Features

'Stranger Things' Copyright Claim Survives Motion to Dismiss
In response to a copyright claim in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California that the Netflix series Stranger Things infringed on Irish Rover Entertainment's unpublished screenplays, Netflix and the other defendants filed a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, arguing that the works were not substantially similar as a matter of law.
Features

Licensing Audits from Licensees' Perspective
The audit clause is a necessary means for the licensor to protect its interests and to guard against unscrupulous licensees. But it is a mistake to think that the clause is there solely to prevent malfeasance.
Features

New Small Claims Procedure for Copyright Disputes
The CASE Act fulfills the longstanding goal of the U.S. Copyright Office to establish a small claims court. The measure tasked the office with establishing the Copyright Claims Board and adopting governing regulations.
Features

Shareholders' Suit Over Video Game Developer's IPO
Two former shareholders allege in federal court that an auto-racing video game creator swindled them out of more than $200 million in stock.
Features

In Memoriam: Michael Rudell
We sadly note the passing of Entertainment Law & Finance editorial board member and entertainment attorney Michael I. Rudell.
Features

Legal Issues and Monetization Strategies In a Quarantine-Streaming Music World, Part 2
Part Two of a two-part article While the livestreaming of music performances is not an entirely new phenomenon, the COVID crisis has transformed the live performance landscape, compelling artists from around the world to reach their fanbase by producing "quarantine streams," in which they livestream their sets on social media platforms. Unsurprisingly many questions have arisen.
Features

9th Cir. Finds No Fair Use In Dr. Seuss/Star Trek "Mashup"
In Dr. Seuss Enterprises L.P. v. ComicMix LLC, a unanimous three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit held in December that ComicMix's illustrated book combining elements of several Dr. Seuss children's books with characters, themes and other features of the popular sci-fi series Star Trek was not a fair use of the Seuss material from which it had admittedly been "slavishly" copied.
Features

Additional Perspective on Dr. Seuss/Star Trek Ruling
The court's decision means that in the Ninth Circuit commercial mash-ups will have to do more than place new characters in old settings to qualify for fair use.
Features

Lawyer Disbarred Over Mishandling of Investors' Funds for Film Project
The New Jersey Supreme Court disbarred lawyer Gary Mason after finding he knowingly misappropriated $690,000 that investors paid to support the work of a fledgling filmmaker.
Features

2d Circuit Blocks NY Litigation of 'Girl 6' Copyright Infringement Case
Fort Lauderdale copyright attorneys Matthew Nelles and Adriana Kostencki of Nelles Kostencki were in a Los Angeles airport in February 2019, when movie director, producer and actor Spike Lee called the day after winning an Oscar for his historical crime drama BlacKkKlansman. But the call wasn't about the win.
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