Welcome back to the Spotlight! My grandfather and five-time Tony Award winning Broadway producer, Kermit Bloomgarden was, like many in the entertainment industry, prone to superstition. Both my interest in the entertainment...more
I did not want to write this week. What more can I say other than what has already been said after yet another callous, atrocious, evil, and (perhaps worst of all) familiar mass shooting in this country? Since this is a...more
5/27/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Marketing ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows
Welcome back to the "Spotlight," welcome back to allergy season and welcome back, Kotter (I swear I’m younger than that reference would indicate). At any rate, this weekend, I am looking forward to welcoming Broadway back to...more
5/20/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
Welcome back to the "Sports & Entertainment Spotlight," your 30,000 foot view of the various goings-on in the sports and entertainment industries. This week, I am writing from, well, 30,000 feet flying cross country to soak...more
5/13/2022
/ Advertising ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
NFL ,
Nickelodeon ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows
Live from New York it’s…wait, that’s not right. Two weeks off, and I’ve forgotten how I open these…ah, yes…
Welcome back (both to me and to you) to the “Spotlight.” I would love to be able to say that my batteries are fully...more
5/6/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Marketing ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows ,
Twitter
Welcome back to the "Sports & Entertainment Spotlight." We’re just one week into March Madness, and already my predictions from last week are coming to fruition (if only I had the same luck picking winners of the games...more
3/25/2022
/ Acquisitions ,
Advertising ,
Amazon ,
American Express ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Metaverse ,
MGM ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Olympics ,
Social Media ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows ,
Trademarks
Welcome back to the...—
Is there anything you want to say to me?
...Are you sure...?
...You forgot, didn’t you...?
Well let me remind you...
It’s the first anniversary of this often irreverent, at times poignant,...more
3/11/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Basketball ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NBA ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows ,
Trademarks ,
Women in Sports
As I write this, Ukraine remains under siege and its people (courageous and resolute as they are) subject to indiscriminate atrocities at the hands of Russian armed forces under the deranged authoritarian control of President...more
3/4/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Coaches ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Royalties ,
Russia ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Spotify ,
Television Shows ,
Ukraine
Welcome back or for the very first time (what took you so long?) to the “Sports & Entertainment Spotlight”! As the torch is extinguished on, by most metrics (television ratings, in particular) a fairly underwhelming Olympic...more
2/25/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Coaches ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Kanye West ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Olympics ,
Pay Discrimination ,
Race Discrimination ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
Welcome back, and in case you’ve been living under a rock (unless it’s a "30 Rock"), two of the biggest sporting events will command millions upon millions of eyeballs for NBC this weekend with the Winter Olympics (already in...more
2/11/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Coaches ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
NFL ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Olympics ,
Royalties ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Super Bowl ,
Television Shows
Welcome back to the Spotlight and oh-me, oh-my, do we have a full slate of developments in the National Football League (NFL) – and that’s to say nothing of what happened on the field, with the Cincinnati Bengals and Los...more
2/4/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Coaches ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NBA ,
NFL ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Race Discrimination ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Spotify ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
Welcome to a special quarantine edition of the "Spotlight." When I set out to get more “exposure” for the "Spotlight" this year, this was not exactly what I had in mind. But hey – we play the cards that we are dealt. At least...more
1/21/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Fashion Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
NFL ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Super Bowl ,
Television Shows ,
Video Games
Welcome back to another week of the “Sports & Entertainment Spotlight.” Sadly, for the third week running (first legendary NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden, then beloved Golden Girl, Betty White), the S&E world is coming...more
1/17/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Football ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Pump and Dump ,
Social Media ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows
Welcome back to the “Sports & Entertainment Spotlight,” where all are permitted entry – even Novak Djokovic. First and foremost, allow me to be among the last to wish you a Happy New Year 2022! Seriously folks, like...more
1/7/2022
/ Arenas and Stadiums ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Contract Termination ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Football ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
NFL ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows
Welcome back to the final "Sports & Entertainment Spotlight" of 2021 (cue the fireworks, standing ovations, Champagne-popping, etc.)! If there’s one thing I have learned about New Year’s Eve in my 30-something trips around...more
12/31/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Royalties ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows
Happy holidays! Whether you light a menorah (like myself), a kinara or a tree, I’m glad that you decided to make the “Spotlight” part of your holiday season. In the spirit of this time of year, I am, despite my better...more
12/24/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows
Welcome back, thanks for stopping by, and kindly take your shoes off at the front door. We begin this week’s installment of the “Spotlight” on a somber note. I would like to extend my deepest condolences to those (like my...more
12/17/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
Maybe I am exhausted by the pandemic, jaded by having unvaccinated members of my fantasy football team spend weeks on the National Football League’s (NFL) COVID-19 Reserve List, disheartened by people not looking out for one...more
12/10/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NFL ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows
Welcome back to the “Spotlight”! After taking a week long hiatus for Thanksgiving, I feel like a modern day Rip Van Winkle awaking from a tryptophan-induced coma to find myself in a world in which “All I Want for Christmas”...more
12/6/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Brand ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
NFL ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
Welcome back to the “Spotlight”! With Thanksgiving just around the corner (brace yourself, midsection), I wanted to pause to take a moment to reflect on all that for which I have to be thankful. Certainly my family, health...more
11/19/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Quentin Tarantino ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
Trademark Infringement
What a difference just a few months makes. The weather turns from oppressively hot to cool and crisp. The leaves turn from a healthy bright green to all manners of reds, yellows and browns as they cling precariously to the...more
11/12/2021
/ Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Colleges ,
Educational Institutions ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
Universities
Part of what I love about having a Sports Law practice is exactly what makes it difficult to cram everything I want to discuss into each week’s installment of the "Spotlight." No, it’s not that athletic prowess is not...more
11/4/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Basketball ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Coca Cola ,
College Athletes ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
- NIL (name, image, likeness) continues to captivate headlines as athletes forge ahead with profit-churning ventures while still in school thanks to the NCAA’s new rules. Sedona Prince of the Oregon Ducks is a rock star as...more
10/18/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
- Tina Turner signed the rights of her iconic music catalogue spanning 60 years, including her name, image and likeness to a German music company, BMG. While Warner Music record label still manages her record, is this a sign...more
10/8/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Record Labels ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
- What will the “Endgame” be for the lawsuit between Walt Disney Company and former Marvel comic book creators? In the spring of this year, a host of famed artists and illustrators of Marvel characters such as Iron Man,...more
10/1/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Communications Decency Act ,
Copyright ,
Disney ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Facebook ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Marvel Comics ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Photographs ,
Right of Publicity ,
Section 230 ,
Social Media ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Statutory Rights ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
Work Made For Hire Doctrine