Art, Entertainment & Sports Law › Civil Remedies › Constitutional Law

Supreme Court Refuses to Hear File-Sharing Appeal

Jammie Thomas-Rasset, the woman whom the recording industry martyred with a $222,000 damages award after several trials for stealing music online, has reached the end of her legal rope. The U.S. Supreme Court on Mar. 18...more

Va. Court Declines to Decide Status of Poker Under State’s Gambling Law

On February 28, 2013, the Virginia Supreme Court issued an opinion in which it declined to address the legality of playing poker in the state but left open the possibility for the issue to be decided in a future case. ...more

Will the Supreme Court Review Copyright Damages in Music Downloading Case?

Like Joel Tenenbaum, who has been discussed in prior entries in this blog, Jammie Thomas-Rasset has conducted a long-running battle with the recording industry over how much damages she should pay for her downloading...more

IP/Entertainment Law Weekly Case Update for Motion Picture Studios and Television Networks -- November 21, 2012

Table of Contents: Alexander v. Murdoch, USCA Second Circuit, November 14, 2012 - Second Circuit affirms dismissal of plaintiff’s copyright infringement and other claims against defendants, creators and producers...more

Music Law Weekly Case Update for Music Industry Executives -- September 13, 2012

Table of Contents: Capitol Records Inc. v. Thomas-Rasset - Circuit court reinstates $222,000 statutory damages award against defendant, individual, for willful infringement related to her downloading and making...more

$222K Verdict in File-Sharing Case Headed for Supreme Court

You might remember KaZaA, a file-sharing site that allowed users to share music. Jammie Thomas-Rasset likely remembers it, and vividly. She was the first person to challenge the recording industry when it began coming after...more

Update: $675,000 Jury Verdict Against Music File-Sharer Upheld

As previously discussed on this blog, last year the First Circuit held that the jury verdict for $675,000 in statutory damages against graduate student and file sharer Joel Tenenbaum should not have been reduced to $67,500 by...more

Nat'l Collegiate Athletic Ass'n, et al. vs. Christie, Governor of New Jersey, et al.

Complaint for Declaratory & Injunctive Relief

The NCAA, NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB have all filed suit against NJ Governor Chris Christie, alleging that New Jersey's law that opens the door to sports betting is preempted by federal law. ...more

IP/Entertainment Law Weekly Case Update for Motion Picture Studios and Television Networks -- July 19, 2012

Table of Contents: - American Broadcasting Cos., Inc. v. Aereo, Inc. - District court denies motion of plaintiffs, producers, marketers, and distributors of broadcast television, to enjoin Aereo from continuing...more

Three Point Shot - June 2012

In This Issue: - Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Says “Yep” to Copyright Infringement Suit...1 - Former Gold Medalist Can’t Clear Olympic Ad Hurdle...2 - Delay of Game in Former Coach’s NCAA Lawsuit...3...more

Warner Bros. Dropkicks Louis Vuitton’s Lawsuit Over The Hangover: Part II

Louis Vuitton has been busy practicing all kinds of legal kung fu in court lately. First, it unleashed a Chuck Norris-like flurry of legal roundhouse kicks to the dome upon hundreds of counterfeiters in the form of...more

IP/Entertainment Law Weekly Case Update for Motion Picture Studios and Television Networks -- June 20, 2012

Table of Contents: *Louis Vuitton Mallatier S.A. v. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Louis Vuitton Mallatier S.A. v. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., USDC S.D. New York, June 15, 2012 District court grants...more

My Fellow Californians - Our Long National Nightmare is Over

In the same era Gerald Ford advised his fellow Americans that “our long national nightmare is over,” as he succeeded Richard Nixon as president, the California Legislation enacted the sloppily-drafted California Resale...more

Jackson Walker VIA Media postcard - April 2012

In This Issue: - Paul Watler's Perspective A Million to None in Texas Defamation Rulings — The same red-flag words may yield vastly different results in defamation litigation. Two recent Texas rulings serve as...more

IP/Entertainment Law Weekly Case Update For Motion Picture Studios And Television Networks - December 14, 2011

Table of Contents: •New Sensations, Inc. v. Does 1-1,474 •Sarver v. Summit Entertainment LLC New Sensations, Inc. v. Does 1-1,474, USDC N.D. California, December 7, 2011 •District court grants motion of...more

Three Point Shot -- Novemberr 2011

IN THIS ISSUE: - Tennis Umpires Serve Up Lawsuit against USTA - Ultimate Fighting – It's Like "Swan Lake" – How Come You Can't SEE That? - We Are Reliably Informed...more

IP/Entertainment Law Weekly Case Update For Motion Picture Studios And Television Networks - November 3, 2011

Table of Contents: •Bethesda Softworks, L.L.C. v. Interplay Entertainment Corp. •Tiwari v. NBC Universal, Inc. Bethesda Softworks, L.L.C. v. Interplay Entertainment Corp., USCA Fourth Circuit, October 26,...more

Music Lover on the Hook to the Tune of $675K

In case you didn't know, practically anything you read, listen to or watch at the movie theater is protected by US copyright laws. Breaking those laws by copying those items or using them without permission can lead to big...more

Music Law Weekly Case Update For Music Industry Executives - September 21, 2011

Table of Contents: •Sony BMG Music Entertainment, et al. v. Tenenbaum Sony BMG Music Entertainment, et al. v. Tenenbaum, USCA First Circuit, September 16, 2011 •First Circuit holds district court committed...more

Advertising Law - September 12, 2011

In This Issue: Suit Challenging LEED Certification Dismissed; Second Circuit Upholds $1.9 Million Judgment Against Marketer Of Weight Loss Products; CVS Reaches $2 Million Settlement With California DAs; Google, DOJ...more

IP/Entertainment Law Weekly Case Update For Motion Picture Studios And Television Networks - September 1, 2011

Table of Contents: •Arenas v. Shed Media US Inc. •Capitol Records, Inc. v. MP3tunes, LLC •Shropshire v. Canning •Muller v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. Arenas v. Shed Media US Inc., USDC C.D....more

IP/Entertainment Law Weekly Case Update For Motion Picture Studios And Television Networks - August 17, 2011

Table of Contents: •Doe v. Gangland Productions, Inc., et al. •Goldberg v. Cameron •Mattel, Inc. v. MGA Entertainment, Inc. Doe v. Gangland Productions, Inc., et al., USDC C.D. California, August 1,...more

IP/Entertainment Law Weekly Case Update For Motion Picture Studios And Television Networks - February 16, 2011

Table of Contents • Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. v. Hendrixlicensing.com, LTD • Zamoyski v. Fifty-Six Hope Road Music Limited, Inc. Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. v. Hendrixlicensing.com, LTD, USDC W.D. Washington,...more

Sony BMG Music Entertainment, et al., v. Tenenbaum

Brief of Amicus Curiae Electronic Frontier Foundation in Support of Defendant-Appellee and Urging Affirmance

EFF urged a federal appeals court to allow the live webcasting of a hearing in one of the thousands of lawsuits that have been brought against users of peer-to-peer file-sharing systems. The District Court granted...more