Legal Writing
This open memorandum evaluates whether People for Alternative Medicine, Inc. (PAM) is likely to succeed in asserting a fair use defense under the Copyright Act of 1976. PAM's print advertisements parodying Wymann Pharmaceuticals’ campaign for its antidepressant Clarizac raise complex questions around parody, market harm, and transformativeness. The analysis applies the four-factor fair use test to assess the legal viability of PAM's defense amid declining sales and trademark concerns.
This closed memorandum examines whether a Michigan plaintiff can establish a false imprisonment claim based on personal coercion rather than physical restraint. The case involves a pet store employee withholding a customer’s paid merchandise—and her dog—until she complied with his demand to return inside. The memo analyzes relevant Michigan tort precedent and applies the legal standard for “arrest” through non-physical means.