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
Back to our regularly scheduled programming: Fresh off of my paternity leave in which feeding and putting to sleep my baby was my charge, I have the distinct privilege of resuming my commentary portion of the Spotlight. With...more
11/1/2021
/ Athletes ,
Baseball ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Endorsements ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Litigation ,
Trademarks
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Esteemed filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s decision to leave his 19-year-long relationship with Warner Bros. for Universal to make his next film (about Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of an atomic bomb) continues to...more
9/17/2021
/ Apple ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
Warner Brothers Entertainment
- 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
- Beyoncé’s announcement of building a hemp farm (together with a honey farm) brings the perceived health benefits of CBD even further into the mainstream. Could this momentum ultimately lead to positive conversations around...more
8/23/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Compensation ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Entrepreneurs ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hemp ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
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
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