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Birkenstock sandals—the comfy, chunky shoes loved by hippies, fashionistas, and even Barbie—just lost a major legal battle. Germany’s top court ruled that Birkenstocks aren’t art, meaning they can’t be protected by copyright. This decision lets competitors like Tchibo sell similar styles, and it’s sparking big questions about how brands can protect their designs. Let’s break it down.

Imagine spending months, even years, perfecting a unique design, only to have a billion-dollar corporation copy it and threaten to sue you for speaking up. This is exactly what happened to Cassey, the creator of the patented Pirouette Skort, when Nordstrom—a retail giant—allegedly stole her design and sold it as their own. Her story is a stark reminder of how intellectual property (IP) theft can impact small businesses and independent creators. But it also highlights the importance of protecting your work with a patent. Let’s break it down.

Imagine spending months writing a song, snapping the perfect photo, or crafting a bestselling novel—only to find out an AI company has used your work to train its algorithms without your permission. This is the reality facing UK creators as the government proposes a controversial plan to let AI firms use copyrighted material unless creators actively opt-out. Unsurprisingly, artists, writers, musicians, and publishers are pushing back hard.

Imagine browsing for your next read and spotting a logo that says “Human Authored”. What does it mean? The US Authors Guild recently launched this initiative, allowing writers to certify that their books were created by “human intellect” rather than AI. It’s a way for authors to show readers that their stories are 100% human-made—and it’s sparking important conversations about creativity, transparency, and trust in the age of artificial intelligence.