Judge Changes Mind, Rules for Coca-Cola in Suit by Songwriter
Miami Beach songwriter Rafael "Rafa" Vergara Hermosilla bested Coca-Cola in 2010 when a federal judge issued an injunction in Vergara's fight for credit for the international mega hit of "Wavin' Flag" in Spanish. But litigation is a marathon, not a sprint, and Coca-Cola recently won the more important Round 2. Federal District Judge K. Michael Moore, of the Southern District of Florida, has granted Coca-Cola's renewed motion for summary judgment, dismissing Vergara's claim of copyright infringement by noting that when Vergara wrote the Spanish translation version of "Wavin' Flag," he assigned the rights of his work to Universal Music Group.
Claims Risks
As in-house counsel continue to juggle their roles between corporate gatekeepers and confidants, they face a host of emerging risks.
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<b>Decision of Note</b> MI Supreme Court Dismisses Claim over Backstage Taping
The Supreme Court of Michigan dismissed an eavesdropping claim by city officials who were taped backstage while demanding that a video they considered improper for young audience members not be played during a Detroit concert that featured rappers Dr. Dre, Eminem and Snoop Dogg.
<i><b>When the Show Can't Go On</i></b> Seeking Insurance Recovery for Concert Cancellations
Concert tours can generate significant income for an artist. Yet every concert tour carries a risk that some event outside of the artist's control ' health issues, physical injuries, adverse weather or safety concerns, to name a few ' could force the cancellation of a single show or even an entire tour, thereby resulting in lost revenue to the artist and unrecoverable costs. To protect against this risk, many performance artists elect to obtain event cancellation and/or non-appearance insurance (which may be covered under the same or separate policies) prior to going on tour. This insurance coverage often covers financial losses, including lost guaranteed income, that result from cancellation of the event.
Legal Project Management
Project management applications for legal operations ' legal project management or LPM ' hold promise for transforming the relationship between General Counsel and outside counsel ...
Reining in Health Care Costs
What if firms had a way to provide the same benefit protections, but at a lower cost to both the firms and their employees? Combining a high-deductible health plan with health savings accounts can do just that.
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Parameters of the Witness No Contact Rule
This article articulates some of the common issues that a lawyer should consider under Model Rule 4.2, but the manner in which Model Rule 4.2 is applied across different jurisdictions may vary.
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Quarterly State Compliance Review
This edition of the Quarterly State Compliance Review looks at some enacted and pending legislation of interest to corporate lawyers. It also discusses some recent cases of interest, including decisions from Delaware and New York concerning the awarding of attorneys' fees.
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Client Trust Accounts
What steps can your firm take to reduce the risk of loss or fraud as it relates to IOLTAs? Also, what must be done to meet your state's client trust account record-keeping requirements? This article covers the basics and will help you think about what changes your firm should consider to protect against IOLTA loss or fraud.
Expanded Supervisory Liability for In-House Lawyers
In-house lawyers, beware ' your exposure to potential supervisory liability may extend far beyond the confines of the legal department.
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