Features
9th Circuit Says End Steinbeck Copyright Fight
In a nearly half-century-long legal dispute over the rights to John Steinbeck's works, the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's $5 million compensatory damages award against the author's daughter-in-law but vacated punitive damages against the heir.
Features
Book Publishers' Lawsuit Against Amazon's Audible
A coalition of publishers has sued Audible, the Amazon-owned audiobook company, over a new feature announced last summer that will display the text of a book to listeners while it's read to them by their device.
Features
Star Athlete's Trainer Loses Commission Bid
A lawsuit alleging a former trainer was entitled to a portion of tennis star Naomi Osaka's lifetime earnings is out of play, after a Broward County, FL, Circuit Court judge dismissed the case.
Features
Security Worries for Online Video Game Companies
Fortnite video game developer Epic Games Inc. isn't just dodging digital adversaries — now it's been slammed with a class action lawsuit over a data breach.
Columns & Departments
Bit Parts
Texas Court of Appeals Won't Let Former Lawyer for Matthew Knowles Use State's Anti-SLAPP Statute to Dismiss Knowles' Cross-Claims in Legal Fees Dispute
Features
The Interaction of International Law and U.S. Copyright–Assignment Terminations
That U.S. copyright-assignment termination issues are among the most complex in the copyright field becomes even more apparent when attempts to reclaim copyrights involve aspects of international law. Few courts have ruled, however, on the impact of international law on U.S. copyright-assignment terminations. The most recent to do so is the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Ennio Morricone Music Inc. v. Bixio Music Group Ltd.
Features
When Boilerplate, Customized Clauses Collide in Media Merger Deals
Some contract provisions will necessarily be customized for use in the particular agreement, while others will be boilerplate. But the intersection of those provisions in a merger agreement involving the acquisition of Cablevision Systems Corp led to a serious dispute— and cautionary tale for the merger-laden entertainment and media industries — about interpretation of the agreement, requiring a Delaware court to determine the impact of potentially conflicting language.
Features
Limit in Supreme Court Striking Down Ban On 'Scandalous' Trademarks
In the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Iancu v. Brunetti, Justice Sonia Sotomayor's dissent cautioned that the decision is likely to pave a path to a "coming rush to register [vulgar, profane, or obscene] trademarks." The reasoning stems from the court's majority finding that a portion of 15 U.S.C. §1052 — which had previously prohibited the registering of "immoral" or "scandalous" trademarks — is unconstitutional. Practically speaking, however, this "coming rush" will likely not be the case, even via the entertainment industry.
Features
11th Circuit Sides With Attorney Sued Over Prince Concert Snafu
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit claiming a Florida lawyer failed to follow through on a $75,000 deal to land the late mega-musician Prince for a 2012 gig.
Columns & Departments
Players on the Move
A look at moves among attorneys, law firms, companies and other players in entertainment law.
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