Jury Rebuffs Mattel, Giving Bratz Dolls Rights to a Rival; Associated Press via New York Times, 4/21/11

Associated Press via New York Times; Jury Rebuffs Mattel, Giving Bratz Dolls Rights to a Rival:

"A federal jury on Thursday rejected Mattel’s claims that it owns the copyright to the blockbuster billion-dollar Bratz dolls and instead awarded an upstart rival, MGA Entertainment, more than $88 million in damages for misappropriation of trade secrets."

YouTube Sentences Copyright Offenders to School; New York Times, 4/14/11

Nick Bilton, New York Times; YouTube Sentences Copyright Offenders to School:

"In many countries around the world, if you break the law by stealing copyrighted content you can be sentenced to prison and heavily fined. But if Google catches you breaking copyright laws, the punishment is more akin to being caught smoking in the boys room in high school: You’re forced to take an online class at YouTube’s Copyright School."

Campus copyright: publishers sue over university "e-reserves"; ArsTechnica.com, 4/14/11

Mark Jaycox, ArsTechnica.com; Campus copyright: publishers sue over university "e-reserves" :

"By refining their arguments, the publishers will further elucidate the core issue of the case: where is the border between the grey area of fair use and the illegal realm of copyright infringement when it comes to e-reserves? To date, the publishers' view has been expansive; even including an uploaded chapter is considered infringement.

Whatever the outcome, the case will have far-reaching consequences for universities across the nation. Even though e-reserves are ubiquitous throughout academia, policies differ by institution."

Warner Bros. dealt a setback in Superman legal battle: ComicBookResources.com, 4/13/11

ComicBookResources.com; Warner Bros. dealt a setback in Superman legal battle:

"A federal judge on Monday denied an effort by Warner Bros. to gain access to sensitive documents that are alleged to show an agreement between the heirs of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster not to strike further copyright deals with the studio, Hollywood, Esq. reports."

ACRL 2011: A Rallying Cry for Leadership and Risk Taking in the Copyright Wars; Library Journal, 4/11/11

Michael Kelley, Library Journal; ACRL 2011: A Rallying Cry for Leadership and Risk Taking in the Copyright Wars:

"Two papers presented at the recent 2011 Association of College and Research Libraries Conference in Philadelphia drove home the shaky use and understanding of copyright law on university campuses."

Ruling Spurs Effort to Form Digital Public Library; New York Times, 4/3/11

Miguel Helft, New York Times; Ruling Spurs Effort to Form Digital Public Library:

“I think the biggest obstacle is copyright,” said Pamela Samuelson, a professor of law and information management at the University of California, Berkeley who opposed the settlement and is working on legal issues facing the digital public library.

Backers of the project say they will lobby Congress for legislation that would make it easier to provide access to orphan books. Meanwhile, others are chipping away at the millions of orphans, trying to find rights holders and to determine which books have fallen into the public domain."

[Podcast] How to Beat Pirates; On the Media, 4/8/11

[Podcast] On the Media; How to Beat Pirates:

"While computer games are theoretically as easy to pirate as any other kind of digital media, the video and computer game industry as a whole seems a little less caught up in anti-piracy zeal than say, the music or film industries. Bob talks to Robin Walker, a game developer for Valve Software, one of the more successful computer game publishers. Walker explains how, rather than trying to catch software pirates, his company tries to make software that's too good to steal."

HathiTrust/Summon Deal Increases Search Access to In-Copyright Works; LibraryJournal.com, 3/28/11

Josh Hadro, Library Journal.com; HathiTrust/Summon Deal Increases Search Access to In-Copyright Works:

"Still, Wilkin believes there to be more than 2.5 million orphan works among the archive's current holdings and that the proportion of orphan works is likely to far outstrip the amount of public domain material in the archive, currently around 2.2 million items, or 26% of the collection, as more in-copyright works are scanned and indexed. If the true number of orphan works is anywhere near Wilkin's estimate, that's likely to make increased access to those works an even higher priority for librarians, as the likelihood of a licensable orphan works database evaporates with the Google settlement."

