LJN Newsletters

Social networking sites are not just for social networking. As individuals become more and more comfortable with presenting "private" information to the "public," information posted on social networking sites can provide a rich source of discovery and can be a game-changer in litigation.

Eleventh Circuit Interprets "Licensed Indicia"
Humor Website Qualifies as "Internet Service Provider"
No Substantial Similarity Found Between Rap and R&B Songs
Songwriter Royalties Aren't Immune from Attorney Fees Levy

Two recent court rulings ' one involving the movie The Hangover: Part II and the other the TV series South Park ' considered unusual issues in challenged uses of content in entertainment productions.

The Supreme Court unanimously threw out fines and sanctions against broadcasters who violated the FCC policy regulating curse words and nudity on broadcast television. But the justices declined to follow the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and issue a broad ruling on the constitutionality of the FCC indecency policy.

A federal judge dismissed an antitrust action brought on behalf of retired professional football players who accused the National Football League of monopolizing the market for DVDs, videos and films featuring the plaintiffs' names and likenesses.

In 2007, the television network Nickelodeon handpicked Caitlin Sanchez, then 12-years-old, to voice the wildly popular cartoon character "Dora the Explorer." But Sanchez's stint playing a cheery preschooler wound up introducing her into a very adult world of litigation.

After performing-rights organizations ASCAP and BMI lost royalty rate challenges against background music provider DMX Inc. in 2010, they turned to a pair of former U.S. solicitors general to handle their appeals. But all that appellate firepower wasn't enough to turn their fortunes around.

In the last three years, there have been a number of decisions issued by California courts on anti-SLAPP motions filed in response to lawsuits arising out of the publication and/or distribution of entertainment works.