As an update to our article in the June 2011 issue, this article highlights important case developments and new legal trends that have emerged with respect to the collection of state sales taxes by online retailers, as well as a general overview of online sales taxes and the constitutionality of click-through affiliate relationships.
The Bit Parts item on <i>Troma Entertainment Inc. v. Centennial Pictures Inc.</i>, in the May issue should have reported that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of NY was the deciding court.
In May 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit considered a photographer's case against television companies over alleged infringement of his image of a notorious imposter who called himself Clark Rockefeller.
For a class of older television writers suing studios, networks and talent agencies for age discrimination, a $70 million settlement reached in 2010 was a happy ending. For the writers' lawyers, though, it was only the opening act in a story line that might seem clich' to some of their clients ' a fight over money.
Strategic disqualification is a tactic in which a recognized expert is interviewed by a prospective client to determine where the expert stands on a particular fact pattern. But the client's attorney may not be really interested in the actual expertise of the witness elect, nor is the lawyer interested in whether or not the witness will opine in the client's favor. This attorney has only one agenda: to create the appearance of a relationship substantial enough so the opposing counsel can't also consult with the expert.
The newly enacted federal JOBS Act of 2012 (H.R. 3606; http://bit.ly/JfRRg2) impacts independent film financing by loosening the restrictions on companies ("issuers") raising capital via securities offerings that are exempt from registration with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC).
The copyright for the original versions of Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse have expired. Now, members of the public can create — and are busy creating — their own works based on these beloved characters. Suppose, though, we want to tell stories using Batman for which the copyright does not expire until 2035. We'll review five hypothetical works inspired by the original Batman comic and analyze them under fair use.
This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.
In Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?
In 1987, a unanimous Court of Appeals reaffirmed the vitality of the "stranger to the deed" rule, which holds that if a grantor executes a deed to a grantee purporting to create an easement in a third party, the easement is invalid. Daniello v. Wagner, decided by the Second Department on November 29th, makes it clear that not all grantors (or their lawyers) have received the Court of Appeals' message, suggesting that the rule needs re-examination.
As consumers continue to shift purchasing and consumption habits in the aftermath of the pandemic, manufacturers are increasingly reliant on third-party logistics and warehousing to ensure their products timely reach the market.