Joanne Siegel’s posthumous appeal to Warner Bros.; ComicbookResources.com, 3/28/11

ComicbookResources.com; Joanne Siegel’s posthumous appeal to Warner Bros. :

"“My daughter Laura and I, as well as the Shuster estate, have done nothing more than exercise our rights under the Copyright Act,” Siegel wrote in the letter, obtained and published by Deadline. “Yet, your company has chosen to sue us and our long-time attorney for protecting our rights. [...] The solution to saving time, trouble, and expense is a change of viewpoint. Laura and I are legally owed our share of Superman profits since 1999. By paying the owed bill in full, as you pay other business bills, it would be handled as a business matter, instead of a lawsuit going into its 5th year.”"

With Google Settlement Rejected, Library Groups Keep Eye on Access; Library Journal, 3/24/11

Josh Hadro, Library Journal; With Google Settlement Rejected, Library Groups Keep Eye on Access:

"What the vast majority of librarians hoped to see out of this lawsuit was a precedent-setting determination on the fair-use right to index and search copyrighted materials (recalling the scope of the initial complaint against Google). Barring that, most considered an acceptable consolation prize to be easy access to a full-text union archive of the nation's premier research collections, as the settlement would have provided.

As of Tuesday, neither of those options are in the offing. What librarians can look forward to instead: a renewed commitment from library advocates to make more content accessible to scholars and to the general public, whether via an alternative settlement agreement or legislative recourse."

NY court: Keep Internet copyright disputes at home; Sydney Morning Herald, 3/25/11

Michael Virtanen, Sydney Morning Herald; NY court: Keep Internet copyright disputes at home:

"New York's top court ruled Thursday that publishers should file Internet copyright infringement lawsuits in courts where their businesses are located, even if alleged copyright violations occurred elsewhere."

Baidu apologises to writers in copyright dispute; Sydney Morning Herald, 3/27/11

Sydney Morning Herald; Baidu apologises to writers in copyright dispute:

"Chinese search engine giant Baidu apologised on Saturday to writers who accused it of violating their copyright and promised to delete infringing items within the next three days."

Google, Authors, Will Need To Rethink Digital Book Settlement; Intellectual Property Watch, 3/23/11

Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch; Google, Authors, Will Need To Rethink Digital Book Settlement:

"In his conclusion, Chin said that objectors, including the US government have said that “many of the concerns raised in the objections would be ameliorated if the ASA were converted from an opt-out settlement to an opt-in settlement.” He urged the parties “to consider revising the ASA accordingly.”"

Book Ruling Cuts Options for Google; New York Times, 3/23/11

Claire Cain Miller, New York Times; Book Ruling Cuts Options for Google:

"Advocates of open access to orphan works cheered the rejection of the settlement, saying it could pave the way for legislation that would let anyone — not just Google — use the books...

Google has endorsed such legislation in the past, and people briefed on the negotiations said they expected Google to now aggressively pursue it in Congress."

A Digital Library Better Than Google’s; New York Times, 3/23/11

Robert Darnton, New York Times; A Digital Library Better Than Google’s:

"Perhaps Google itself could be enlisted to the cause of the digital public library. It has scanned about 15 million books; two million of that total are in the public domain and could be turned over to the library as the foundation of its collection. The company would lose nothing by this generosity, and might win admiration for its good deed."

Copyright troll Righthaven achieves spectacular "fair use" loss; ArsTechnica.com, 3/22/11

Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica.com; Copyright troll Righthaven achieves spectacular "fair use" loss:

"Last Friday, a federal judge ruled in one of the company's many lawsuits, saying that even the complete republication of copyrighted newspaper content can be "fair use."...

At a hearing last week, the judge decided that CIO's use of the full article text was, in fact, a fair use under the "four-factor test" enshrined in law."

Judge Rejects Google’s Deal to Digitize Books; New York Times, 3/22/11

Miguel Helft, New York Times; Judge Rejects Google’s Deal to Digitize Books:

"A federal judge in New York rejected Google’s $125 million class-action settlement with authors and publishers, delivering a blow to the company’s ambitious plan to build the world’s largest digital library and bookstore.

The deal was rejected by Judge Denny Chin of United States District Court, who said the deal went too far in granting Google rights to exploit books without permission from copyright owners."

