Earlier this month, the IMDb (Internet Movie Database) filed a lawsuit requesting an injunction against the Actor Age Censorship Law, a California law that allows actors to demand that IMDb remove all references to their age from the website. This piece of legislation was passed in late 2016 and was supported by the Screen Actors Guild […]
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Jamaican Relay Team Stripped of Gold
“The Jamaican team is disqualified…the corresponding medals, medalist pins and diplomas are withdrawn and shall be returned.” – International Olympic Committee (IOC) As reported by ESPN, the IOC released a statement on January 25th, 2017 that Nesta Carter, one of Usain Bolt’s 4×100 relay teammates, tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine in a re-analysis […]
Producers Pressured to Disavow
In the post-“Blurred Lines” music industry, where an artist even casually admitting that their work was influenced by another may expose them to potential copyright infringement lawsuits, music labels are taking no chances when commissioning official remixes. In what appears to be a direct response to the surprising verdict in which a jury awarded $5.3 […]
#disclose
Companies and advertisers have long realized the unprecedented power social media affords them to market their products. Particularly through the social media app Instagram, many posts by celebrities and other influential users are actually paid ads and endorsements. American advertising law requires advertisers to tell people when they are targets of advertising, and as a result, […]
‘Star Trek’ Fan Film Not Fair Use, Will Be Tried by Jury
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a judge ruled Wednesday that a 20-minute Star Trek fan video and proposed feature-length film produced by Axanar Productions cannot be considered fair use, and therefore may constitute copyright infringement. Paramount Pictures and CBS, owners of the Star Trek copyrights, filed the lawsuit against Axanar last year after Axanar began […]
One for the Little Guy! Community Church Defeats Adidas in Trademark Dispute
As reported by The Fashion Law, Adidas has been trying to register “Adizero,” the name of a line of sneakers, with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) since 2009. Unfortunately for Adidas, the Chicago-based Christian Faith and Fellowship Church had already trademarked “Add a Zero,” a phrase the church uses on its merchandise, namely […]
Legal Drama at the 2016 World Chess Championship
The last time the World Chess Championship was held in the U.S., O.J. Simpson was just a month away from being acquitted of murder. Twenty-one years later, the 2016 World Chess Championship, currently underway in New York, has gotten off to a rocky start. According to Reuters, on October 31st, organizers of the World Chess […]
Tidal Claims Exclusive Streaming Rights to Prince Catalogue
On Nov. 2 Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) won the bidding war to become “worldwide publishing administrator” for the entire Prince catalogue. Unfortunately, for streaming purposes, it may have to license those publishing rights exclusively to Tidal. According to Billboard, on Nov. 11, Jay Z’s entertainment company, Roc Nation, filed paperwork in a Minnesota district […]
European Songwriters Pressure US to Change Copyright Exception
When the owner of a public space plays recorded music, she must obtain a license for the public performance of the copyrighted musical work. American copyright laws require the owner to only obtain one license for the song copyright, whereas in other countries, owners are required to obtain an additional license for the recording copyright, […]
No More Secrets For The NFL?
The past few months have not treated the NFL very well. The League recently posted record low ratings for Monday Night Football and Sunday Night Football ratings have sunk to a 5-year low. Despite this ratings slump, the NFL’s most recent problem is of even more economic significance. On October 24th, Justice Jeffrey Oing of the […]