Entertainment and Sports Law

A look at moves among attorneys, law firms, companies and other players in entertainment law.

"Sister Sledge" Sibling's Use of "Sister Sledge Sledgendary" Isn't Trademark Infringement

New York State Bar Association Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section Annual Spring CLE Meeting

Part Two of a Two-Part Article In the United States and in most foreign countries, the "performance right" is one of the most important rights of copyright and, in many cases, the most lucrative. In the United States, there is no statutory license under the Copyright Act for this right. Songwriters, composers, lyricists (jointly "writers") and music publishers join these organizations, which in turn negotiate licenses with the users of music, collect the license fees from those users and distribute the monies to writers and publishers based on surveys of performances, specific payment schedules and distribution rules, as well as other factors.

The November 2022 tech meltdown of online access that slowed or barred consumers from buying tickets from Ticketmaster for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, her first since 2018 and the largest one-day ticket demand Ticketmaster had ever faced, generated worldwide coverage and outrage from her fans. But the incident also resulted in a sizzling convergence of many of the issues that have plagued online sales of live events for years.

The federal appellate court in Atlanta, GA, in a case of first impression "that has divided our sister courts" over the U.S. Copyright Act's §507(b) statute of limitations on recovering damages beyond three years of a copyright lawsuit filing, just added to that division.

Add another plot twist to the storyline surrounding Corii Berg, who unexpectedly quit as general counsel of the film studio Lionsgate in December, even though he was under contract through June 2023.

Notable court filings in entertainment law.