Early Finding of Cal State U. E-Textbook Study: Terms Matter; Chronicle of Higher Education, 3/21/11

Jeff Young, Chronicle of Higher Education; Early Finding of Cal State U. E-Textbook Study: Terms Matter:

"Whether or not students liked their digital textbooks depended on what rules publishers set on how the digital books could be used.

“Every publisher has a little bit different terms and conditions,” said Gerard L. Hanley, senior director of academic technology services at California State University’s office of the chancellor. Such rules, including whether a student can print the whole book or only a portion of it, or whether the text can be downloaded to a computer or only accessed online, “really impact the students’ ability to use the content,” he added."

Judge Rules Against Richard Prince in Copyright Case; New York Times, 3/21/11

Randy Kennedy, New York Times; Judge Rules Against Richard Prince in Copyright Case:

"A federal judge in Manhattan has ruled against the artist Richard Prince in a closely watched copyright case, finding that Mr. Prince – who is well known for appropriating imagery created by others – violated the law by using photographs from a book about Rastafarians to create a series of collages and paintings."

Once in the Public’s Hands, Now Back in Picasso’s; New York Times, 3/21/11

Adam Liptak, New York Times; Once in the Public’s Hands, Now Back in Picasso’s:

"The new case asks whether Congress acted constitutionally in 1994 by restoring copyrights in foreign works that had belonged to the public, including films by Alfred Hitchcock and Federico Fellini, books by C. S. Lewis and Virginia Woolf, symphonies by Prokofiev and Stravinsky and paintings by Picasso, including “Guernica.”"

Next chapter in recopyright law: Supreme Court; Denver Post, 3/8/11

John Ingold, Denver Post; Next chapter in recopyright law: Supreme Court:

"Although the case involves an obscure subject, it raises important constitutional issues, said Anthony Falzone, executive director of the Stanford University law school's Fair Use Project and another attorney on the case. Copyright, the plaintiffs argue, is like the spike strips in a car-rental parking lot: Once a work crosses over into the public domain, it can't back up...

The government, though, argues the recopyrighting law is necessary to comply with an international treaty, which in turn protects the copyrights of American works in foreign countries."

A Letter to Our Readers About Digital Subscriptions; New York Times, 3/17/11

New York Times; A Letter to Our Readers About Digital Subscriptions:

"This week marks a significant transition for The New York Times as we introduce digital subscriptions. It’s an important step that we hope you will see as an investment in The Times, one that will strengthen our ability to provide high-quality journalism to readers around the world and on any platform. The change will primarily affect those who are heavy consumers of the content on our Web site and on mobile applications."

New York Times to Launch Pay Wall March 28; Wall Street Journal, 3/18/11

Russell Adams, Wall Street Journal; New York Times to Launch Pay Wall March 28:

"The New York Times will begin charging readers for unlimited access to the paper's website March 28, an ambitious effort to get consumers to pay for digital news that the paper has long been giving away."

As Library E-Books Live Long, Publisher Sets Expiration Date; New York Times, 3/14/11

Julie Bosman, New York Times; As Library E-Books Live Long, Publisher Sets Expiration Date:

"“We are working diligently to try to find terms that satisfy the needs of the libraries and protect the value of our intellectual property,” John Sargent, the chief executive of Macmillan, said in an e-mail. “When we determine those terms, we will sell e-books to libraries. At present we do not.”"

[Press Release] Restrictions on library e-book lending threaten access to information; American Library Association (ALA), 3/14/11

[Press Release] American Library Association (ALA); Restrictions on library e-book lending threaten access to information:

"As libraries cope with stagnant or decreased budgets, the recent decision by publisher HarperCollins to restrict the lending of e-books to a limited number of circulations per copy threatens libraries’ ability to provide their users with access to information...

The Equitable Access to Electronic Information Task Force (EQUACC) and the ALA will soon launch a website dedicated to developing a model for e-book lending."

Copyright System Must “Adapt Or Perish,” WIPO Director Says; Intellectual Property Watch, 3/15/11

William New, Intellectual Property Watch; Copyright System Must “Adapt Or Perish,” WIPO Director Says:

"“The enticing promise of universal access to cultural works has come with a process of creative destruction that has shaken the foundations of the business models of our pre-digital creative industries,” WIPO Director-General Francis Gurry told a recent conference in his native Australia.

