Sign in

Zahr K. Said

@zahrsaid.bsky.social
1.2K followers 1.8K following 880 posts

Arab-American Law Professor at Santa Clara University / writes about copyright, the jury, remedies & torts / frets about higher education / loves passion fruit and giant avocados / manages EDS/POTS/Long Covid 🦓🦓🦓

PostsRepliesMedia
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Thomson Reuters v. Ross (the almost but not quite gen AI case): opinion is now out, and, the panel tells us, this is like any other ordinary copyright case. Naturally then, the dictum reads like this: “This story begins with our country’s founding.”
062
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Devlin Hartline @devlinhartline.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The Third Circuit's opinion in Thomson Reuters v. ROSS Intelligence is now available: www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/252... #copyright #ai #fairuse
096
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Sarah Fackrell @design-law.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
[SENATOR ERIC SCHMITT]: So you’re telling me under oath that you've never claimed to be the inventor of a new and useful method? [JACK SMITH]: No, I don’t think— [SCHMITT]: WELL THEN *unveils poster* please explain this picture from a patent with your name on it! [SMITH]: That is a design patent
1263
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Sarah Fackrell @design-law.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
"Given the minimal amount of creativity that copyright law requires to register a work, it is essential that at some point...the copyrightable expression and the unprotected material alleged to have been copied are distinguished from each other...." - @zahrsaid.bsky.social, @bruceboyden.bsky.social
153
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
For those following in Sedlik v. Von Drachenberg, the copyright case with its rehearing before the Ninth Circuit en banc next week, the panel is out: MURGUIA, Chief Judge, and WARDLAW, CALLAHAN, CHRISTEN, NGUYEN, FRIEDLAND, BENNETT, R. NELSON, COLLINS, SUNG, and TUNG
003
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
In our guest blog post, Bruce Boyden @bruceboyden.bsky.social and I address a simple question in the copyright infringement case going before an en banc panel of Ninth Circuit judges next week blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/202...
blog.ericgoldman.org
Sedlik v. Von Drachenberg: All About That Intrinsic Test? (Guest Blog Post) - Technology & Marketing Law Blog
by guest bloggers Bruce Boyden (Marquette Law) & Zahr Said (Santa Clara Law) On June 9, the Ninth Circuit granted rehearing en banc in Sedlik v. Von Drachenberg, agreeing to reconsider the test for in...
012
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Join us if you're in SF tonight and interested in indie filmmaking & AI & how folks are thinking about the issues (+ related legal implications). Registration free but recommended--> www.eventbrite.com/e/independen...
Flyer for an event in San Francisco entitled "Independent Filmmaking in The Age of AI" (September 17, 7-10pm) at 518 Valencia Street, instructions to RSVP on eventbrite. Depicted are a red car ascending a steep street in San Francisco followed by an autonomous vehicle behind it. Flyer lists Moderator, Mark Smolowitz, and 7 panelists
142
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Incredibly hard to read but essential to confront this sexual violence. “Think of it this way: The horrific abuse inflicted on Israeli women on Oct. 7 now happens to Palestinians day after day. It persists because of silence, indifference and the failure of American and Israeli officials alike”
nytimes.com
Opinion | The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians
021
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 01/11/2025
أنا اسمي زهران ممدان وعم رشّح حالي لأكون العمدة الجديد في مدينة نيويورك
261107661495
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
Ya think, NYT?
NYT Headline and lede read: Trump Said to Demand Justice
Dept. Pay Him $230
Million for Past Cases Senior department officials who were defense lawyers for the president and those in his orbit are now in jobs that typically must approve any such payout, underscoring potential ethical conflicts.
040
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
An important read about current cancer research, government funding, and one person’s journey through her cancer dx—by the brilliant Cathy Gellis
techdirt.com
I Want A New Drug. A Vaccine Even. And A Functioning FDA, CDC, NIH, Etc…
My cancer is back. This is disappointing but not unexpected; of the 2/3 of people who survive their first bout with ovarian cancer, 80% usually have it recur at some point. For me it was sooner tha…
020
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
“I am an originalist, and if the original meaning of the Constitution compelled this outcome, I would … agree that the Supreme Court should respect it until the Constitution is amended…  But both the text and the history of Article II are far more equivocal than the … Court has been suggesting. “
democracyproject.org
Special Feature: Must Administrative Officers Serve at the President’s Pleasure?
A broad range of views on democracy to help break the stalemate caused by partisan conflict.
030
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day! Or you can celebrate CC, a known genocidal rapist, as our (liable for sexual assault and suspected of child rape himself) President encourages.
open.substack.com
7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Christopher Columbus
President Trump has vowed to bring Columbus Day ‘back from the ashes.’ But here are some shocking things you may not know about the much-celebrated historical figure behind it.
021
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Diana B. Greenwald @dbgreenwald.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
Israel raided prisoner family homes across five districts in the West Bank. www.middleeasteye.net/news/west-ba...
middleeasteye.net
Israel raids homes of West Bank prisoners set to be released in deal
Families of captive Palestinians threatened not to celebrate release of family members following ceasefire deal
7187119
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
Excellent piece on why the compact is one of the stupidest “policies” by an administration full of stupid ideas. Why This Essay Could Cause the University of Virginia to Shut Down newrepublic.com/article/2013... via @newrepublic.com
newrepublic.com
