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 and please come on in, lest you catch a cold. This past Sunday’s Grammy Awards dialed up the heat, taking place in the Las Vegas desert, having been bumped from its usual Los Angeles stage due to COVID...more
4/8/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Basketball ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows ,
Women in Sports
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
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
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
- 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
- There is that sweet sound of music as Universal Music Group’s IPO debuted as the largest in the history of the music business, with the listing on Euronext Amsterdam valuing the company at more than $53 billion. The stock’s...more
9/24/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows ,
Universal
- 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
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
Laws — like people — are imperfect. They can be slow to adapt to evolving societal norms, and worse still, their application can yield unjust outcomes. Indeed, look no further than this past week’s developments involving...more
7/9/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Marijuana ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Olympics ,
Right of Publicity ,
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
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
Happy Thursday and a big congratulations to the Stanford Cardinal and the Baylor Bears on their respective NCAA Women’s and Men’s Basketball Tournament wins (the latter of which helped yours truly place second in our Firm’s...more
4/9/2021
/ Arenas and Stadiums ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Clorox ,
College Athletes ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Influencers ,
Instagram ,
Investors ,
Kim Kardashian ,
Misappropriation ,
Modeling ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NBA ,
NCAA ,
Nike ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Super Bowl ,
Twitter