He imparted his vision to the Blue Sky conference in Sydney, on the subject of “Future Directions in Copyright Law,” on 25 February.

The question is, Gurry said, “How can society make cultural works available to the widest possible public at affordable prices while, at the same time, assuring a dignified economic existence to creators and performers and the business associates that help them to navigate the economic system?”"

Depositions Reveal; Glimpse of Kirby/Marvel Copyright Lawsuit; ComicBookResources.com, 3/11/11

Brian Cronin, ComicBookResources.com; Depositions Reveal Glimpse of Kirby/Marvel Copyright Lawsuit:

"In summation, as soon as it was announced the Kirby family was going to attempt to terminate the copyrights to the characters in question, it was seen by many to be an uphill battle to get around the "work for hire" roadblock. Jack Kirby's situation at Marvel was quite dissimilar to earlier examples of notable copyright transferees that have received support from the Court, namely Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster selling their Superman strip to DC Comics or Joe Simon and Kirby selling Captain America to Timely, where the characters in question already existed in independent form before the comic book companies got involved. And after reading the five available depositions, the battle doesn't seem to be any less uphill than before."

Library Rights Are at Stake in New Supreme Court Copyright Case; Chronicle of Higher Education, 3/8/11

Marc Parry, Chronicle of Higher Education; Library Rights Are at Stake in New Supreme Court Copyright Case:

"Does Congress have the right to restore copyright protection to foreign works that have fallen into the public domain?

That issue is at the heart of a major copyright case that the Supreme Court agreed to hear yesterday. Its resolution could have implications for libraries’ ability to share works online, advocates say."

Fury over 'stupid' restrictions to library ebook loans; Guardian, 3/1/11

Benedicte Page, Guardian; Fury over 'stupid' restrictions to library ebook loans:

"Furious librarians are calling for a boycott of publisher HarperCollins over its decision to put a limit on the number of times its ebooks can be loaned.

Under the new policy, announced by distributor Overdrive in a letter to customers last week, libraries will only be able to lend out each purchased ebook published by HarperCollins a total of 26 times before the book's lifetime expires.

The development has led to an explosion of anger among librarians, who up until now have been able to lend any ebook as often as they like – just as they do with print copies. Loans are generally made via the library's website, with users gaining access via a PIN number, and downloaded ebooks remaining live for a two-week loan period."

HarperCollins Puts 26 Loan Cap on Ebook Circulations; Library Journal, 2/25/11

Josh Hadro, Library Journal; HarperCollins Puts 26 Loan Cap on Ebook Circulations:

"In the first significant revision to lending terms for ebook circulation, HarperCollins has announced that new titles licensed from library ebook vendors will be able to circulate only 26 times before the license expires."

Mickey Mouse's dark side; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2/27/11

Greg Victor, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Mickey Mouse's dark side:

"Charles Kenney in Foreign Policy says that "behind its facade of global goodwill, Disney is playing the evil stepmother to the developing world's entrepreneurial Cinderellas."...

This prevents others from adapting works of art and, writes Mr. Kenney, "If these extreme copyright and patent claims were effectively enforced, ... developing countries would owe Western companies $20 billion a year in royalties -- a transfer of wealth so dramatic that even the Vatican recently raised concerns about the 'excessive zeal' of today's intellectual-property bullies.""

Oscars Watchdog Monitors Foul Play in Stores, Online and on Red Carpet; New York Times, 2/26/11

John Eligon, New York Times; Oscars Watchdog Monitors Foul Play in Stores, Online and on Red Carpet:

"Copyright and trademark enforcement make up most of Mr. Quinto’s Academy-related tasks, as he, almost daily, dispatches letters to companies in apparent violation. Some of the more memorable culprits: shops peddling pornographic Oscar statuettes; a Brazilian cigarette maker brandishing the Oscar on its packaging; and a winemaker that used the Oscar in its advertisements. (That last example was “quickly corked,” Mr. Quinto, who has a fondness for corny jokes, wrote in an e-mail.)"

Piracy once again fails to get in way of record box office; ArsTechnica.com, 2/24/11

Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica.com; Piracy once again fails to get in way of record box office:

"The movie business has—yet again—run up record numbers at the box office. In 2010, theaters around the world reported a combined total revenue of $31.8 billion, up 8 percent from 2009. While the industry certainly has its share of piracy problems, they aren't affecting box office receipts."

