Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%
Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.
Sony Denied Implied License for Miller Songs
The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee confirmed its earlier ruling that Roger Miller Music and Miller's widow Mary own the renewal-term copyrights to the performer/songwriter's 1964 and post-1964 compositions, which include some of his biggest hits. Roger Miller Music Inc. v. Sony/ATV Publishing LLC, 3:04-1132. But the district court changed its previous view that Sony at least had an implied non-exclusive license to use the renewal-term copyrights.
The Tennessee federal district court in 2005 and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 2007 both agreed that Sony owned the renewal terms to Roger Miller's 1958-1963 songs. (The Sixth Circuit had also decided that Miller's renewal copyrights were to be divided 50% to the surviving spouse and the other 50% among the author's children. Broadcast Music Inc. v. Roger Miller Music Inc., 396 F.3d 762 (6th Cir. 2005).) But Miller died in 1992, at the end of the initial 28-year copyright term that applied to the 1964 and later songs, and thus didn't live to when the renewal term took effect on Jan. 1, 1993. On remand, the district court decided that under the federal Copyright Act, '304(a)(1)(C), the renewal terms for the post-1963 songs thus vested in Miller's heirs, rather than Sony.
This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only
ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE SINGLE SOURCE OF OBJECTIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS, PRACTICAL INSIGHTS, AND NEWS IN ENTERTAINMENT LAW.
- Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
- Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
- Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts
Already a have an account? Sign In Now Log In Now
For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473
Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough
There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.
Bit Parts
Summary Judgment Denied Defendant in Declaratory Action by Producer of To Kill a Mockingbird Broadway Play Seeking Amateur Theatrical Rights
Risks of “Baseball Arbitration” in Resolving Real Estate Disputes
“Baseball arbitration” refers to the process used in Major League Baseball in which if an eligible player's representative and the club ownership cannot reach a compensation agreement through negotiation, each party enters a final submission and during a formal hearing each side — player and management — presents its case and then the designated panel of arbitrators chooses one of the salary bids with no other result being allowed. This method has become increasingly popular even beyond the sport of baseball.
One Overlooked Element of Executive Safety: Data Privacy
Executives have access to some of the company's most sensitive information, and they're increasingly being targeted by hackers looking to steal company secrets or to perpetrate cybercrimes.
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It
Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?