(Podcast) The Briefing: The Ninth Circuit Puts the Brakes on Eleanor’s Copyright Claim
(Podcast) The Briefing: Who Owns Jack Nicklaus? Lessons for The Creator Economy From a Brand Battle
Can Tattoos Be Copyrighted? The Legal Battle Over Mike Tyson's Iconic Ink — No Infringement Intended Podcast
(Podcast) The Briefing: Trademark Mayhem – Lady Gaga Gets Sued for Trademark Infringement
The Briefing: Trademark Mayhem – Lady Gaga Gets Sued for Trademark Infringement
The JustPod: Lawyer, Gentleman, and Counsel to the Stars: A Discussion with Brian McMonagle
Harassment in the Celebrity Workplace: Insights From It Ends With Us — Hiring to Firing Podcast
(Podcast) The Briefing: About Face – Courts Weigh AI Face-Swapping Technology and Celebrity Rights
The Briefing: About Face – Courts Weigh AI Face-Swapping Technology and Celebrity Rights
The Journey From Athlete To Executive
The Briefing – Late Night, Early Dismissal: The Santos-Kimmel Copyright Case
(Podcast) The Briefing – Late Night, Early Dismissal: The Santos-Kimmel Copyright Case
TortsCenter Podcast | Episode 4 | The Bold and the Branded
The Briefing: IOC Goes For Gold In Trademark Suit Over Logan Paul - Kevin Durant Sports Drink
The Briefing: IOC Goes For Gold In Trademark Suit Over Logan Paul - Kevin Durant Sports Drink (Podcast)
The Briefing: No Copyright Protection in Fitness Routines for Celebrity Trainer Tracy Anderson [PODCAST]
California Employment News: Is The FTC Recent Rule on Non-Competes a New Reality for Reality Stars
California Employment News: Is The FTC Recent Rule on Non-Competes a New Reality for Reality Stars (Podcast)
The Briefing: Scarlett Johansson vs Chat GPT What the Legal Claims Would Look Like
The Briefing: Scarlett Johansson vs Chat GPT What the Legal Claims Would Look Like (Podcast)
Welcome back to the Spotlight! This past week has been an interesting mish mash of Sports and Entertainment candy. Following on the heels of the Wimbledon Tennis Championship across the pond in England and the FIFA Club World...more
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Monday threatened the state of California with legal action after the state refused to ban transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports as demanded by President Donald...more
Welcome back to the Spotlight! Last week you may have celebrated the Fourth of July with hot dogs on the grill (70.5 of them, if you’re Joey Chestnut), your favorite beverage of choice in hand and fireworks. This week, you...more
According to the lawsuit referenced above filed against Twitter in 2022: Backgrid is the world's premier celebrity-related photograph agency and provides highly sought-after images of celebrities around the world to top...more
You need “name, image, and likeness” (NIL) rights to use an individual’s name, voice, image, or AI replica. The Internet and social media have rapidly multiplied the ways companies can promote their businesses and products,...more
Jonathan Barnett, once named the “World’s Most Powerful Sports Agent” by Forbes, is accused of forcing an Australian woman to serve as his “sex slave,” while his sports agency within Creative Artists Agency ignored the...more
The drama of “It Ends With Us” has jumped from the book to the big screen to a real-life legal battle that offers a sharp reminder of how retaliation and digital misconduct can derail even the most powerful players in any...more
“I love reality TV!” Cue the eyerolls. For many, admitting to watching reality TV is often done begrudgingly or dismissed as a “guilty pleasure.” But why the stigma? Reality television has it all: drama, competition, social...more
A Raleigh basketball scout and life coach was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in a COVID-19 fraud scheme, federal prosecutors said Monday....more
Welcome back to the Spotlight! I write this week with a heavy heart, as I was not selected by a team in the NBA Draft for the 37th straight year. To the naysayers out there who would try to tear me down by pointing out that...more
The PGA Tour announced a significant structural change Tuesday hiring longtime NFL executive Brian Rolapp as the first CEO in the organization’s history while beginning the transition away from commissioner Jay Monahan, who...more
In case arising from ongoing dispute between movie stars Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, district court dismisses all of Baldoni’s claims for failure to state claim, but grants Baldoni leave to amend as to his implied...more
Welcome back to the Spotlight! Allow me to be among the first to welcome you to the official start of Summer and to ask that you turn up your air conditioning. Like clockwork, the temperatures outside are running up toward...more
Can a car be a copyrightable character? In Carroll Shelby Licensing v. Halicki, the Ninth Circuit said no — ruling that “Eleanor,” the iconic Mustang from ‘Gone in 60 Seconds,’ lacks the distinctiveness and consistency...more
A recent lawsuit filed by photographer Jackson Lee against MediaNews Group illustrates the important distinction between copyright and the right of publicity. Lee claims the publisher used his photos of Beyoncé, Jennifer...more
A former University of Michigan assistant football coach accused of hacking the personal information and intimate photos of thousands of students has asked a Michigan federal judge to set aside a default entry against him,...more
Wealth and celebrity provide no immunity from the burdens of fiduciary responsibility. The more complex an estate or financial portfolio, the greater the opportunity for fiduciary breaches—whether through elder exploitation,...more
Welcome back to the Spotlight! For time immemorial (since 1906, to be exact), the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) so-called amateurism rules sought to enforce a bright-line distinction between college sports...more
A recent lawsuit against actor and comedian Marlon Wayans underscores the practical value created by securing a copyright registration early and the associated risk doing so creates for a third-party user....more
Welcome back to the Spotlight! Although men’s basketball in New York City is on hiatus with the Knicks falling short of an NBA Finals appearance (I don’t want to talk about it), women’s basketball is picking up the slack,...more
A series of lawsuits between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, stars of the 2024 blockbuster movie It Ends With Us, have captivated both the public and the legal community in recent months. The legal battle presents...more
What happens when a business built on a celebrity’s name no longer controls the name itself? In this episode of The Briefing, attorneys Scott Hervey and Jessica Marlow break down the Nicklaus Companies v. GBI decision and...more
On May 9, 2025, I sat in a crowded football stadium for the sold-out second night of the Grand National Tour concert featuring Kendrick Lamar and SZA (the stage name of Solána Rowe). As I listened to those iconic artists...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
Welcome back to the Spotlight! Given the volume of rain across the country recently, I may have to temporarily change the title to “Floodlight.” Yikes. I’d say these late nights watching the NBA Playoffs have made me a little...more