Kindle e-book piracy accelerates; CNet.com, 2/18/11

David Carnoy, CNet.com; Kindle e-book piracy accelerates:

"You can argue whether it was Napster or the rise of the iPod--or most probably both--that led to the huge amount of music piracy, but the book business will also take its share of big losses as it moves further into the digital realm."

Free Trove of Music Scores on Web Hits Sensitive Copyright Note; New York Times, 2/22/11

Daniel J. Wakin, New York Times; Free Trove of Music Scores on Web Hits Sensitive Copyright Note:

"The site, the Internet Music Score Library Project, has trod in the footsteps of Google Books and Project Gutenberg and grown to be one of the largest sources of scores anywhere. It claims to have 85,000 scores, or parts for nearly 35,000 works, with several thousand being added every month. That is a worrisome pace for traditional music publishers, whose bread and butter comes from renting and selling scores in expensive editions backed by the latest scholarship. More than a business threat, the site has raised messy copyright issues and drawn the ire of established publishers."

Hollywood Property Values; New York Times, 2/20/11

Randy Cohen, The Ethicist, New York Times; Hollywood Property Values:

"The added twist is that while Disney, like its industry cohort, seeks an eternal hammerlock on its productions, many of them originate in our common literary heritage — “Cinderella,” “Snow White,” “The Little Mermaid.” Such an overreaching concept of intellectual property obstructs the exchange of ideas, the referencing and reworking of earlier works that stimulate invention. For Hollywood to thwart this by appropriating our common cultural legacy is as ethically dubious as plagiarism — innovation, perhaps, but not actual progress. Like 3-D."

Thinly Veiled: Lawsuit Over Steamy Rihanna Video Sparks Debate On Copycat Culture; NPR, 2/17/11

[Podcast] Zoe Chace, NPR; Thinly Veiled: Lawsuit Over Steamy Rihanna Video Sparks Debate On Copycat Culture:

"Fashion photographer David LaChapelle is known for staging photo shoots with lots of bright colors, outrageous costumes, and sexy, surreal images. The video for Rihanna's new single, "S&M," has all three — and it looked so familiar to LaChapelle that he's filed a million dollar lawsuit against the singer, her record label, the video's director and production company for copyright infringement."

[Podcast] Stephen Colbert Retaliates Against 'Huffington Post'; NPR's Morning Edition, 2/18/11

[Podcast] NPR's Morning Edition; Stephen Colbert Retaliates Against 'Huffington Post' :

"Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert is angry. The Huffington Post, which just sold itself for millions, posts Colbert's videos without paying him. Now Colbert has re-posted the entire Huffington Post."

Libraries have limited eBooks; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2/20/11

Don Lindich, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Libraries have limited eBooks:

"Q: I am looking for an eReader that will allow me to download eBooks from Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh or Ohio Public Library. With Kindle, you must buy books through Amazon. With iPad, you must buy books through iTunes. (At least that is my understanding. ) Is there an app or device that will let me "borrow" eBooks from the library? I am looking for current best-sellers.

DONNA DADO
Elizabeth Township"

Leaks Show Real Aim Of ACTA, As Trade Chief Declares It Binding; Intellectual Property Watch, 2/9/11

Intellectual Property Watch; Leaks Show Real Aim Of ACTA, As Trade Chief Declares It Binding:

"The recently completed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), negotiated by the countries that own most of the world’s intellectual property rights, is aimed at developing countries they hope will give value to those rights by protecting them, leaked documents show, according to French group La Quadrature du Net."

Tune In February 25 [2011]: The Future of Fair Use; Educause

Educause; Tune In February 25 [2011]: The Future of Fair Use:

"During this free hour-long web seminar, "The Future of Fair Use," we'll discuss ethics and strategies for overcoming institutional roadblocks to publishing and teaching with copyrighted media, including the myths and realities of fair use, best practices, DMCA exemptions, and the practicalities of working with copyrighted media across a full spectrum of scholarly and pedagogical activities."

