Under §301 of the U.S. Copyright Act, state law claims that are "equivalent" to exclusive rights in copyrights granted by federal law are preempted by the federal statute. To survive preemption, courts consider whether a state law claim in a lawsuit has an "extra element" that qualitatively distinguishes it from a federal copyright claim.
Activision Blizzard and a trial team led by San Francisco-based Durie Tangri partner Daralyn Durie recently faced down a $400 million copyright suit in the Eastern District of Texas. In this Q&A, Durie talks about the strategy and the theatrics of the four-day trial.
Since the pandemic began, lawyers have been using the coronavirus to justify nonpayment of rent, construction delays and even termination of labor contracts. But the prospect of litigating a contract cancellation based on force majeure is still so fraught with peril that many breach-of-contract disputes end in an amicable resolution.
In June, New York's lawmakers approved amendments to the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, exempting cooperative corporations from some of the most onerous provisions, and clarifying others. Once signed, the new legislation will not only be a huge victory for the thousands of cooperative apartment buildings but also for many potential purchasers who were unable to purchase in those buildings as a result of the Act.
A Q&A with Bobby Malhotra of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, Los Angeles.
In a defamation suit brought by former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, a Federal District Judge recently ruled that a release Judge Moore signed prior to his appearance on the satirical Showtime series Who is America? barred precisely the sorts of claims he was bringing. In this Q&A, Baron Cohen's attorneys discuss the case.
When 2020 came and went without the Tokyo Olympics, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lawyer Alan Fertel watched as many of the sponsorships and deals he'd negotiated for one of the world's fastest swimmers — now Tokyo Olympics Gold medal winner Caleb Dressel — expired.
The use of the frustration-of-purpose doctrine to absolve commercial tenants of their obligation to pay rent could signal headwinds for the commercial real estate market — and the economy more generally.
License to Enter Neighbor's Property Reversed Partnership Lacked Authority to Convey Property Questions of Fact About Whether Easement Extinguished By Adverse Possession Purchaser Acquired Deed By False Pretenses Broker Failed to Establish Agreement to Pay Commission
Hear what a cross-section of law firm leaders say about how the pandemic has impacted litigation in the short- and long-term.
