Labor News: 2005 in Review
January 03, 2006
More than 500 leaders and officials of the seven Change to Win federation unions met Nov. 17-19 in Las Vegas to strategize how to work together in organizing campaigns. Organizers, researchers, and communicators from each of the seven unions met to discuss campaigns and strategy to grow the labor movement. This marked perhaps the first time since the founding of the CIO in the 1930s that so many union officials met to discuss joint targeting and strategy.
Genetic Testing
January 03, 2006
The rise of genetic testing has touched off a tense legal debate over when and if employers and insurance companies should be allowed access to employees' gen-etic data. At issue is whether current privacy laws related to genetics are strong enough to prevent discrimination, and if there are enough regulations governing what companies can and cannot know.
Bit Parts
January 03, 2006
Internet/Unauthorized Movie DistributionThe U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania denied summary judgment to both Paramount Pictures…
Courthouse Steps
January 03, 2006
Recently filed cases in entertainment law, straight from the steps of the Los Angeles Superior Court.
Video-Game Laws In Three States Are Ruled Unconstitutional
January 03, 2006
The trend in judicial resistance to statutes that regulate video-game content recently became clearer when federal district courts in Michigan, Illinois and California enjoined state statutes that deemed certain video-game content harmful to minors.
Applying Anti-Scalping Laws To Internet Ticket Providers
January 03, 2006
E-businesses, by forming networks of season ticket holders and contracting with entertainment venues, provide Internet customers with entry passes for concerts, sports and other spectator events. Generally, Internet ticket providers are in the business of buying and selling tickets to such events above face value. Some parties have equated such Internet ticket providers with ticket scalpers and claim they are acting unlawfully. In particular, some state anti-scalping laws have been applied to Internet ticketing transactions, resulting in both criminal and civil sanctions. However, the application of proper Internet notices and appropriate Web site access limitations may render such state anti-scalping laws moot.
Digital Issues For Distributors And Indie Labels
January 03, 2006
The advent of digital-music delivery has brought about significant changes in both the format and distribution channels by which consumers receive music. Nonetheless, the fundamental role of distribution remains the same: to put product into the hands ' and today the computers and portable media devices ' of consumers. <br>Now, traditional offline distributors and a number of independent record labels have decided that digital distribution is an important component of their respective business models. <br>This article examines some of the interplay between the provisions of digital-distribution contracts and provisions contained in pre-existing contracts between offline distributors and independent record labels, and between independent record labels and artists.
Cameo Clips
January 03, 2006
Recent cases in entertainment law.