Would the Bard Have Survived the Web?; New York Times, 2/15/11

Scott Turow, Paul Aiken, and James Shapiro; New York Times; Would the Bard Have Survived the Web? :

"The rise of the Internet has led to a view among many users and Web companies that copyright is a relic, suited only to the needs of out-of-step corporate behemoths. Just consider the dedicated “file-sharers” — actually, traffickers in stolen music movies and, increasingly, books — who transmit and receive copyrighted material without the slightest guilt.

They are abetted by a handful of law professors and other experts who have made careers of fashioning counterintuitive arguments holding that copyright impedes creativity and progress. Their theory is that if we severely weaken copyright protections, innovation will truly flourish. It’s a seductive thought, but it ignores centuries of scientific and technological progress based on the principle that a creative person should have some assurance of being rewarded for his innovative work."

How Neil Gaiman Went From Fearing 'Piracy' To Believing It's 'An Incredibly Good Thing'; TechDirt.com, 2/11/11

Mike Masnick, TechDirt.com; How Neil Gaiman Went From Fearing 'Piracy' To Believing It's 'An Incredibly Good Thing' :

"Public Knowledge points us to a wonderful short clip of Neil Gaiman, being interviewed by the Open Rights Group, explaining how he has completely changed his mind about "piracy" and copyright".

Emma Thompson's Effie facing copyright fight; Guardian, 2/9/11

Owen Bowcott, Guardian; Emma Thompson's Effie facing copyright fight:

"Emma Thompson's latest film project – a love triangle featuring the 19th century poet and critic John Ruskin – is reported to have been placed in jeopardy by a New York copyright case."

Filesharing prosecutions will face serious problems, says judge; Guardian, 2/8/11

Josh Halliday, Guardian; Filesharing prosecutions will face serious problems, says judge:

"A senior court judge has pointed to severe problems with the way the Digital Economy Act enables copyright owners to accuse people of illegal filesharing.

Judge Birss QC said on Tuesday that the process of connecting copyright infringement to a named individual based on their use of an internet address is fraught with difficulties because internet connections, or IP addresses, are often used by more than one person."

EFF to Judge: Watch for Fairness in Mass Copyright Suits; Electronic Frontier Foundation, 2/7/11

Corynne McSherry, Electronic Frontier Foundation; EFF to Judge: Watch for Fairness in Mass Copyright Suits:

"We decided to submit a further brief, because we thought Judge Howell might like to know about various recent developments, such as the fact that federal judges in West Virginia and California have recognized that it is improper to join thousands of people in one lawsuit based solely on the fact that they all allegedly used the same software protocol to share one or more copyrighted works."

[Podcast] Mardi Gras Indians Seek To Copyright Costumes; NPR's All Things Considered, 2/8/11

[Podcast] NPR's All Things Considered; Mardi Gras Indians Seek To Copyright Costumes:

"With one month until Mardi Gras, Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans are in the final stages of sewing their outrageously elaborate costumes. And this year, some hope they'll be able to share in the profits from photos sold of them after the parades. They're filing for copyright protection for their costumes. For more, host Melissa Block speaks to Ashlye Keaton, an adjunct professor at Tulane Law School; and Chief Howard Miller of the Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians."

Online Courses, Still Lacking That Third Dimension; New York Times, 2/6/11

Randall Stross, New York Times; Online Courses, Still Lacking That Third Dimension:

"“Unlocking the Gates,” by Taylor Walsh (Princeton University Press) is a recently published history of M.I.T.’s online venture, as well as those of Columbia, Harvard, Yale, the University of California, Berkeley, and others. Comparing the book’s case studies, I found that Carnegie Mellon seems to have made the most progress in developing fully self-contained online courses. Anyone can use them free, with the proviso that Carnegie Mellon doesn’t offer credit."

US IP Enforcement Coordinator Issues Annual Report; Intellectual Property Watch, 2/7/11

Intellectual Property Watch; US IP Enforcement Coordinator Issues Annual Report:

"The United States Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator today issued an annual report on IP enforcement.

All Bark, No Bite: Settlement Reached in Balloon Dog Dispute; New York Times, 2/3/11

Kate Taylor, New York Times; All Bark, No Bite: Settlement Reached in Balloon Dog Dispute:

"Clowns everywhere can breathe easier: Jeff Koons’s lawyers have backed down in an intellectual property dispute over balloon dog-shaped bookends."