Lawyers Evolve with Industry Changes in Video Games
As the video game industry gathered recently in Los Angeles for the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), there was a great deal for those in the business to be optimistic about. Last year, video game software unit sales increased 15% in the United States, according to market research companies. And one report released in May 2009 revealed that nearly two out of every three Americans played a video game of some kind within the past six months, compared to only about half of U.S. consumers who went to a movie over the same period. All this activity hasn't been lost on the lawyers whose practices are focused on the video game industry
Cameo Clips
Copyright Preemption/Accounting Claims<br>Right of Publicity/Copyright Preemption<br>Right of Publicity/News Exception<br>Trademark Disputes/Infringement Defenses
Lawyers for Former Reznor Manager Must Hand over Client Documents
The Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth District, affirmed an order to compel the production of documents from trademark lawyers for John Malm, former manager of musician Trent Reznor, for use in litigation between Malm and his counsel from an earlier suit that Reznor had filed against Malm.
Legal Lessons Gleaned from Music Industry's High-Profile, File-Sharing Litigation
When the cash-strapped recording industry announced at the end of 2008 that it would largely drop its aggressive litigation campaign against unauthorized file sharers, some observers saw this as a defeat for record labels. But numerous court rulings have been issued over the past few years that debate and/or establish legal guidelines that will be referenced in file-sharer cases that are either still in the pipeline or may later crop up. This article examines some of the most recent of these cases and decisions.
Pre-Separation Dissipation and the Marital Estate
Over a generation ago, few contested divorce actions involved claims of economic misconduct. As the current recession deepens, these claims are not only on the rise, but they appear to be the rule in many cases.
Debt Exchange Offers in the Current Market
The recent financial crisis and dislocation in the financial markets has had significant consequences for bankruptcy and restructuring professionals. One such consequence is a dramatic increase in the use of debt exchange offers as a liability management tool.
Assessing Challenge To Damages in File-Sharing Litigation
The recording industry estimates that music piracy has cost it billions of dollars during the past 15 years. Facing the potential for an industry-wide collapse, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) undertook its aggressive litigation campaign to protect itself and its constituents from copyright infringement by suing individual file sharers. After fighting a public relations battle over some of its tactics, the RIAA has chosen to temper its aggressiveness. The RIAA is instead forming relationships with ISPs that maintain the online accounts of the consumers.
Bit Parts
Concert Financing/Loan Guaranty<br>File-Sharing Suit/Abuse of Process Counterclaim<br>Song Infringement/Substantial Similarity Test<br>TV Program Pitches/Independent Creation Defense
Milwaukee Symphony Ticket Revenues Subject to Taxes
The Court of Appeals of Wisconsin agreed with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue that concerts by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) were "entertainment events" subject to a 5% state sales tax under Wis. Stat. '77.52(2)(a)(2).