Features

More Chinese Companies Are Joining U.S. Firms to Fight Patent Trolls
Some of China's largest companies have banded together with major brands in the United States and elsewhere to neutralize "patent trolls," an indication that the country's firms are becoming increasingly concerned about patent infringement litigation.
Columns & Departments
IP News
U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Booking.com Trademark Case
Features

Film and Music Cases Result in Different Outcomes for Default Judgment Motions
Non-payment of monies is an all-too-common complaint in the entertainment industry, with frustrated plaintiffs in many cases seeking default judgments against defendants who fail to respond to lawsuits seeking payment. Two new Central District of California federal court decisions illustrate — after the judges sort through the factors for determining whether to grant a default judgment — how consideration of the amount of money at issue resulted in different outcomes on whether to enter a default judgment.
Features

Editor's Note
We sadly note the November passing of long-time Entertainment Law & Finance editorial board member Jay Rosenthal.
Features

Photo Cases Test Copyright Law and Embedded Tweets
A New Yorker who settled a copyright lawsuit against several news outlets over a photo he took of star quarterback Tom Brady and Boston Celtics manager Danny Ainge has struck again. This time he's suing a radio station owner in Florida federal courts in a case that could test the boundaries of an emerging area of copyright law, raising major questions about how media companies incorporate social media posts into online stories.
Features

A Primer for Forming Loan-Out Corporations
In the entertainment industry, it can take years for actors, musicians and others to reach a point where their efforts begin bringing in a notable return. If and when these types of clients begin to make a consistently significant income, one method that deserves consideration for protecting the hard-earned pay is to organize a loan-out corporation.
Features

Can Video Game Companies Be Liable for Users' Money Laundering?
Criminals are hoping to use video game platforms to score more than just points. By using ill-gotten gains to purchase in-game currency that can then be exchanged for real cash, bad actors have found a way to launder money that is difficult for both gaming providers and the authorities to track.
Features

How Will NCAA's New Policy on Endorsements By Athletes Play Out
University general counsel and sports lawyers across the country have been trying to figure out their next steps in the controversial world of marketing student athletes.
Features

Trial to Start in Suit over Walking Dead Stuntman Death
The trial over a death on the set of the Walking Dead zombie drama will hinge on one key question: What happened in the moments before a stuntman plunged off a balcony and missed an airbag 20 feet below.
Features

Filers Beware: No Expedited Discovery in Copyright Suits
Litigation tactics employed by frequent filers of copyright infringement suits may face heavy criticism in light of a recent ruling by a federal judge in New Jersey.
Need Help?
- Prefer an IP authenticated environment? Request a transition or call 800-756-8993.
- Need other assistance? email Customer Service or call 1-877-256-2472.
MOST POPULAR STORIES
- Risks of “Baseball Arbitration” in Resolving Real Estate Disputes“Baseball arbitration” refers to the process used in Major League Baseball in which if an eligible player's representative and the club ownership cannot reach a compensation agreement through negotiation, each party enters a final submission and during a formal hearing each side — player and management — presents its case and then the designated panel of arbitrators chooses one of the salary bids with no other result being allowed. This method has become increasingly popular even beyond the sport of baseball.Read More ›
- Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the RoughThere is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.Read More ›
- Do FL and CA Talent Agency Law Cover Social Media Influencers and Esports Talent?If the definition for "artist" under Florida's Talent Agencies Act applies to influencers and esports players, then likely a lot of unlicensed representatives are in violation of the state's statute — and the penalties are pretty serious.Read More ›
- Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About ItWhy is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?Read More ›
- The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year LaterThe DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.Read More ›