Written by Brian Fu and Frida P. Glucoft Major fee structure changes are coming into effect that will significantly affect individuals looking to live and work in the United States, as well as the companies looking to sponsor employees from other countries. We summarize the key changes to prepare new plans and budgets in anticipation of these changes. I. What are some key changes? On … Continue reading Major Changes Coming Soon To USCIS Fees
Written by Frida P. Glucoft and Jason A. Farkas UPDATE: Following our client alert from January 30, 2024, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released more information and confirmed dates with respect to the upcoming H-1B Cap registration, along with several significant updates. At noon Eastern (9:00am Pacific) February 28, 2024, the USCIS will launch the new “organizational accounts” in its USCIS … Continue reading USCIS Releases More Information on Upcoming H-1B Cap Registration
Written by Chloe Briggs On Friday, January 26, 2024, a jury in the Central District of California rendered a verdict holding that celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D and related entities did not infringe photographer Jeffrey Sedlik’s copyrighted photo of Miles Davis by tattooing Davis’s image onto a friend’s arm. The jury found that the works were not substantially similar. Plaintiff Jeffrey Sedlik filed a … Continue reading Of Ink and Cool Jazz: California Jury Finds For Defendants in Copyright Infringement Case
Written by Frida P. Glucoft and Jason A. Farkas On January 12, 2024, after years of anticipation, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced and unveiled long awaited enhancements to its existing online filing capabilities. At long last, and for the first time, the USCIS will begin accepting online filings of employment-based nonimmigrant petitions. The catch (and there are several): rollout begins just … Continue reading USCIS to Begin Accepting Online Filings of Employment-Based Nonimmigrant Petitions
Written by Brian Fu Between January 29, 2024 and April 1, 2024, the Department of State will relaunch a Stateside Visa Renewal Program for limited H-1B visa applicants to apply for a visa renewal within the United States instead of with a U.S. consular post abroad. Each week, 2,000 online application spots will be released, and the online portal will automatically lock once the limits … Continue reading Department of State Pilot Program – Limited Stateside H-1B Visa Renewal
Written by Mark C. Humphrey On December 11, 2023, the U.S. Copyright Office’s Review Board rejected Ankit Sahni’s request for reconsideration of the Copyright Office’s earlier refusal to register an image created using generative AI. The Office found that the image was created using generative AI software and lacked sufficient human authorship to support registration. This is at least the fourth documented rejection on these … Continue reading Not-So-Starry Night for Copyright Applicant: Copyright Office Again Refuses To Register an AI-Generated Image
Written by Anthony A. Adler and Mark T. Hiraide Beginning January 1, 2024, a new federal law will require most newly formed business entities to report information to the U.S. government about who ultimately owns and controls them. Business entities formed prior to January 1, 2024 that are not “large operating companies,” and do not fall under another exemption, will have one year to file … Continue reading Corporate Transparency Act Goes Effective January 1, 2024
Written by Stacey Chuvaieva and Mark Humphrey In a concise order, District Judge Vince Chhabria of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed several claims set forth in comedian and author Sarah Silverman’s class action copyright infringement lawsuit against Meta Platforms. Inc., captioned as Richard Kadrey, et al. v. Meta Platforms, Inc., No. 23-CV-03417-VC, 2023 WL 8039640 (N.D. Cal. Nov. 20, … Continue reading In Hazy World of AI Law, Judicial Skepticism of AI Output Infringement Claims Continues to Take Shape
Written by Brandon E. Hughes In 2022, Choreographer Kyle Hanagami (“Hanagami”) brought suit against video game developer and publisher Epic Games, Inc. (“Epic”), claiming that a virtual animation – known as an “emote” – that Epic sold as downloadable content for its game Fortnite infringed Hanagami’s registered copyright in one of his choreographic works. In August 2022, the United States District Court for the Central … Continue reading No Dancing Around Reversal in Copyright Choreography Case
Written by Jonathan Turner and Eric Engelman The New NLRB Joint Employer Test The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) recently unveiled a final rule creating a new joint employer test under the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”). The new rule creates a lower threshold to make it easier for two or more employers to be considered “joint employers” under the NLRA. This is the latest … Continue reading It Takes Two To Make a Rule Go Right (?): NLRB Unveils New Joint Employer Test
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