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Bit Parts
Florida Federal Court's Findings in Battle Over "LINEAR" Band Name Not So Linear Second Circuit Agrees Federal Copyright Law Preempts Right of Publicity Complaint Over Sirius XM's Use of Howard Stern Show Archival Recordings
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Right to Funds from Sale of Tax Credits At Issue In Litigation Between Production Companies
State tax credits are valuable tools for helping meet the costs of producing films, TV shows, commercials, and other media and entertainment productions. But if more than one production company is involved with a project, a legal dispute can arise over which company owns the right to the tax credit funds.
Features

Malpractice Claim Over Prince Tracks Is Governed by Massachusetts Law
The Mass. Appeals Court ruled that a legal malpractice claim brought by representatives of the iconic musician Prince's estate against an attorney and his firm is governed by Massachusetts, not Minnesota, law.
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Defamation Cases Against Netflix, Funimation Have Different Outcomes
Defamation litigation crops up often in the entertainment industry. Two recent Texas Court of Appeals opinions raise issues worth noting in such cases, though each of the Texas decisions had different outcomes.
Features

Pondering AI Machine Learning and Copyright Fair Use
By feeding machine-learning models hundreds of copyrighted pictures to train them to identify and "read" certain concepts, companies could face violating copyright laws.
Columns & Departments
Fresh Filings
Rapper 50 Cent filed a right-of-publicity lawsuit against Angela Kogan and her company Perfection Plastic Surgery & MedSpa in Florida Southern District…
Columns & Departments
Players On the Move
A look at moves among attorneys, law firms, companies and other players in entertainment law.
Features

Federal Judge Takes Aim at Legal Process for Targeting Counterfeit Merchandisers
The rebound in concert tours and ticket revenues as 2022 has unfolded gives the live events industry hope for a strong 2023, too. For many tours, though, it's income from merchandise that makes the tour profitable. Thus, the rise in the number of artists touring also means a parallel resurgence in the activities of counterfeit-merchandise sellers and renewed efforts by the industry to battle its long-time problem with the sale of counterfeit merchandise near event venues.
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