Lawsuits over Unpaid Internships Took Root in 2013
December 31, 2013
Eric Glatt was in the library at Georgetown Law Center when he got the call last summer. On the other end of the line was his lawyer, Juno Turner, an associate at New York's Outten & Golden. "We won," she said. With those two words, Glatt, who holds an MBA from Case Western University and is now working toward a law degree, became the unconventional hero for unpaid interns everywhere.
Aereo Makes Unusual Move in Networks' Bid for S. Ct. Review
December 31, 2013
In an unusual move that raised the stakes in the major copyright battle between broadcast television networks and the upstart Aereo TV service, Aereo Inc. is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the dispute, even though it won in the court below.
Prior Agreement Bars Termination of Song Rights
December 31, 2013
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York decided that music publisher EMI can keep the rights to the 1934 hit song "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" for another 25 years.
Story Rights and 'Son of Sam Laws'
November 30, 2013
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.
Bit Parts
November 30, 2013
Copyright Infringement Claim Is Time-Barred If Ownership Claim Is, Too<br>Malpractice Suit Against Music Lawyer Ruled Untimely<br>
Establishing Copyright Damages When Party Moves for Summary Judgment
November 30, 2013
Section 504(b) of the Copyright Act allows a copyright owner to obtain both the owner's actual damages as well as an infringer's profits attributable to the infringed work that weren't included in the actual damages award. What are the burdens of proof when a copyright infringement plaintiff seeks this recovery after a pre-trial summary judgment motion has been filed? How does an expert's report work into this?
Soul Men Ruling Latest to Demonstrate Courts' Shift To Transformative Use Test In Publicity Rights Cases
November 30, 2013
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.
Court Approves Settlement of Suit Over NFL Players Publicity Rights
November 30, 2013
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.
