Video Games Update
Recent developments in video game cases and law.
Internet Piracy Update
Recent cases in Internet piracy of to the entertainment law community.
<b>Decision of Note:</b> Court Jurisdiction Over Accountants In Film-Deal Suit
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled it had personal jurisdiction over accountants allegedly in-volved in a scheme to defraud in a film-production investment.
Features
Clause & Effect
Mandatory forum selection clauses are 'prima facie valid and should be enforced unless enforcement is shown by the resisting party to be 'unreasonable' under the circumstances. ... Plaintiff has failed to demonstrate that enforcement of the instant forum selection clause is 'unreasonable.'
Courthouse Steps
Recently filed cases in entertainment law, straight from the steps of the Los Angeles Superior Court.
Features
Counsel Concerns
Motion to Withdraw<br>Section 1927 Sanctions
Bankruptcy Filing Allows Artist to Reject Agreement to Collect Artist's Royalties
Artists have sometimes used bankruptcy filings to end personal service agreements, such as recording contracts, and even as a tool in renegotiating deals. A key issue has been whether an artist's bankruptcy terminated such an agreement. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, Poughkeepsie Division, has now decided that an artist in bankruptcy may reject an agreement he or she entered into for a third party to collect the artist's royalties.
Features
Spyware Suits Shed Light On DMCA Concerns
Last November, when millions of music lovers were shocked to discover that Sony BMG Music Entertainment had installed spyware-type software on over 4.7 million CDs, Princeton University computer science professors Edward Felten and J. Alex Halderman weren't surprised. The two computer-security experts uncovered Sony BMG's secret software ' designed to prevent CD piracy ' about a month before the public. But fearing copyright lawsuits from Sony BMG, Felten and Halderman say they kept their findings as hidden as the software. They aren't keeping quiet anymore. In December, the researchers filed a comment at the U.S. Copyright Office seeking an exemption from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), the law that they say stifles their work.
Need Help?
- Prefer an IP authenticated environment? Request a transition or call 800-756-8993.
- Need other assistance? email Customer Service or call 1-877-256-2472.
MOST POPULAR STORIES
- Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the RoughThere is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.Read More ›
- Removing Restrictive Covenants In New YorkIn Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?Read More ›
- Professional Development: How to Be An Ally In the Legal ProfessionLast year law firms sent out announcements about their commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts in response to racial tensions. One of the initiatives firms stated they implemented is a formal allyship program. However, allyship in not a program or a mindset. It is a verb.Read More ›
- Digital Dibs: Rival Views of Generative AI CopyrightsGAI platforms like ChatGPT and OpenAI often require very little human input, shattering this legal landscape's framework by posing a simple question: Who authored the material? We'll explore how two countries are answering this question in different ways.Read More ›
- The Brave New World of Cybersecurity Due Diligence in Mergers and Acquisitions: Pitfalls and OpportunitiesLike poorly-behaved school children, new technologies and intellectual property (IP) are increasingly disrupting the M&A establishment. Cybersecurity has become the latest disruptive newcomer to the M&A party.Read More ›