Bit Parts
Summary Judgment Denied Defendant in Declaratory Action by Producer of To Kill a Mockingbird Broadway Play Seeking Amateur Theatrical Rights
Read More › Features
Decision of Note: <b>NY Proper Forum For Suit Over BBC Documentary</b>
ALM Staff
&
Law Journal Newsletters
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that a New York-based plaintiff properly filed suit in Manhattan federal court alleging unjust enrichment and misappropriation of idea by the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC). <i>Gross v. British Broadcasting Corp.</i> Plaintiff Pat Gross claimed that the BBC had without permission used her idea for a documentary about militant animal-rights activists that was broadcast in the United Kingdom. The district court dismissed the complaint for forum non conveniens.
New Hardware Could Affect Online Subscription Pricing
Christian Castle
As a companion to his feature article on online content aggregators, Chris Castle discusses some of the new hardware that is available for downloading and playing online music ' and its possible effect on online music subscription rates.
Features
Reality TV Shows Difficult Concepts To Protect
Andrew M. White
&
Lee S. Brenner
In the superheated competition of reality television programming, ownership of ideas is increasingly being disputed.<br>Allegations of idea theft will likely increase as the number of reality TV shows expands and the realm of truly novel ideas shrinks. Resolution of these cases could set new standards for ownership of ideas and the best ways of protecting those rights.
Content Agreggator Agreements With Online Music Services
Christian L. Castle
Legitimate online music services have struggled to provide content from the fragmented independent music world. Until recently, independent artists were not very present on the legitimate online music services. This is partly because the major labels control the best-known recordings, partly because the major labels usually support online distribution with significant marketing budgets and partly because it is not very efficient for an online service to negotiate agreements with thousands of independent artists. <br> But after securing licenses from the major labels, the major online services sought to differentiate their offerings by adding independent artists. This created opportunities for a few companies to enter into "middleman" distribution agreements with many independent artists, and then enter into a licensing agreement with an online service for the artists' content. (Aggregators may also represent smaller independent labels, but this article will focus on independent artists who are also copyright owners.)
Courthouse Steps
ALM Staff
&
Law Journal Newsletters
Recently filed cases in entertainment law, straight from the steps of the Los Angeles Superior Court.
Features
Attorney Fees Update
ALM Staff
&
Law Journal Newsletters
Depending on the circumstances and the law, parties on either side of an entertainment suit may ask a court for an award of attorney fees. Following are recent court rulings that deal with this and related concerns.
Recent Developments from Around the States
ALM Staff
&
Law Journal Newsletters
What's happening around the states.
Features
National Litigation Hotline
ALM Staff
&
Law Journal Newsletters
National rulings of importance to you and your practice.
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