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Bit Parts

Stan Soocher

Recent developments in entertainment law. <p>This month:<br>Agent Commissions/Arbitration Awards<br>Documentaries/Defamation<br>Downloading/Default Judgment<br>DVD Distribution/Preliminary Injunctions<br>Tax Liability/Royalty Statements

Features

Clause & Effect

Stan Soocher

Agency Agreements/Commissions<br>Recording Contracts/Copyright Renewals

Features

<b>Commentary:</b> 'Unanimous' Vote In Grokster Has Split Views

Susanna Frederick Fischer

In its opinion, the Supreme Court clearly focused the test for copyright infringement liability on the subjective question of the purpose of the software's distribution ' an approach that better comports with basic notions of fairness than that of the courts below. But read together, the plurality opinion and two concurring opinions raise a new set of disquieting questions.

Features

<b>Decision of Note: </b>'Holla Back' Hook Not Infringing

ALM Staff & Law Journal Newsletters

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that there was no substantial similarity between the hook in the plaintiff's song and the hook in the defendant's song that would support an inference of copying

Cameo Clips

ALM Staff & Law Journal Newsletters

Recent cases in entertainment law.

Issues in Licensing Music for Podcasts

Steve Gordon

Even amateur podcasters know that there are legal concerns with podcasting music. As the law stands now, a podcaster must secure permission for every copyrighted sound-recording master. This would be extremely time-consuming and expensive ' even for NPR, let alone individual podcasters. On the other hand, acquiring the rights to use the songs embodied in podcasts may not be as big a problem because the statutory compulsory license applicable to the mechanical reproduction of musical compositions probably applies to podcasts. In addition, blanket public-performance licenses are already offered by ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.

Legislative Recommendations By The Canadian Task Force On Spam Legislation, Regulation And Enforcement

ALM Staff & Law Journal Newsletters

The following points are from the task force's report. Numbering was kept from the report for reference purposes. Canadian spellings were also retained.…

<i>WhenU</i> Helps Keyword Companies See Clearly

Douglas Wolf

The recent decision in <i>1-800 Contacts, Inc. v. WhenU.com</i> is an important case in the murky law relating to keywords. Many companies use keywords in some form to generate revenue, from search engines selling keywords to trigger banner ads or the pop-up business described in the <i>WhenU</i> decision. <br>The case is particularly important for companies such as Google not only because keyword sales represent a substantial portion of their revenue, but also because obtaining legal precedent supporting this kind of business has been inconsistent.

e-Commerce DOCKET SHEET

ALM Staff & Law Journal Newsletters

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

Trademark Law Shapes Internet Pop-up Ads

Jonathan Bick

Despite their negative public images and being the target of much private invective, Internet pop-up ads and unsolicited commercial e-mail (spam) have transfigured marketing ' and, like spam, Internet pop-ups can be lawful if they are not deceptive. <br>That said, trademark infringement may be the only successful cause of action against Internet pop-up advertisers and getting them to change their business methods.

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