Numerous pending lawsuits, including one brought by Manatt client Jim Brown, demonstrate that athletes' rights of publicity remains a murky area of the law. That lack of clarity is examined in an article by the Chair of Manatt's Sports Practice Group, Ron Katz, available here. (Please see article below.)

Presumably the confusion in this area of the law will lessen as decisions are rendered by the courts, some of which will likely occur in 2012. There will also be numerous conference panels on the subject; one such panel, at a PLI conference, will be chaired by Ron Katz in New York City on March 14, 2012 (see www.pli.edu, Counseling Clients in the Entertainment Industry 2012). That conference will be co-chaired by another member of Manatt's Sports Law Practice Group, Ken Kaufman.

Please see article below.