IP Goes Pop!

In this second installment of “IP State of the Union: Billion-Dollar Character Acquisitions,” IP Goes Pop!® co-hosts Michael Snyder and Joseph Gushue continue their deep dive into the high-stakes world of intellectual property in entertainment. In this episode, they explain the strategic importance of goodwill—the invisible yet invaluable asset that fuels the staying power of iconic franchises like Star Wars.

How have intellectual property (IP) acquisitions shaped the franchise filmmaking industry, and what lies ahead for beloved and iconic characters? Buckle up, because on this episode of IP Goes Pop!® , hosts Michael Snyder and Joseph Gushue take listeners on a thrilling ride as they provide an update on the Marvel-ous IP properties that have produced some legendary films over the last few decades.

IP Goes Pop!®, hosts Michael Snyder and Joseph Gushue are joined by Jason Lott, Managing Attorney for Trademark Customer Outreach at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), to explore the evolving landscape of trademark scams in the digital age. Known for his extensive expertise, Jason shares valuable insights into how scammers operate and practical tips to stay protected.

While clever con artist movies like Catch Me If You Can (2002) and Ocean’s Eleven (2001) may make us root for the “schemers,” real-life scams targeting trademarks are far from entertaining—they’re costly and damaging. This episode unpacks the deceptive tactics employed by scammers and offers actionable advice for safeguarding trademark applications and registrations.

Did you ever wonder how your favorite Halloween monsters became pop culture icons, or how their scary faces still creep through our screens and imaginations? In this Spooktacular episode of IP Goes Pop!®, hosts and IP attorneys Michael Snyder and Joseph Gushue dig up the legal tales behind Halloween's most iconic creatures—Frankenstein, Vampires, and Zombies—to reveal how intellectual property (IP) rights have helped shape their chilling evolution into horror legends.

IP Goes Pop!® hosts and intellectual property attorneys Michael Snyder and Joseph Gushue dive back into the fascinating world of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it can affect, or even alter, IP rights. In this episode they break down “deepfakes”, i.e. images where a person’s likeness is digitally altered to appear to be someone or even something else.  Unlike other AI-generated content and traditional media manipulations such as Photoshop, deepfakes are typically created to spread misinformation.

In this episode of IP Goes Pop!, hosts and Volpe Koenig shareholders, Michael Snyder and Joseph Gushue, introduce a two-part series focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) and how it can impact intellectual property (IP) rights in an individual’s persona. The episode starts with a look at generative AI, explaining how it can create text, images, and voices that appear to closely mimic human attributes. This sets the stage for a deeper discussion on the right of publicity, a legal doctrine that protects an individual's likeness, voice, and personal attributes from unauthorized commercial use.

To begin, the hosts unpack AI's portrayal of human beings in pop culture, citing iconic movie examples such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day, S1m0ne, and Her. These films illustrate AI's potential to replicate human beings, raising questions about the intersection of technology and IP. For instance, S1m0ne explores the concept of a fully synthetic actress replacing human actors, while Her delves into the emotional complexities of a human falling in love with an AI operating system. These examples lay the foundation for understanding the real-world implications of AI in the realm of IP.

Put on your best suit and step into the world of TV legal dramas with podcast co-hosts, IP attorneys, and shareholders Michael Snyder and Joseph Gushue, as they guide you through the realities, quirks and possible departures from reality depicted in the TV show Suits. Whether you're a seasoned fan of Suits or have never watched an episode, this installment of IP Goes Pop!® has something for everyone.

Michael and Joe lead off the episode by discussing TV shows that have focused on intellectual property law issues, such as Canada’s The IP Section and HBO’s Silicon Valley, which demonstrate the rare combination of comedy and law in practice together. The episode continues with an exploration of when and how they each discovered Suits and their initial impressions of its portrayal of the legal practice in general.