Tech, AI & Privacy•2026-05-29

The FTC Fined Three Companies Nearly $1 Million Over an AI Service That Didn't Even Work

On May 21, 2026, the FTC fined Cox Media Group and two partner firms a total of $930,000 over an AI 'Active Listening' service that never actually listened to anything. The detail that matters for legitimate AI companies is in the complaint: even if the product had worked, the consent framework would still have been illegal under Section 5 of the FTC Act. This article breaks down what the settlement signals for any company whose AI features genuinely collect and process user data, with five questions and three checks to run this week.

~10 min read

Copyright & Content Protection•2026-05-14

Your Music and Art in AI Training Data: What Creators Need to Know

AI companies scraped millions of songs, images, and written works to train their models, mostly without asking. Whether that is legal is now being decided in courts around the world. The U.S. Copyright Office concluded in 2025 that the fair use argument generally favors copyright owners, not AI companies. Major labels have already moved to licensing deals. Independent creators still have options, and knowing them matters.

~7 min read

Artist & Creator Representation•2026-05-12

Your Name, Your Face, Your Voice: The Creator's Complete Guide to Right of Publicity in 2026

The right of publicity protects you, the person, not your work. Your name, face, voice, and identity. State law patchwork (California, Tennessee, New York) plus federal landscape (TAKE IT DOWN Act passed; NO FAKES Act pending). What every creator should have in place before the next AI voice clone or deepfake surfaces.

~16 min read

Copyright & Content Protection•2026-05-08

AI-Assisted vs. AI-Generated: What Creators Need to Know About Copyright in 2026

Fully AI-generated content has no copyright protection in the United States. AI-assisted work, where a human makes meaningful creative choices over the expressive elements, can be registered and protected. Where you fall on that spectrum depends on how you actually used the tool, not what tool you used or how long you spent prompting it.

~8 min read

Contracts & Deals•2026-05-08

The Brand Deal Contract: What Every Creator Needs to Know Before Signing

The brand deal contract in your inbox was written by the brand's legal team. Every default clause in it serves the brand. Understanding what each section actually does, who it protects, and what you can push back on is the difference between a deal that works for you and one that costs you later.

~12 min read

Trademark & Brand Protection•2026-05-08

Taylor Swift Trademarked Her Voice. Here's What That Means for Artists and Creators.

Taylor Swift filed three USPTO trademark applications on April 24, 2026: two soundmarks covering her voice and one visual trademark covering her performance image. The filings are legally creative but face real scrutiny. Here is what the applications actually contain and what creators should take from them.

~8 min read

Trademark & Brand Protection•2026-04-22

Trademark Registration for AI Startups: A Practical Guide

AI startups face three unique trademark risks: descriptive brand names that the USPTO rejects as generic, conflicts with established AI platforms, and international protection gaps when launching across borders. This guide walks through the five-step filing process used by StarGuard Law clients and flags the two mistakes that double the average time to registration.

~5 min read