Litigation

Default Against iTunes in Artist's Download Suit Is Set Aside
Michigan Gets Governmental Immunity in Tax Credit Case
Translation Lyrics Suit Can Be Heard in New York Federal Court, Despite Appeal of Florida Litigation over Same Song

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the Constitution did not bar Congress from extending copyright protection to previously free foreign works, such as Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf.

Singer Toni Basil's legal malpractice suit against the attorney and firm who, she argued, did not adequately protect her rights to her 1980s pop standard "Mickey," must be dismissed as time barred, a New York appellate court ruled.

As the dust settled following the close of Landrush, however, the last (and potentially most contentious) leg of the launch commenced. General availability began on Dec. 6, and .XXX domains are being allocated on a first come basis. Now is the time for trademark, domain name and brand owners to purchase .XXX domains to proactively race to stake a claim in their brand if only as a defensive measure to prevent other domain owners from registering/using their name in a .XXX context. It's a showdown at the .XXX corral.

To complement our recent article on the termination of rights under copyright in sound recordings, we focus here on termination of rights under copyright in musical compositions ' and particularly on the pending lawsuit in California in which rights in some iconic songs made famous by the Village People are in dispute.

Key happenings in neighboring states.

The state legislature has directed the courts to flag misdemeanor convictions involving domestic violence, the latest among several kinds of data legislators demand from the judiciary.

Several decisions of note.