There was a time when ownership of a professional sports franchise was not regarded as a serious business venture. Owning a team, even in one of the major leagues in North America, was regarded as more of a frolic and detour,...more
In this episode, Akin Gump entertainment practice head Chris Spicer and partner Alissa Miller talk about the entertainment industry in the U.S. and overseas and the impact that COVID-19 has had on production and financing....more
- The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), contained within the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act” or the “Act”) signed by President Trump on March 27, 2020, creates a $349 billion loan facility...more
While film and television productions have shut-down, been delayed or gone on hiatus due to COVID-19 prevention measures, what can we do in the meantime? Shutting or delaying production is the prudent decision in the current...more
• The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) staff made official statements regarding when a token may or may no longer be a security
• The SEC continued to bring actions related to cryptocurrency offerings against...more
9/24/2018
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Banking Sector ,
Bitcoin ,
Broker-Dealer ,
CFTC ,
Commodities ,
Counter-Terrorist ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Customer Due Diligence (CDD) ,
Digital Currency ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Exchange-Traded Products ,
FATF ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinTech ,
Income Taxes ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Company Act of 1940 ,
IRS ,
Jurisdiction ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
National Futures Association ,
Popular ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Token Sales ,
Trading Platforms ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Unregistered Securities ,
Virtual Currency ,
Websites
On Thursday, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Director of Corporate Finance William Hinman provided some long-desired clarity on the SEC’s approach to cryptocurrency regulation, announcing during Yahoo Finance’s...more
6/18/2018
/ Bitcoin ,
CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Ether ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Investors ,
New Guidance ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Transactions ,
Token Sales
After a record-breaking 2016 for Chinese companies’ investments in the film industry, changes to Chinese foreign investment policy have created uncertainty for the future of Hollywood’s relationship with the Middle...more
Chris Spicer and Alissa Miller, lawyers in Akin Gump’s entertainment practice, discuss on-camera some of the trending topics in the entertainment world in 2016 and make predictions on what to expect in 2017. ...more
As of October 1, 2016, British Columbia (B.C.) will reduce tax credits available to film and television productions. Basic production service tax credits will be reduced from 33 percent to 28 percent, and tax credits offered...more
Death and Russian Taxes -
The Russian government has found another way to make 2016 “The Year of Cinema.” Rather than increasing direct support for films, Russian legislators may impose a tax on foreign films. The...more
Last October, the 2nd Circuit held that the Google Books project qualified as fair use. The decision came after a decade long legal battle between the Authors Guild and Google. The Authors Guild appealed the case to the...more
Since China opened its borders to foreign cinema, Hollywood films have done extremely well in the Chinese market. For instance, in 2015, Furious 7 broke the record for the highest box-office returns in China. This film, and...more
Update on the Happy Birthday Case -
Back in October, we discussed some of the implications of the Happy Birthday lawsuit, and now it appears that we have finally reached a coda for the two-year legal battle. On December...more
From Russia with Loss -
The Russian government had declared 2016 “The Year of Cinema,” but its recent actions cast doubt on that assertion. Russia has cut the amount of film subsidies available to production companies by...more
Tax Rebate Changes -
In 2016, France increased its efforts to attract foreign films by loosening language restrictions and increasing the amount of tax rebates available for films that are shot in France. In the past,...more
On January 29, 2016, the new Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) crowdfunding regulation (“Regulation Crowdfunding”), further discussed here, will go into effect. The new regulation has been a long time coming. In 2012,...more
The stakes are high, but sometimes it is difficult to predict which films will secure one of the vaunted 34 slots. China does not have any film laws on the books to guide this process; however, its film regulatory agency...more
Usually, horror movies scare the audience, but the latest installment of Paranormal Activity gave theater houses something to fear: a new distribution model. Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension is the sixth installment...more
On October 26, 2015, the Netherlands Film Fund and China Film Co-production Corporation brokered a co-production agreement between China and the Netherlands. Both countries are looking forward to the benefits from their new...more
On Oct. 16, 2015, the 2nd Circuit issued an opinion that has finally closed the chapter on the Google Books saga. In Authors Guild, Inc. v. Google, Inc., the court held that the Google Books project is fair use rather than a...more
On September 22, 2015, a California district court issued an opinion that may change birthday celebrations forever. In Rupa Marya v. Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., the court held that Warner/Chappell Music, Inc. does not own a...more