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COPYRIGHT JURISDICTION/ REGISTRATION REQUIRED<br>COPYRIGHT OWNERSHIP/JOINT AUTHORS<br>KARAOKE RECORDINGS/COPYRIGHT DAMAGES<br>WEB SITE OPERATORS/PERSONAL JURISDICTION
Single-Publication Rule Applies to Publicity Claim
In a limited victory for publishers, the California Supreme Court ruled on Aug. 17 that the state's single-publication rule applies to the tort of appropriation of likeness. Christoff v. Nestl' USA, Inc., S155242. The ruling came in the case of a model who said Nestle USA used his face ' without his knowledge ' to sell Taster's Choice instant coffee for years.
Motown Magic Sues Willkie Farr for Fraud, Breach of Contract
Willkie Farr & Gallagher has been sued in federal court in Los Angeles by Lamont Dozier, the cofounder of songwriting and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland, which was behind hit Motown acts like The Supremes and The Isley Brothers. At issue: Willkie's role advising on an issuance of Bowie Bonds, the asset-backed security for song royalties sometimes called Pullman Bonds because they were popularized by the banker David Pullman, now chairman and CEO of The Pullman Group in New York.
Monster Magazine Covers in Biography Are Fair Use
In the movies, it seems that monsters are always up to no good ' making mayhem or setting fires. But in a federal court in Philadelphia recently, a couple dozen movie monsters made some important new law and set a few significant precedents in the area of copyrights and trademarks that may help to define the doctrine of fair use for years to come.
Talent Boutiques Challenged By Business Downturn
The recession has hit an entertainment law sector that has undergone considerable change during the past decade. Boutique law firms that represent most of the talent end of the entertainment business have multiplied amid the dissolution of some long-standing firms and the departure of top attorneys who struck out on their own.
Gaining Confidence in Alternative Billing
Firms that model matter planning scenarios provide their partners and business development staff with the crucial ability to gauge up front how different approaches to pricing and staffing will affect profitability. Modeling allows firms to make adjustments before making their bid ' and therefore price alternative billing arrangements with confidence.
IT is Dead; Long Live IT
There is an irony to IT in law firms: Firms spend so much time on issues like IT infrastructure and upgrade projects that they spend too little time using technology to improve how lawyers work. Law firms cannot achieve real value from their technology investments until they change this model.
Texas Legislature Passes Certificate of Title Bill Negating Effect of Clark Contracting Decision
On June 19 of this year, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed into law Senate Bill 1592, S.B.1592, 81st Leg., Reg. Sess. (Tex. 2009) ("SB1592"), bringing an end to an intensive five-month effort to negate the broader effects of a decision handed down by a bankruptcy court in the Western District of Texas in late 2008 relating to the perfected status of a lender on a loan purportedly secured by six equipment trucks.
