Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%
Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.
Using Character Integrity Guidelines to Protect Franchise Characters
In recent years, Hollywood has become more and more a business of creating and exploiting franchises rather than simply making and distributing movies. This is partly because the costs of promoting a movie are so great that the studio wants to be able to reap the benefits of this initial expenditure by producing and releasing sequels. The studio also wants to be able to “extend the brand” by being able to exploit the franchise in multiple ways (through merchandise, publications, interactive games, theme park rides, stage plays, etc.).
Although occasionally a franchise is still created from scratch (e.g., Toy Story, Avatar), often the studio licenses rights to an existing character or other property that already has at least some built-in audience. (It's “pre-sold” in current parlance.) The licensed property can range from a novel (the Bourne movies), to a comic book or graphic novel (Spiderman), a toy (Transformers), a theme park ride (Pirates of the Caribbean), an interactive game (Resident Evil), an older movie or television property (The A Team); there is practically no limit to the human imagination's ability to find ways to build upon and expand existing sources.
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.
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?
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.
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later
The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.