Key Takeaways - Undisclosed “fake fan” campaigns present clear FTC risk under Section 5 and the Endorsement Guides, particularly where material connections between marketers and content creators are hidden....more
4/29/2026
/ Advertising ,
Content Strategy ,
Endorsements ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
FTC Endorsement Guidelines ,
Influencers ,
Lanham Act ,
Marketing ,
Music Industry ,
Section 5 ,
TikTok ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
4/14/2026
/ Acquisitions ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Breach of Contract ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Defamation ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Film Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
License Agreements ,
Machine Learning ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Royalties ,
Sports ,
Trademark Infringement
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
3/23/2026
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Breach of Contract ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Deep Fake ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Film Industry ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Investment ,
License Agreements ,
Mergers ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Partnership Agreements ,
Sports
Key Takeaways - Damages awards for Visual Artists Rights Act (“VARA”) violations are not precluded by copyright infringement damages awards. The plaintiff’s VARA award was in addition to an award of actual damages for...more
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
1/26/2026
/ Appeals ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Artists ,
Breach of Contract ,
Contract Disputes ,
Contract Terms ,
Copyright ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Machine Learning ,
Music ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Public Domain ,
Royalties ,
Sports ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks ,
Visas
Key Takeaways - Reputational controversy alone rarely justifies cancellation. The Kennedy Center cancellations illustrate that absent a well-drafted morals or brand-protection clause, artists who cancel in response to...more
1/21/2026
/ Breach of Contract ,
Cancellation Rights ,
Contract Disputes ,
Contract Drafting ,
Contract Negotiations ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Force Majeure Clause ,
Morals Clauses ,
Music Industry ,
Reputation Management ,
Risk Management ,
Termination Rights
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
1/19/2026
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Athletes ,
Contract Terms ,
Copyright ,
Disney ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Fashion Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
License Agreements ,
Mergers ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Netflix ,
Retailers ,
Shareholders ,
Social Media ,
Student Athletes ,
TikTok ,
Trademarks
Key Takeaways - U.S. copyright termination and renewal can flip worldwide ownership. The Fifth Circuit held that when a “worldwide” grant arises under U.S. law, a valid statutory termination or renewal can recapture global...more
1/15/2026
/ Appeals ,
Appellate Courts ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Copyright Ownership ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Due Diligence ,
Entertainment Industry ,
International Litigation ,
Jurisdiction ,
Music Industry ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
Termination Rights ,
Transfer of Rights
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
12/2/2025
/ Acquisitions ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Event Tickets ,
Licensing Rules ,
MLB ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Netflix ,
Risk Management ,
Sports ,
Sports Betting
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
11/3/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Copyright ,
Defamation ,
Entertainment Industry ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Internet Streaming ,
Movie Theaters ,
Music Industry ,
Netflix ,
Sports ,
Ticketmaster ,
Unions
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
10/10/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Entertainment Industry ,
FCC ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Influencers ,
Music Industry ,
NCAA ,
New Legislation ,
Public Domain ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
The Copyright Act ,
Trademarks
It is not often you get a chance to undo the mistakes of your youth. If you are a musician who signed away the rights to your songs in publishing or record deals in the late 1980s or early 1990s, now is the time to get those...more
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
9/4/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Copyright ,
Entertainment Industry ,
ESPN ,
Event Tickets ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Licensing Rules ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Price Gouging ,
Radio Stations ,
Royalties ,
Social Media ,
Sports ,
Trade Secrets
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
8/1/2025
/ Antitrust Litigation ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Celebrities ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Entertainment Industry ,
eSports ,
Event Tickets ,
Gaming ,
Machine Learning ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
Netflix ,
Photographs ,
Royalties ,
Social Media ,
Sports
Companies that rely on digital marketing and social media are now facing serious consequences over music copyright. Many have been hit with multimillion-dollar lawsuits for unwittingly using popular songs in social media...more
7/29/2025
/ Advertising ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Damages ,
IP License ,
Licensing Rules ,
Music ,
Music Industry ,
Retailers ,
Social Media ,
Sports
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
7/21/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Copyright ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Event Tickets ,
Film Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Movies ,
Music ,
Music Industry ,
NCAA ,
New Legislation ,
Sports ,
Trade Secrets ,
Video Games
Mo Money, Mo Problems? In March 2025, music publishing giant Primary Wave acquired a substantial stake in the Notorious B.I.G. music catalog with an estimated value of $200 million....more
6/25/2025
/ Artists ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Due Diligence ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Music Industry ,
Music Publishing ,
Private Equity ,
Royalties ,
Valuation
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
6/2/2025
/ Antitrust Litigation ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Event Tickets ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Film Industry ,
Influencers ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Music Industry ,
NFL ,
Ticketmaster
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
5/5/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Celebrities ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Event Tickets ,
Film Industry ,
MLB ,
Music Industry ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Sports ,
Tariffs ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Deferral ,
Technology Sector ,
Television ,
Ticket Pricing
In the final days of the session, the Georgia Legislature reinstated Georgia’s income tax credit for film and television postproduction activities. For tax years beginning January 1, 2026, H.B. 129 will now permit Georgia...more
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
4/1/2025
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Litigation ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Artists ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Event Tickets ,
Film Industry ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Sports
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
2/27/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Authors ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Film Industry ,
Income Taxes ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Royalties ,
Sports ,
Spotify ,
Student Athletes
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
2/3/2025
/ Antitrust Litigation ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Athletes ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Defamation ,
Enforcement ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Event Tickets ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Mergers ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Public Domain ,
Sports ,
Trademarks
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
1/2/2025
/ Art ,
Athletes ,
Baseball ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Football ,
Hockey ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Music Industry ,
NFL ,
Social Media ,
Sports ,
TikTok
Background - A potential ban of the popular social media app, TikTok, has been in the news for years, but recent events suggest that it may become reality for Americans in the coming weeks. On December 6, 2024, the U.S. Court...more