Why This Essay Could Cause the University of Virginia to Shut Down
How Linda McMahon’s latest “compact” would do deep and permanent harm to American higher education
042
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Dean Obeidallah @deanobeidallah.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
DESPICABLE: Van Jones Apologizes for Turning ‘Dead Gaza Baby’ Into a Punchline on Bill Maher’s Show. Actually Van did worse than "joke." He peddled the Netanayhu LIE that the images of dead Palestinian children were just part of disinfo campaign by Qatar. www.mediaite.com/media/news/i...
mediaite.com
CNN's Van Jones Apologizes for 'Dead Gaza Baby' Rant
CNN's Van Jones apologized for comments he made on Bill Maher's show Friday night which drew intense backlash from critics.
219629
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
Never thought I’d find myself nostalgic for the days of secret “Torture Memos” being used to justify war in pitching Congress. (Back when Congress had to agree.)
Headline of newspaper underneath photo of Trump at podium. Text says “Trump ‘Determined’ the US is Now in a War With Drug Cartels, Congress Is Told”
243
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
Also how many phone numbers does Al Franken have?? I’ve hit STOP and “reported junk” at least twice on that guy, but dems gotta dem I guess. Seriously though, what’s the conversion rate on these out of the blue texts asking for money for people in random districts around the country??
010
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
Phones sold to Democrats need to come with a STOP button. (Or …Dems could stop spamming us with urgent texts 8-10x a day from all over the country, also an option)
000
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 28/09/2025
“It’s yet another way this regime practices eugenics. By refusing disabled people the accommodations they need, they’re targeting them for elimination. People die in ICE custody every year, but we often don’t hear about them. Their stories go untold, their pleas unheard and the eugenics unopposed”
disabledginger.com
Help Rodney Taylor, a Disabled Double Amputee Being Held by ICE
Rodney has been in the country more than 40 years. He's in solitary confinement in Georgia, being denied disability accommodations and having his medical needs ignored. He must be released.
12535356
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
Proud that Santa Clara Law has stepped up to help law students afford legal education as federal loan amounts undergo major changes next year.
abovethelaw.com
This Law School Is Offering Guaranteed Scholarships To All Incoming Students Thanks To New Student Loan Caps - Above the Law
Which law school will be the next to hand out guaranteed scholarships like this?
030
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Eric Goldman @ericgoldman.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
For Constitution Day, Santa Clara Law had a great discussion about the "Rule of Law" Watch the video (which I think I unintentionally evaded): santaclarauniversity.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Page... With @zahrsaid.bsky.social @nickserafin.bsky.social
santaclarauniversity.hosted.panopto.com
Constitution Day event
043
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Disappointing. Do better, Perkins.
030
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Cara Lynch @caradox.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
SCOTUS time. :::drink::: Good luck to us & democracy. We’re gonna need it.
0186
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Keith Leventhal @keithleventhal.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
If/when there is another election, we'll see how this is applied to Democrats. But, of course, this is dripping with hypocrisy from Republicans...as EVERYTHING with them always is. #SupremeCourt
021
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
The Supreme Court's conservative supermajority just took away lower courts' single most powerful tool for reining in the Trump administration's lawless excesses, stripping them of authority to issue universal injunctions that block illegal policies nationwide. www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
642120794
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
i’m so fucking fed up with this shit. when journalism outlets can’t even accurately and honestly say what’s happening to journalists—that they’re being attacked by cops and federal jackboots—then we are really and truly cooked. under scrutiny!!!!! i can’t. i can’t.
6944821143
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Chad Loder @chadloder.dev · 12/06/2025
LAPD appears to have kettled protesters around 7:45pm to prevent them from leaving, waited for the 8pm curfew to kick in and then mass-arrested them for curfew violations.
382321825
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum gave Trump “full credit” for the name change. “Thanks to Donald Trump, when one thinks of America, one no longer thinks of liberty,” she said. “One thinks of TACO.”
Borowitz Report (satire) headline: Mexico Renames the Liberty Bell the Taco Bell.
120
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Rick Wilson @therickwilson.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
If Barack Obama or Joe Biden had proposed this, the GOP would be in the streets with pitchforks and torches. I guess the new "conservative" position is, "I want the state to know everything about me at all times." www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/t...
nytimes.com
Trump Taps Palantir to Compile Data on Americans
1441412534
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
Today in NYT’s ethics column (though unburdened by what might have been useful mention of the first sale doctrine), the author gets this issue right. Patronizing used art is “sustaining the low-cost democracy of art’s second life.”
NYT headline asking “is it ethical to buy used books and music: the magazine’s ethical columnist on what consumers owe to artists” with graphics of people reading books
140
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
The Lincoln Project @lincolnproject.us · 19/05/2025
Guy who got a "free" $400M plane from Qatar was up late tweeting about corruption.
1411166953838
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
WOW. The Trump admin said they will review social media and deny immigration benefits to people saying antisemitic claims. They're even trying to deport people with green cards on alleged claims of antisemitism. Anyway, here's a tweet from an Afrikaner they flew here on Monday.

