Features
Clause & Effect <b>Contestant Releases/Physical Injury Claims
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia decided that a contestant on the TV game show "Wheel of Fortune" was barred by a release he signed from pursuing a negligent conduct claim against the show's producer over alleged injuries he sustained during taping. But the court also ruled that the contestant could proceed with his claims of reckless or intentional conduct.
Decision of Note: <b>Legends President Owes SC Corp. No Fiduciary Duty</b>
The Supreme Court of South Carolina ruled that the president of the Nevada-based Legends In Concert owed no fiduciary duty to a corporation formed by an entrepreneur to raise the capital needed to produce a Legends musical in Myrtle Beach.
Courthouse Steps
Recently filed cases in entertainment law, straight from the steps of the Los Angeles Superior Court.
Features
Sports Report
This occasional column will cover court rulings on sports-related issues of interest to the entertainment industry.
U.S. Supreme Court Justices Offer Mixed Views During Arguments in Landmark 'Grokster' Case
WASHINGTON, DC ' The controversy over whether developers and distributors of peer-to-peer file-sharing software should be found liable for contributory and vicarious copyright infringement has been described as the most important copyright case for the entertainment industry in two decades ' or as an issue that Congress ultimately will decide. (That the underlying unlicensed downloading and uploading of entertainment content by consumers is direct infringement has already been made clear by courts.) To this observer in the court's press section, questioning by the U.S. Supreme Court justices during the recent oral arguments in what is known as the <i>Grokster</i> case demonstrated no clear consensus among the justices.
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
- Meet the Lawyer Working on Inclusion Rider LanguageAt the Oscars in March, Best Actress winner Frances McDormand made “inclusion rider” go viral. But Kalpana Kotagal, a partner at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll had already worked for months to write the language for such provisions. Kotagal was developing legal language for contract provisions that Hollywood's elite could use to require studios and other partners to employ diverse workers on set.Read More ›
- Protecting Innovation in the Cyber World from Patent TrollsWith trillions of dollars to keep watch over, the last thing we need is the distraction of costly litigation brought on by patent assertion entities (PAEs or "patent trolls"), companies that don't make any products but instead seek royalties by asserting their patents against those who do make products.Read More ›
- From the PTO to the FDA: What to Consider When Branding Clinical TrialsThe legal implications of branding generally arise initially for companies during the process of selecting a company name and any initial product or service names. For drug development companies, however, careful consideration should also be paid to the implications of branding a clinical trial.Read More ›
- Disconnect Between In-House and Outside Counsel'Disconnect Between In-House and Outside Counsel is a continuation of the discussion of client expectations and the disconnect that often occurs. And although the outside attorneys should be pursuing how inside-counsel actually think, inside counsel should make an effort to impart this information without waiting to be asked.Read More ›