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Features

Bit Parts Image

Bit Parts

Stan Soocher

Performers' Names/Trademarks; Right of Publicity/Descendibility; Talent Agencies Act/Arbitration Clauses; Talent Agencies Act/Severability; Taxation/Film Manufacturing

Features

Third-Party Asbestos Decisions: The Impact of Relationships And Public Policy Concerns Image

Third-Party Asbestos Decisions: The Impact of Relationships And Public Policy Concerns

Karen R. Harned & Daniel Bosch

A recent decision by the Michigan Supreme Court has provided more clarity about how a state court is likely to rule in asbestos cases alleging third-party liability. States appear to be looking more to the nature of the relationship between the plaintiff and the defendant.

Cameo Clips Image

Cameo Clips

ALM Staff & Law Journal Newsletters

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT/LACK OF ACCESS; COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT/SUBSTANTIAL SIMILARITY; COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION/DEPOSIT COPY; RECORD-DISTRIBUTION DEALS/DERIVATIVE-SONGS RIGHTS; RECORD-LABEL VALUATION/EXPERT WITNESSES; RIGHT OF PUBLICITY/FIRST AMENDMENT

Features

Safe-Harbor Considerations For Web Videos Image

Safe-Harbor Considerations For Web Videos

Jakob Halpern

From YouTube's perspective, taking burdensome steps to prevent the posting of potentially infringing content could destroy the business model and consumer goodwill upon which it relies. [Although YouTube recently announced it was tesing a new copyright filtering process.] This information sharing/rights protection dilemma is not solely limited to YouTube ' many Web sites and other service providers face decisions every day concerning the propriety of user-generated content. The U.S. Copyright Act may provide a critical solution to that dilemma.

Retroactive Move Doesn't Block Copyright Suit Image

Retroactive Move Doesn't Block Copyright Suit

Beth Bar

Copyright-infringement claims can go forward against Mary J. Blige, the 'Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,' the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled, reversing a lower court determination. <i>Davis v. Blige</i>.

Features

Navigating the Potential Traps in Licensing Content for Online Uses Image

Navigating the Potential Traps in Licensing Content for Online Uses

Christian L. Castle

Copyright owners who are considering licensing their content for online exploitations must understand that they are venturing into still largely uncharted waters with few reliable partners. It's better than it was in 2000 ' or even 2003 ' but it's still not an entirely stable environment with dangerous shoals along the route. Don't assume that words you have seen in contracts for decades have the same meaning to your online licensee as they would to a court.

In re Allied Chemical Corp.: 'Cause' for Celebration By Defendants? Image

In re Allied Chemical Corp.: 'Cause' for Celebration By Defendants?

By Kurt Hamrock & Geraldine Doetzer

The Texas Supreme Court has made it clear that it considers the disclosure of the identities of medical or other causation experts willing to link plaintiffs' injuries to defendants' products or behavior as 'basic information' without which defendants cannot mount an appropriate defense. At least in the case of mass tort claims, trial courts are barred from setting trial dates or otherwise moving cases forward without providing defendants with a real opportunity to obtain basic causation information from plaintiffs' counsel.

Features

e-Commerce Docket Sheet Image

e-Commerce Docket Sheet

ALM Staff & Law Journal Newsletters

Recent cases in e-commerce law and in the e-commerce industry.

Practice Tip: The Earning Capacity of Business Owners Image

Practice Tip: The Earning Capacity of Business Owners

Chad L. Staller

The owner of a business can claim as lost earning capacity in a personal-injury action only the working time lost due to injuries and harm to future earning capacity, not the business' alleged profits in perpetuity.

Germany: More on The Enforceability Of GPL Provisions Image

Germany: More on The Enforceability Of GPL Provisions

Dr. Katharina Scheja

Once again, a German court has ruled on the GNU (programs of all-free software) General Public License ('GPL') and confirmed its enforceability in Germany. The judgment was handed down on July 24 (Landgericht Mnchen I, decision of 24th July 2007 - 7 O 5245/07 - not final); still, it is noteworthy that the GPL provisions so far have received positive evaluation by German courts.

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MOST POPULAR STORIES

  • The 'Sophisticated Insured' Defense
    A majority of courts consider the <i>contra proferentem</i> doctrine to be a pillar of insurance law. The doctrine requires ambiguous terms in an insurance policy to be construed against the insurer and in favor of coverage for the insured. A prominent rationale behind the doctrine is that insurance policies are usually standard-form contracts drafted entirely by insurers.
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  • Abandoned and Unused Cables: A Hidden Liability Under the 2002 National Electric Code
    In an effort to minimize the release of toxic gasses from cables in the event of fire, the 2002 version of the National Electric Code ("NEC"), promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association, sets forth new guidelines requiring that abandoned cables must be removed from buildings unless they are located in metal raceways or tagged "For Future Use." While the NEC is not, in itself, binding law, most jurisdictions in the United States adopt the NEC by reference in their state or local building and fire codes. Thus, noncompliance with the recent NEC guidelines will likely mean that a building is in violation of a building or fire code. If so, the building owner may also be in breach of agreements with tenants and lenders and may be jeopardizing its fire insurance coverage. Even in jurisdictions where the 2002 NEC has not been adopted, it may be argued that the guidelines represent the standard of reasonable care and could result in tort liability for the landlord if toxic gasses from abandoned cables are emitted in a fire. With these potential liabilities in mind, this article discusses: 1) how to address the abandoned wires and cables currently located within the risers, ceilings and other areas of properties, and 2) additional considerations in the placement and removal of telecommunications cables going forward.
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