointed out many decades ago, the act of selection can be a form of inspiration as original and significant as any other. Throughout our various mass mediums, we now find many artists who work by "selecting" existing cultural material to collage with, to create with, and to comment with. In general, this continues to be a direction that both "serious" and "popular" arts like. But is it theft? Do artists, for profit or not, have the right to freely "sample" from an already "created" electronic environment that surrounds them for use in their own work?

The 'Duke Nukem 3D' Case
Abstract: This article discusses a classic derivative-works case brought by copyright owner of the popular computer game, Duke Nukem 3D.

Mattel's Latest: Cease-and-Desist Barbie. (article)
Abstract: This article discusses Mattel's suit against Mark Napier, creator of the site, The Distorted Barbie, and its generally "hardball approach to protecting Barbie-related copyrights."