Entertainment and Sports Law

  • Cultural Icons Spawn Lawsuits Worth Close Looks

    The ownership of intellectual property rights can be at the core of legal disputes involving pop culture icons. Considering the goodwill, effort and money spent in building a brand, character or commercial impression, it is not surprising that parties to intellectual property agreements find themselves revisiting their arrangements over time. That is what is happening in two recent federal lawsuits, one in New York involving a beloved figure in Philadelphia sports and the other in California focused on the Old Spice cologne commercial jingle.

    November 01, 2019Michael F. Snyder

  • Players on the Move

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

    November 01, 2019ljnstaff

  • Bit Parts

    Sixth Circuit Agrees Non-Party Interview Quotes Are Inadmissible Hearsay for Purpose of Establishing Direct Evidence of Copying in Infringement Case over Classic Rock Song "Gimme Some Lovin'" Transformative Use Defense Defeats Hard Rock Hamilton Persona Suit over Gears of War Character

    November 01, 2019Stan Soocher

  • Upcoming Events

    TexasBarCLE 29th Annual Entertainment Law Institute Annual Entertainment, Sports & Media Law Institute Copyright Year in Review

    November 01, 2019ssalkin

  • Analysis of Warhol Art Fair Use Ruling

    The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York held that a series of silkscreen paintings and prints by Andy Warhol based on a photograph of music legend Prince taken by Lynn Goldsmith constituted a transformative fair use.

    October 01, 2019Robert W. Clarida and Robert J. Bernstein

  • Lawyers Win Contingency Fee Fight Against Estate of Blues Icon's Son

    There have been disputes over rights to the two existing photographs of blues icon Robert Johnson as well as over who was his rightful heir. The latest court decision involves a contingency fee agreement originally entered into by a law firm hired by Johnson's son, who died in 2015. The case offers an example of what rights counsel may gain from such an arrangement following the death of the signatory client.

    October 01, 2019Stan Soocher

  • 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.

    October 01, 2019Alaina Lancaster

  • 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.

    October 01, 2019Dan Clark

  • 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.

    October 01, 2019Zach Schlein