Features
Sony Denied Implied License for Miller Songs
The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee confirmed its earlier ruling that Roger Miller Music and Miller's widow Mary own the renewal-term copyrights to the performer/songwriter's 1964 and post-1964 compositions, which include some of his biggest hits.
Features
JA Apparel v. Abboud
Cases involving family name disputes have historically presented challenges for courts, as they frequently require balancing competing interests of businesses and individuals. A particularly interesting permutation of such disputes involves well-known individuals who convey certain rights in their family name in a particular field to a third party and then later seek to re-enter the same field. A trio of recent decisions on this subject features the famous clothing designer, Joseph Abboud.
Battle over Bob Marley Merchandise Involves Significant 'Image' Issues
High consumer interest in merchandise bearing indicia of deceased celebrity icons has spawned a constantly evolving litigation genre for determining the extent of rights of the icons' estates. The estate of reggae-music legend Bob Marley, who died in 1981, is among the most frequently litigated in the field.
Features
Containing Costs with Concept Searching Saves Clients Thousands
As my firm's Technology Partner, I oversee the e-discovery process for most of the large cases at Severson & Werson. In 2008, one of our clients, a major national bank, was sued by its recently acquired mortgage lending company just after the subprime mortgage financing collapse. The case hinged upon the interpretation of a term in a contract related to the valuation of certain types of subprime loans in the securitization process.
Features
Real Property Law
Discussion of recent cases of importance.
Features
CMS Adoption Rate Should Be Higher
During the fall of 2009, the Legal Technology Institute at the University of Florida Levin College of Law conducted an extensive nationwide survey of the legal profession regarding its use of case, matter and practice management system software.
Features
Backup Protection and Continuity Keep Firms Running
Firms of every size and in every geographic area must protect their electronic data and be prepared for potential IT disasters.
Sorting Out Vested Rights and Non-Conforming Uses
Pre-existing non-conforming use doctrine and "vested rights" doctrine are two different, but related, mechanisms. The Court of Appeals recently decided a case in which the landowner raised both doctrines.
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