Bit Parts
March 29, 2010
No Implied Covenant Breach in Cussler's Rejection of Screenplays<br>No Copyright Infringement Found in <i>God of War</i> Video Game<br>Second Circuit Affirms Judgment for Malmsteen Against Business Managers
i4i L.P. v. Microsoft Corp.
March 29, 2010
The Federal Circuit's recent decision in <i>i4i L.P. v. Microsoft Corp.</i>, on appeal from the Eastern District of Texas, contains valuable lessons on a number of procedural issues, particularly on the importance of timely motions during trial in order to preserve matters for appeal.
Practice Notes
March 29, 2010
A Look at Legal Work On Haitian Relief Song<br>Negotiating Olympics Stars' Sponsorship, Endorsement Deals<br>In-House Counsel's Responsibilities at Tennis Association
Cameo Clips
March 29, 2010
MUSIC ROYALTY CLAIMS/MOTION TO RENEW<br>FILM, TV RIGHTS GRANTS/LICENSOR'S COMPENSATION
How Veoh Networks Battled Universal over File-Sharing
March 29, 2010
The nation's major record labels have never been shy about enforcing their copyrights in court. And over the last decade, music industry lawsuits targeting individual consumers accused of illegal file sharing stirred controversy and criticism in certain quarters. At the same time, efforts by these copyright holders to wring hefty settlements out of Silicon Valley tech start-ups via litigation ' or, in some cases, to snuff them out altogether ' has gotten less attention.
Sony Denied Implied License for Miller Songs
March 29, 2010
The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee confirmed its earlier ruling that Roger Miller Music and Miller's widow Mary own the renewal-term copyrights to the performer/songwriter's 1964 and post-1964 compositions, which include some of his biggest hits.
JA Apparel v. Abboud
March 29, 2010
Cases involving family name disputes have historically presented challenges for courts, as they frequently require balancing competing interests of businesses and individuals. A particularly interesting permutation of such disputes involves well-known individuals who convey certain rights in their family name in a particular field to a third party and then later seek to re-enter the same field. A trio of recent decisions on this subject features the famous clothing designer, Joseph Abboud.
Battle over Bob Marley Merchandise Involves Significant 'Image' Issues
March 29, 2010
High consumer interest in merchandise bearing indicia of deceased celebrity icons has spawned a constantly evolving litigation genre for determining the extent of rights of the icons' estates. The estate of reggae-music legend Bob Marley, who died in 1981, is among the most frequently litigated in the field.
Containing Costs with Concept Searching Saves Clients Thousands
March 29, 2010
As my firm's Technology Partner, I oversee the e-discovery process for most of the large cases at Severson & Werson. In 2008, one of our clients, a major national bank, was sued by its recently acquired mortgage lending company just after the subprime mortgage financing collapse. The case hinged upon the interpretation of a term in a contract related to the valuation of certain types of subprime loans in the securitization process.
