3 Count: April Fool

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1: Soho House Accuses Next of Copyright in New Lawsuit Over Furniture

First off today, Maria Ward-Brennan at City AM reports that. in the UK, the private members’ club Soho House has accused the retail giant Next of copyright infringement over furniture designs.

In 2016, Soho House launched Soho Home, a retailer and design studio inside Soho House. However, according to the complaint, they recently became aware that competitor Next was selling similar designs to Soho products in their stores.

Soho accuses Next of copyright infringement and passing off. They are seeking both an injunction barring future infringement and damages. Next said it will defend itself “vigorously” against the claim.

2: ‘MAD Square’ Becomes Latest Victim of Piracy Despite Box Office Success

Next up today, the Times of India reports that MAD Square, the sequel to the 2023 film MAD, has been doing well in India since its release on March 28. However, multiple versions of the film have begun surfacing on pirate websites, raising concerns about its future.

The film, directed by Kalyan Shankar, was one of the most highly-anticipated films in the country. However, shortly after its release, copies of the film began appearing on local pirate websites.

The film has still done well at the box office. On its first weekend, the film earned Rs 34.68 crore ($4 million), but piracy is expected to hurt its long-term prospects.

3: Singer Namewee Facing Copyright Infringement Lawsuit For His April Fools’ Prank?

Finally today, Adleena at Hype reports that, in Malaysia, the singer Namewee is drawing both criticism and copyright complaints following an April Fools joke where he faked his death.

Yesterday, Namewee posted a photo on his social media showing a memorial picture of him placed behind a photo of two 8TV news anchors. This drew backlash from his fans, saying that the joke was in poor taste.

However, the strongest reaction came from 8TV, which said it is pursuing legal action and accusing Namewee of copyright infringement. Namewee has denied any infringement, but most of his fans voiced support for 8TV.

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