LJN Newsletters

North Carolina Federal Court Dismisses Suit by Sellers Against Lawyers for Music Company Purchaser
Sixth Circuit Has Jurisdiction over Declaratory Claim for Song Authorship

Prince, the flamboyant pop star with 10 platinum albums, should pay nearly $4 million in damages for welshing on his promise to promote a perfume named after his latest CD, a special referee in Manhattan concluded after conducting a four-day inquest on damages.

Arbitrators' Findings Upheld in Legal Malpractice Dispute over Talent Agencies Act Controversy
Contingency Fee Agreement Applies to Potter Guide Post-Trial Settlement

Highlights of the latest equipment leasing law.

As part of day-to-day operations, companies regularly enter into intellectual property assignments or "work-for-hire" arrangements with employees and contractors, often pursuant to form agreements that are not tailored to the particular engagement. However, decisions such as the recent opinion by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Marvel Worldwide v. Kirby, highlight the importance of carefully drafting provisions governing the transfer of rights in new works of authorship.

In the context of alleged unauthorized uses of an individual's personal indicia, inconsistency ' in how different courts determine whether there are viable claims under state right of publicity laws or for false endorsement or association under the federal Lanham Act ' makes it difficult for attorneys who view content through a First Amendment lens when counseling entertainment production companies.

This second installment of a two-part series discusses in detail those provisions of Dodd-Frank, among many others, which may have the most immediate and greatest impact on U.S. equipment leasing and finance companies.

If you are the owner of a property that is being licensed into a potential motion picture franchise, how do you contractually protect the rights to your existing character or property so that the movies and related items being created do not damage your preexisting property? This article examines the approaches customarily utilized.