Hookah Shaped Pipe Not Copyrightable.

A company registered its hookah-shaped water container design with the U.S. Copyright Office. A month later, it sued another company because it used the same shape. The federal trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the defendant.  The Ninth Circuit affirmed, agreeing with the trial judge that the shape of the container is not conceptually separable from its utilitarian purpose.  (Inhale, Inc. v. Starbuzz Tobacco, Inc. (Ninth Cir.; January 9, 2014) 739 F.3d 446.