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A Manhattan federal district court declined award attorney fees to defendant booking agents and concert promoters who prevailed in a suit by black concert promoters alleging race discrimination in concert bookings. <i>Rowe Entertainment Inc. v. The William Morris Agency Inc.</i>, 98 Civ. 8272 (RPP).

Everything contained in this month's issue in an easy-to-read format.

The latest rulings.

In March of this year, in Part One of this article, we discussed the importance of the initial pendente lite application in introducing the parties to the judge and setting the tone for the balance of the case. The mandate that we provide judges with sound, hard evidence at the <i>pendente lite</i> phase -- in order to enable the courts to deal fairly with both sides pending the submission of final proofs -- was heavily stressed.

Over the years, one of the major complaints we receive from attorneys and marketing directors is that they invest thousands of dollars and countless hours on seminars and conferences that do not lead to new clients. We hear horror stories from professionals who attend these events and don't make contacts, don't arrange meetings, and don't produce any new clients from these events. Like any other marketing effort, you can maximize your results from seminars and conferences if you learn how to plan and work them correctly. If you commit to developing a plan, investing time and effort to execute your plan, and tracking results you will be rewarded with new clients and contacts. Here are a few tips on how to plan for these events, differentiate your practice from your competitors, and develop new business as a direct result of these events.

Today's virtual worlds -- sometimes also called digital or synthetic -- evolved from text-based role-playing games such as Dungeons &amp; Dragons. The predecessors of the "Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games" (MMPORGs) of today began for the most part in the late 70s and early 80s when various individuals first engaged in the role-playing game behavior online. The online text-based commands and prompts allowed the players to act out various fantasies without the close proximity requirement that is inherent in the earlier written and oral gaming forms. As the online technology grew, so did the nature and complexity of the interactive games, including the addition of videogame graphics to the text-based game elements. In the '90s, the current state of online MMPORGs began offering a real-time socially interactive component that was not available on traditional offline console gaming. While the physical space and landscape is simulated in the virtual environment of today, the social interactions are real since virtual characters, or "avatars," in the digital world are controlled and operated by a real person and not just by strict computer code. While these games are currently used mostly as an avenue for play and social interaction, if the proliferation of online entrepreneurship continues, the games will likely be more focused on commerce, research and work or work-related activities.

The law breaks property into two categories: real and personal. If the object of a transaction is found to be personal property, it is subsequently categorized as either tangible or intangible. Although broadly categorized as personal property, Internet property has characteristics of both tangible and intangible property. Consequently, attorneys must take the special nature of Internet property into consideration when attempting to resolve legal difficulties relating to an Internet transaction.

Contractual interpretation can be a thorny business. Yet it pales in comparison to the treacherous waters that surround supposed duties nowhere to be found in the language of a contract -- and that may never have been negotiated or discussed by the parties. For many entertainment and sports professionals, the most significant and far-reaching of these implied duties is the duty of good faith and fair dealing that courts read into every contract. As straightforward as the obligation sounds when described in general terms, it can be vexing to determine what particular conduct it may require in specific situations. What's more, the reported decisions construing the obligation tend to be highly fact-dependent, thus providing only limited guidance.

Recent cases in entertainment law.

Recent developments in entertainment law.This month:Executive Compensation Deals/ Stockholders' Suit.Video Games/Use of Likeness.