Intellectual Property › Art, Entertainment & Sports Law › Privacy

IP/Entertainment Law Weekly Case Update for Motion Picture Studios and Television Networks - January 25, 2013

In This Issue: Bogie v. Rosenberg, USCA Seventh Circuit, January 17, 2013 Excerpt from Bogie v. Rosenberg - Seventh Circuit court affirms dismissal of plaintiff’s complaint against defendants Joan Rivers, her...more

Cloud Computing Law: Balancing Privacy and Investigation

Megaupload Ltd. is alleged to have disseminated copyright protected movies and music and US prosecutors now have the task of gaining access to the company’s servers in a bid to prove their case....more

Congress Fixes Loophole in the Economic Espionage Act (EEA)

On December 28, 2012, President Obama signed the Theft of Trade Secrets Clarification Act of 2012 (“the Act”) into law. The Act makes clear that the Economic Espionage Act (EEA) applies to trade secrets related to products...more

Around the Virtual World - December 17, 2012

A weekly wrap up of interesting news about virtual worlds, virtual goods and other social media. In This Issue: - Union Facebook Page Not Picket Line Extension: NLRB Judge - Parody New York Times Twitter...more

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

Table of Contents: - DiTocco v. Riordan - Second Circuit affirms district court’s dismissal of plaintiffs’ copyright claims, holding that defendants’ Percy Jackson book series was not substantially similar to...more

IP/Entertainment Law Weekly Case Update for Motion Picture Studios and Television Networks -- August 22, 2012

Table of Contents: - Pearson Education Inc. v. Almgren - Eighth Circuit affirms bankruptcy court’s order striking textbook publishers’ demand for jury trial on copyright infringement damages, granting minimum...more

Advertising Law -- August 9, 2012

In This Issue: Uniform Ads a Slam Dunk for NBA Teams; FTC Asked to Investigate Gatorade “Flu Game” Ad How Did Kirstie Alley Lose 100lbs? False Ad Suit Claims It Wasn’t Diet Drug; California, Feds Up the Pressure on...more

Malibu Media, LLC v. Does 1-18

Order to Show Cause

Order to show cause why Malibu Media, LLC v. Does 1-18, No. 3:12-cv-336 and Malibu Media, LLC v. Does 1-19, No. 3:12-cv-335 are two distinct actions and why they were filed as separate cases....more

How to Avoid Website Liability

Your company's website is the world's window into your business. It can also be the source of unlimited liability. Like any other business risk, this potential liability can be managed. First, you need to know the sources...more

European IP Bulletin -- Issue 88, March 2012

In This Issue: Copyright - Pub Landlords Found to Infringe the Premier League’s Copyright: Pyrrhic Victory After All?; The Protection of Football Fixture Lists Under the EU Database Directive; The “Innocent”...more

Third Degree Films, Inc. v. Does 1-259

Motion to Sever / Quash the Subpoena / Issue Protective Order

A California corporation filed a copyright infringement action in the Northern District of Florida against 259 John Doe Defendants. Plaintiff issued an unknown number of subpoenas seeking information about the identities of...more

Key Moments In Social Media Law

January 17, 1984 - The U.S. Supreme Court decides Sony v. Universal, finding that Sony was shielded from copyright liability arising from infringing uses of its Betamax video recording device where such device was capable of...more

Copyright Doe Defendant Can’t Quash Disclosure Subpoena Anonymously—Hard Drive Productions v. Does

D.C. magistrate holds in copyright file-sharing case that IP address owners may no longer anonymously file motions to quash disclosure subpoenas. By filing motions on the public docket, the defendants' subscriber information...more

DoJ Reverses Position on Scope of Wire Wager Act

On December 23, 2011, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (the “OLC”) released an opinion that the Wire Wager Act (18 U.S.C. § 1084) applies only to interstate transmissions of wire communications that relate...more

Famous Athletes Lash Out at Those Who Use Their Name. Likeness or Other Personal Attributes Without Permission

The unlawful use of a famous person's likeness without their permission for monetary gain. Still in litigation as of 10/2012. Will be precedent-setting case....more

European IP Bulletin - Issue 84, October 2011

In This Issue: Tradmarks: “The War of the Roses”: Proportionality and Use in Accordance With Honest Practices; Registrability of Marks Containing Geographical Indications of Origin; CJEU Considers Effect of Honest...more

The Right to Speak Anonymous Online ... and its Limits

Using one of the most notorious of the mass bit-torrent lawsuits, West Coast Productions v. Does, this article first explores the policy considerations behind the right to speak anonymous online and the right to expose the...more

Three Point Shot -- September 2011

IN THIS ISSUE: - Let's Get Ready to Rumble – Muhammad Ali Steps Back in the (Legal) Ring - Trying to Force a Turnover: ESPN Sues Ohio State to Compel Release of Emails Involving Jim Tressel - Gossip about...more

Court Rejects Google Books Settlement – Quick Guide to the Decision

Twelve million scanned books and six years after Google was sued for digitizing entire libraries of books without authorization, in late March 2011 Federal District Judge Denny Chin rejected a controversial settlement of the...more

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

Table of Contents •Smith v. Summit Entertainment LLC •Armstrong v. NBC Universal, Inc. Smith v. Summit Entertainment LLC, USDC ND Ohio, June 6, 2011 •District Court refuses to dismiss copyright owner’s claims for (1)...more

European IP Bulletin - Issue 79, April 2011

In This Issue: Patents: Gedeon Richter plc v Bayer Schering Pharma AG: “Obvious to Try” and “Fair Expectation of Success” In Gedeon Richter plc v Bayer Schering Pharma AG [2011] EWHC 583 (Pat), Gedeon Richter plc applied...more

Pandora Gets Subpoena About Mobile App - Privacy, the Next Big Issue for Digital Media Companies

As broadcasters pursue their digital future, new legal issues arise to greet their entry into the on-line world and to add to the challenges posed by the new media. Over the last few years, we’ve have written extensively...more

Advertising Law Newsletter - April 08, 2011

In this issue: Manatt to Participate in the ACCA-SoCal Inaugural Entertainment & Sports Law MCLE Seminar; Manatt Attorneys to Provide Insight on False Advertising Litigation Strategies at ACI Conference; Privacy Developments:...more

Publicity Rights State of Play

Eriq Gardner has published a simply excellent article in the ABA Journal: "What's In a Name?" explores the history, caselaw and controversies surrounding US "right of publicity" law. Publicity rights battles are growing...more

Life Story Rights - Some Considerations

Diane Krausz has posted a valuable item: Whose Life is it Anyway? Clearance of Life Story Rights in Film. The article is particularly interesting for her concise provision of this heuristic, which I think nicely articulates...more