Ann Curry’s Departure from the Today Show Presents a Number of Lessons for Employers
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
For many years, the Golden Globes were the kickoff awards event of each awards show season. With its relaxed party atmosphere and awards only in high-profile categories, the Globes were an audience favorite and a fixture on...more
Workers at a Buffalo, NY-based Starbucks location have voted to unionize, the first ever union to form at one of Sbux’s “nearly 9,000 company-owned stores.” Though but one, the victory “represents a challenge to the labor...more
Strange as it may be, with vast majority of the world still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are on the eve of the opening ceremony for the “2020” Tokyo Summer Olympics. Olympic games in “normal” times are logistical...more
As we inch closer to the summer solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere (the first day of summer for those of you who were asleep in science class), the heat is not rising only on the thermometer, but also in the halls of...more
U.S. drug giant Merck is shuttering its coronavirus vaccine development “after early trial data showed [its pair of vaccines] failed to generate immune responses comparable to natural infection or existing vaccines.” ...more
The SEC has sued “cybersecurity pioneer John McAfee” for “promoting the sale of cryptocurrencies without disclosing that he was being paid to do so.” McAfee allegedly recommended “at least seven initial coin offerings to his...more
Unlike much of the world, the U.S. has not turned the corner on the coronavirus outbreak. But you wouldn’t know it by looking at the markets. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 topped out at its highest level ever, “capping a remarkable...more
Dramatically escalating the growing tension with China (despite considerable ambiguity in its language), the White House issued executive orders that would “ban all ‘transactions’” with ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok,...more
On July 8, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that 28 U.S.C. §1782, which affords discretion to U.S. courts to order discovery in the U.S. in connection with foreign proceedings, does not extend to...more
WeWork co-founder wants to get PAAAAAID, so he’s suing SoftBank in an attempt to force it to “go through with its canceled deal to buy $3 billion of the company’s shares, accusing the Japanese conglomerate and its Vision Fund...more
The White House and the US airline industry have agreed in principle to a $25 billion bailout after weeks of “haggling” over the terms, including whether the Treasury Department was “effectively turning the grants into loans...more
The European Commission has reiterated its position that if a business allows for the non-exclusive licensing of its products in the EEA, such licensor can no longer control where, to whom, and in what manner...more
The US has blacklisted 28 Chinese companies—mostly in the tech sector—over China’s “campaign targeting Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities in the autonomous region of Xingjiang,” a move that’s drawn both...more
The Federal Reserve took the rare step yesterday of stepping “into financial markets . . . to keep interest rates from rising above its target, the first time the central bank has had to carry out this type of ‘market...more
Accusers of Harvey Weinstein were catalysts for an important national dialogue on sexual harassment. Weinstein’s company reportedly knew of his behavior and settled multiple harassment claims against the former mogul. By all...more
The "Dancing Baby" Case—Ninth Circuit Rules That "Fair Use" Must First Be Considered Before Sending Takedown Notices Under the DMCA - Why it matters: On September 14, 2015, the Ninth Circuit ruled in Lenz v. Universal...more
A tip from a local Denver news outlet lead to a compliance review, investigation and ultimately a resolution agreement between the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) and Denver-based...more
From a labor and employment law standpoint, I’m not sure we have a lot to be thankful for this year. But ’tis the season, so here are a paltry few...more
Two weeks ago, in Vazquez v. Buhl, the Appeals Court of Connecticut affirmed dismissal of a defamation claim against CNBC for hyperlinking to an online report by journalist Teri Buhl. The Court held that, although CNBC...more
On March 3, 2014, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued an omnibus Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) that proposes substantial fines totaling more than $1.9 million against Viacom, ESPN and NBCUniversal (the...more
On August 21, 2013, the Seventh Circuit in Pippen v. NBCUniversal Media, LLC, et al. (Case No. 12-3294) affirmed the Northern District of Illinois’ dismissal of Scottie Pippen’s defamation lawsuit against a number of media...more
Dish Networks’ Hopper device has spurred a considerable amount of legal controversy. Recently, that controversy made its way into the official award ceremony of the Consumer Electronics Show....more