Charl Kleinhaus
@charlkleinhaus
Jews are untrustworthy and a dangerous group they are not Gods chosen like to believe they are . Where is the Temple that must be their concern leave us alone we all believe in the God of Abraham , Moses and Jacob ! I almost said something ugly … 🤐
304101474290
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Otto von Biz Markie @donachaidh.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
"I don't feel like first place was taken from me. Instead, I feel like a happy day was turned ugly by a bully who is using children to make political points."
commondreams.org
2nd-Place Runner in High School Race Rips Maine GOP Lawmaker for Attacking Trans Winner | Common Dreams
"I don't feel like first place was taken from me. Instead, I feel like a happy day was turned ugly by a bully who is using children to make political points."
151182240
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Oh this is good! Qatari plane too expensive to hold onto, hence gifting to Trxmp. I hear Qatar also has a tremendous fence available to be repainted, if any presidents are looking for a rare opportunity…
000
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Hayes Brown @hayesbrown.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
The plane being a White Elephant gift is the funniest turn this saga could have taken
893426926
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Franklin @fsuss.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Through this I learned the NYU Law trustee who funded my scholarship and hooded me at graduation is on the executive committee of her capitulating firm 🙃 I sent her a personal email
031
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Anupam Chander @anupamchander.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
NY Times posted this video that it verified of Israeli forces tearing down Rafah buildings as part of a "ring of destruction around the city." www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
024
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
The most absurd and unjust free speech issue of our era, and an utterly unethical and probably unlawful move by NYU
050
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Thomas Frampton @tframpton.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
It's not like the NYT headline writers are unfamiliar with the active voice. (Also currently on the homepage.)
07722
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Fair use framing here iffy at best. Yes, ok: “the big question is whether Meta’s AI tools will hurt book sales” But no: “& otherwise cause the authors to lose money” & No: “If you are dramatically changing, … obliterating, the market for that person's work” & “destroying the market for their work”
wired.com
A Judge Says Meta’s AI Copyright Case Is About ‘the Next Taylor Swift’
Meta’s contentious AI copyright battle is heating up—and the court may be close to a ruling.
000
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
Pangs of nostalgia for the days we had to remember how to spell emoluments bc they mattered as such
nytimes.com
New Mideast Project Is Latest Trump Company Deal Tied to Foreign Government
The Trump Organization agreed to partner on a real estate project in Qatar in the latest of a series of projects tied to foreign governments.
000
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Diana Galbraith @dianavgalbraith.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
These squids can grow up to 7 meters long and are the largest known invertebrates.
031
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Dan Grove @grove.cx · 29/04/2025
dorkhole
011
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Max Berger @maxberger.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
If members of the press are worried they didn’t give enough coverage to the cognitive decline of a sitting president, they have an amazing opportunity to make up for it right now.
870204133747
Zahr K. Said @zahrsaid.bsky.social · 27/04/2025
MAGA’s apparently literal old boys network
051
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 27/04/2025
I live and will die by Andrea Dworkin’s words, “Social outrage is power protecting itself; it is not morality.” In that vein, fuck civility and smile less.
021
Reposted by Zahr K. Said
peterdavieson.bsky.social @peterdavieson.bsky.social · 26/04/2025
0101