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Unsettled Issues Are Raised By Bid to Terminate Copyright Grants in Village People Songs
To complement our recent article on the termination of rights under copyright in sound recordings (see, “Issues in Terminating Copyright Grants in Sound Recordings,” Entertainment Law & Finance, Dec. 2011, p.3, http://bit.ly/zfd5JA), we focus here on termination of rights under copyright in musical compositions ' and particularly on the pending lawsuit in California in which rights in some iconic songs made famous by the Village People are in dispute. Scorpio Music (Black Scorpio) S.A. v. Victor Willis, 3:11-CV- 01557 (S.D. Calif.). The songs include “YMCA” and “In the Navy,” which were co-authored by the group's lead singer Victor Willis. He maintains that the copyright termination statute should be interpreted literally, allowing him, as a co-author of a joint work that signed a separate grant, to terminate rights to his own contribution without having a majority of co-authors terminate all rights. Two music publishers maintain that this result would contravene the spirit of the law.
Statutory Termination Provisions
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.
The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs
The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.
Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations
This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.
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.
A Lawyer's System for Active Reading
Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.