In the 200 years since the Constitution began establishing the law of the land, thousands of state rules and federal regulations have been created. Throughout the legislative history of U.S. code, there have consequently been many unbelievable lawsuits. In the spirit of the holidays, here are some of the craziest holiday lawsuits ever filed.
Do I need to copyright my turkey cooking instructions?
Back in 2010, Greenburg Smoked Turkeys, Inc. filed a lawsuit against Goode-Cook, Inc. for copyright infringement over their smoked turkey recipe. The complaint alleged that Goode-Cook stole Greenburg’s recipe for preparing the bird for a Thanksgiving’s Day feast. In response, Goode-Cook said that the baking instructions they used were fairly standard, and nothing they said was different than a typical turkey preparation recipe. However, Greenburg believes that the particular wording the defendant used went against copyright law.
Are holiday tunes a cruel and unusual punishment?
An Arizona sheriff has had many lawsuits brought against him by inmates incarcerated in the Maricopa County Jail. The inmates claimed Sheriff Arpaio played holiday music for 12 hours a day, from Thanksgiving Day until New Years. Not only did they claim their civil rights were violated, they wrote in their lawsuit that their religious beliefs were not taken into account and the music was used as a way of punishment. In every case, Arpaio was found innocent.
Royalties over a Holiday Jingle
Australian singer Allan Caswell sued Sony ATV in 2009, claiming that the rock group Alabama stole the melody from his song “On the Inside” for their Christmas Song “Christmas in Dixie.” While he was upset that the songs sounded similar, he was more concerned about the royalties from Alabama’s song. Caswell fought a valiant battle, but in the end, he lost the suit in Australian courts in 2014 as they found the melodies in either song to be too similar to other Christmas jingles worldwide.
Crazy holiday lawsuits can really shed light on different state rules
Considering the fact that state statutes vary so dramatically, if you need to file a lawsuit or bring a claim against someone, it is important to research the law with experts who can help you figure everything out. If you are in need of legal resource tools, don’t hesitate to contact Legislative Intent Services today.