Welcome back to the second to last (or penultimate, which is also the name I have given my favorite writing utensil) Spotlight of 2022! That’s right, I’ll be back next week to put a shining bow on the year that was, and then...more
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
After a compelling weekend of playoff football in the NFL, in which all four of the matchups came down to the final play of each game (serving to drive even more eyeballs to the NFL in what has been a fruitful season for the...more
1/28/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Copyright ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Royalties ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Spotify ,
Television Shows ,
Trademarks
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 “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
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
- Cher filed a lawsuit against her late musical partner and ex-husband Sonny Bono’s widow over the rights to many of their cherished Sonny & Cher songs. She asked the court to block the trust which handles Sonny’s estate, the...more
10/22/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Copyright ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Television Shows ,
The Copyright Act
- With crypto investment frauds on the rise, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sent a warning to investors and published an investor alert listing out possible signs of a scam. Along similar lines, a Bloomberg...more
9/10/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Brand ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Financial Regulatory Agencies ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investment Fraud ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Smart Contracts ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
Warning Letters
- "Whose job is in Jeopardy?" Mike Richards may be an appropriate answer. Sony announces that he will be dropped as Executive Producer of the program on the tails of stepping down as a host. He joins a number of celebrities...more
9/3/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Child Pornography ,
College Athletes ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Emotional Distress Damages ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Photographs ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows
- With celebrities continuing to pad their bank accounts through endorsement deals, some questions remain: What makes them an icon? Is it their initial rise to fame or their brand? (See the Roger Federer story below)
-...more
8/27/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Blockchain ,
Brand ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Investors ,
Marketing ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
- As the pandemic continues, the question arises: Could celebrities be the key to getting the country vaccinated?
- Seemingly everyone is coming up a winner in the music business with the top three major companies bringing...more
8/13/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Fashion Industry ,
Film Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Olympics ,
Popular ,
Right of Publicity ,
Social Media ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Subscription Services ,
Television Shows ,
Vaccinations
Some of this week's highlights include:
- Emerging trends are showing signs of change in the sponsorships and endorsement markets. A segment once largely overlooked, athletes in the LGBTQ+ community are finally ringing in...more
8/6/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Blockchain ,
Brand ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
Investors ,
LGBTQ ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Olympics ,
Popular ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
Video Games
Just months after breathing life into to the "Sports & Entertainment Spotlight," I am (well, my wife is) giving birth to a new creation — a baby boy. As such, I will be taking a break from the usual commentary (sleep...more
7/30/2021
/ Advertising ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
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
7/23/2021
/ #MeToo ,
Alston v NCAA ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Apple ,
Athletes ,
Bitcoin ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Disney ,
Endorsements ,
Fashion Design ,
Fashion Industry ,
Instagram ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NBC ,
NCAA ,
Netflix ,
NFL ,
Non-Disparagement Provisions ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Olympics ,
Public Relations ,
Restraint of Trade ,
Right of Publicity ,
SCOTUS ,
Sherman Act ,
Sony ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows ,
TikTok ,
Universal
Just two weeks into the name, image, and likeness (NIL) era in college sports, and we are already starting to see not only novel and creative partnerships, but also the emergence of legal gray areas and pitfalls for college...more
7/16/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Blockchain ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
Netflix ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patents ,
Popular ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
Well, today is the big day. If you’re reading this week’s installment of the Spotlight, it means that you survived the long and arduous journey of the name, image and likeness (NIL) era in college sports. Indeed, with the...more
7/2/2021
/ Amazon ,
Amended Complaints ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Blockchain ,
Brand ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Data Privacy ,
Digital Assets ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Entrepreneurs ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Beshear ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
Investors ,
Jay Z ,
Kanye West ,
Kim Kardashian ,
Knockoffs ,
Marvel Comics ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Nike ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Olympics ,
Photographs ,
Radio Stations ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
SiriusXM ,
Smart Contracts ,
Social Media ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
UCLA ,
Universal ,
Wal-Mart
“The NCAA is not above the law.” Those seven words capped Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s searing concurring opinion issued in connection with Monday’s (June 21) unanimous (9-0) U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Alston v. National...more
6/24/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Alston v NCAA ,
Amazon ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Athletes ,
Blockchain ,
Brand ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Coca Cola ,
College Athletes ,
Colleges ,
Compensation ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
EU ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Gucci ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
Investors ,
MGM ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NASCAR ,
NCAA ,
Netflix ,
Nike ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Online Platforms ,
Partnerships ,
Popular ,
Restraint of Trade ,
Right of Publicity ,
SCOTUS ,
Sherman Act ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademarks ,
Universities ,
Video Games ,
Warner Music Group ,
YouTube
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
6/18/2021
/ Adidas ,
Amazon ,
Apple ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Brand ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Crimes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
ESPN ,
Influencers ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Marketing ,
MasterCard ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NBC ,
NCAA ,
Netflix ,
Nike ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Partnerships ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
Travelers ,
Video Games
Less than three weeks remain for either the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) or for Congress to act to stem the impending chaos on July 1 when college athletes’ name, image and likeness (NIL) laws go into...more
6/11/2021
/ Adidas ,
Amazon ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Entrepreneurs ,
Influencers ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Lions Gate Entertainment ,
McDonalds ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Netflix ,
Nike ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Olympics ,
Right of Publicity ,
Rolling Stone ,
Social Media ,
Sony ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Spotify ,
Television Shows ,
Twitter ,
Universal ,
Vimeo ,
YouTube
Throughout the United States, people are eagerly preparing for this Memorial Day Weekend (MDW), which marks the unofficial start of summer (not to mention those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country). If you listen...more
5/28/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Amazon ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Facebook ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
Investors ,
Mergers ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Netflix ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
Social Media ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows
As readers from last week will recall, we spent some time examining the notion of credibility. One week later, we’re witnessing what credibility (or lack thereof) hath wrought on our subjects. Bob Baffert? Banned from New...more
5/21/2021
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Basketball ,
Brand ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Deep Fake ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Google ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NBA ,
NCAA ,
Nike ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Retailers ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
Securities Violations ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows ,
Unregistered Securities
The word of the week for this edition is “credibility.” In the courts of law and public opinion, credibility (or the quality of being trusted and believed in) is everything. Just ask famed Triple Crown horse trainer Bob...more
5/14/2021
/ Advertising ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows ,
Trademarks
Hope is in the air (not to mention copious amounts of tree pollen) here in New York – and that’s to say nothing of the Knicks’ hardwood resurgence, the Giants’ highly-acclaimed moves in last week’s NFL Draft and the Yankees’...more
5/7/2021
/ Amazon ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
E-Commerce ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Estate Planning ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
New Legislation ,
NFL ,
NHL ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Payment Methods ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sellers ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Spotify ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
First and foremost (and not to detract from Sir Anthony Hopkins—lest I incur the wrath of Hannibal Lecter himself), the late Chadwick Boseman should have won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black...more
4/30/2021
/ Actors ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Influencers ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NBA ,
NCAA ,
NHL ,
Nike ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Social Media ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television
Welcome back to the Spotlight: the blog with more longevity (but far less financial backing) than the European Super League (ESL). OK, maybe that’s not saying a lot, as the ill-fated collection of 10 of the most preeminent...more
4/23/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Fashion Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Job Creation ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
NBA ,
NCAA ,
Nike ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Student Athletes ,
TikTok ,
Trademark Infringement