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Story Rights and 'Son of Sam Laws' Image

Story Rights and 'Son of Sam Laws'

Ethan Bordman

There are always high-profile criminal cases in the news.As these cases develop, we often learn that the accused has received offers from publishers, television networks and movie studios to tell his or her story for a large sum of money. Can these individuals keep the money, potentially profiting from the alleged crime? "Son of Sam" laws may lead one to believe the answer is "no." But, in fact, it depends.

Features

Google's Mass Copying of Copyrighted Works Judged 'Fair Use' Image

Google's Mass Copying of Copyrighted Works Judged 'Fair Use'

Mark Hamblett

Google's mass-copying of copyrighted works to build a digital library of more than 20 million books is shielded by the fair use doctrine, Judge Denny Chin ruled on Nov. 14.

Features

Soul Men Ruling Latest to Demonstrate Courts' Shift To Transformative Use Test In Publicity Rights Cases Image

Soul Men Ruling Latest to Demonstrate Courts' Shift To Transformative Use Test In Publicity Rights Cases

Keola R. Whittaker

Celebrities often turn to the Lanham Act and state right of publicity laws to protect against exploitation of their name, image or voice in connection with the promotion of products or services. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently considered both Lanham Act and right of publicity claims in an action that pitted a Grammy winning musical artist against a major motion picture studio over the alleged use of the musician's likeness in a movie.

Columns & Departments

Net News Image

Net News

ALM Staff & Law Journal Newsletters

LinkedIn Post Likely Did Not Violate Non-Compete Clause <br>Virtual Currency Is Real Dough

Features

The Five Best Practices for Optimum Web Performance Image

The Five Best Practices for Optimum Web Performance

Aaron Rudger

It's the annual shopping rush ' Black Friday and Cyber Monday are only the beginning of the run up to Christmas. For major online retailers especially, this is make or break time. Is your site ready?

Features

The 'Silly Season' Image

The 'Silly Season'

J. Mark Santiago

Almost 30 years ago when I began my career consulting to law firms, the then managing partner of Donovan Leisure Newton &amp; Irving used that term to refer to the months of October through December. It was his way of pointing out to his fellow partners that the necessary activities of practice management that so many of them had avoided for the first nine or 10 months of the year now had to be addressed.

Features

Partner Compensation Image

Partner Compensation

Steven A. Davis

How do you determine partner compensation at your law firm? You certainly look at each partner's originations, working attorney receipts and billable hours. But what about his or her excellent client service, strong leadership, successful staff development efforts and keen technical skills?

Columns & Departments

Court Watch Image

Court Watch

Cynthia M. Klaus & Susan E. Tegt

Franchisor's Operation of Online Store does not Violate Exclusivity <br>Federal Court Declines To Enjoin Franchisee from Violating Non-Compete

Patent Quality, Post-Grant Review, And the GAO Report on Patent Litigation Image

Patent Quality, Post-Grant Review, And the GAO Report on Patent Litigation

Michael R. Fleming

One of the many elements of the sweeping America Invents Act of 2012 (AIA) was a directive to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting a report on factors affecting patent litigation. The GAO released its report in August. Perhaps surprisingly, the GAO found that NPEs were not the main contributor to alleged problems with patent litigation in the United States. Instead, the GAO concluded that poor patent quality was to blame for most nuisance infringement suits.

Features

Court Approves Settlement of Suit Over NFL Players Publicity Rights Image

Court Approves Settlement of Suit Over NFL Players Publicity Rights

Jan Wolfe

A federal judge in Minnesota signed off on a hotly contested $50 million settlement between the National Football League and former players who said the league infringed their publicity rights. The ruling was a blow to a group of plaintiffs' lawyers who lodged objections to the deal, calling it inadequate.

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