Entertainment and Sports Law

  • Practical Impact of D.C. Circuit's Ruling on Foreign Broadcasters and Copyright Liability

    Broadcasters around the globe know that Americans want access to digital content and that they often ignore who provides it to them. For business reasons, tax reasons or to try to avoid liability under copyright law, many of these broadcasters intentionally do not set up operations in the United States. However, when these broadcasters transmit content for which they do not have authorization, they may be in violation of the copyright holder's rights.

    June 01, 2018Scott D. Locke and Laura-Michelle Horgan

  • Arbitration Impact on Attorney Fees and Film Company Principal

    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit reversed a district court's award of attorney fees to Sony Corp. under §505 of the Copyright Act for winning a ruling that a lawsuit over a Sony Music songwriting contest should be sent to arbitration.

    June 01, 2018Stan Soocher

  • Commentary: 'Thin' vs. 'Broad' Protection for Music Works

    The hotly disputed legal issue between the majority and dissent in the recent, highly-publicized “Blurred Lines” decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit concerned whether Marvin Gaye's 1976 hit song “Got to Give it Up” was entitled to “broad” or “thin” copyright protection.

    June 01, 2018Dr. Dariush Adli

  • Commentary: Smaller Space for Innovation Leads to More Infringement Suits

    Pop musicians may be running out of creative space. And this problem is being exacerbated by the behaviors of what we might call the “legacy” interests — parties who own copyright interests in already-created songs but who won't be making any new music.

    June 01, 2018Christopher J. Buccafusco

  • Impact on Accusers of Court-Approved Weinstein Co. Sale

    A Delaware federal bankruptcy judge's ruling in May approved the $310 million sale of The Weinstein Co.'s television and film assets to Dallas-based Lantern Capital Partners. The development was the latest blow to women who had hoped to recover against the company for abuses suffered at the hands of company co-founder Harvey Weinstein.

    June 01, 2018Tom McParland

  • Plot Thickens for Dispute over 'Star Wars'-Related Card Game App

    In a lawsuit over rights to a card game with a pivotal role in the Star Wars saga, Lucasfilm Ltd. won an early battle against app maker Ren Ventures Ltd. when a federal district judge in San Francisco declined to dismiss Lucasfilm's claims based on Ren Ventures' use of various trademarks, primarily centered on the game Sabacc.

    June 01, 2018Ross Todd

  • Bit Parts

    Brief Use of Graffiti Art in HBO's Vinyl Show Found De Minimis
    Chinese Film Company Subject to Personal Jurisdiction in Location Security Company's Colorado Lawsuit

    June 01, 2018Stan Soocher

  • NY High Court Sees Right of Publicity Claim in Avatars but Rules Against Celebrity Plaintiffs

    Legislature Considers Publicity Law Update

    Ruling in a matter of first impression, New York's high court dismissed suits filed by Lindsay Lohan and the daughter of ex-mobster Sammy “The Bull” Gravano against the makers of Grand Theft Auto V, by disagreeing with the plaintiff's claims that characters in the game were intended to be their look-alikes.

    May 01, 2018Andrew Denney