Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

<b>Decision of Note</b> Copyright License From Less than All U.S. Owners Bars Claim of Foreign Infringement

The U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada decided ' in an ongoing dispute over the musical Jersey Boys ' that a license obtained from less than all the owners of a U.S. copyright is sufficient to defeat a claim for infringement of the work in a foreign country that itself requires permission from all the owners of the copyright for a license to be valid. Corbello v. DeVito, 2:08-cv-00867.

The litigation over Jersey Boys, a musical about the 1960s vocal group the Four Seasons, involves a suit by Donna Corbello, the widow of attorney/journalist Rex Woodard, who co-authored an unpublished autobiography of original Four Seasons member Tommy DeVito. DeVito granted a license to use his autobiographical materials to Four Seasons co-founders Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli, who are behind the musical's production. (For more on the case, see, “'Jersey Boys' Case Considers Licensing of Underlying Rights,” Entertainment Law & Finance, Dec. 2011, p. 1., http://bit.ly/w17Kha.)

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • 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

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

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.

Judge Rules Shaquille O'Neal Will Face Securities Lawsuit for Promotion, Sale of NFTs Image

A federal district court in Miami, FL, has ruled that former National Basketball Association star Shaquille O'Neal will have to face a lawsuit over his promotion of unregistered securities in the form of cryptocurrency tokens and that he was a "seller" of these unregistered securities.

Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It Image

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?

Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand Owners Image

Blockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.

Coverage Issues Stemming from Dry Cleaner Contamination Suits Image

In recent years, there has been a growing number of dry cleaners claiming to be "organic," "green," or "eco-friendly." While that may be true with respect to some, many dry cleaners continue to use a cleaning method involving the use of a solvent called perchloroethylene, commonly known as perc. And, there seems to be an increasing number of lawsuits stemming from environmental problems associated with historic dry cleaning operations utilizing this chemical.