Readers over 40 will remember the TV series MacGyver, which ran on ABC from 1985 through 1992. The show starred Richard Dean Anderson as a mild-mannered secret agent with an uncanny ability to escape the gravest perils by repurposing ordinary objects around him. The show was such a hit that “macgyver” entered the lexicon to
Entertainers Bring Copyright Infringement Suits Over Use of Dance Moves in Game “Fortnite”
It’ll be hard to dance out of this one.
An actor, an influencer, and a rapper have filed lawsuits against Epic Games Inc., the creator and publisher of “Fortnite”, over the use of certain dances in the game, alleging copyright infringement. Fortnite is a survival shooter, battle royale, “king of the hill”, or, last person
Decades-Long Fight Over $30 Million Pissarro Painting Stolen By Nazis is on Full Display as Court Wraps Trial
The oil painting by renowned impressionist Camille Pissarro titled “Rue Saint-Honoré in the Afternoon, Effect of Rain” appears innocent enough. The work depicts a boulevard in Paris during a dreamy drizzly afternoon in 1897. But it is what appears
Hold Everything! New York Judge Issues TRO Blocking Arbitration Against Jay-Z
Normally, efforts to halt arbitrations are dead on arrival if an arbitration agreement exists between the parties. This is especially so when there is no dispute over the scope of the arbitration provision or the claims that are subject to arbitration.
In Shawn C. Carter p/k/a Jay-Z, et al. v. Ionix Brand Group, Inc., et
Prince Prints Spark Copyright Controversy
In dueling motions for summary judgment over copyright infringement claims, The Warhol Foundation butts heads with a photographer whose photo was a source for Warhol’s “Prince Series.”
Lynn Goldsmith is a self-described “rock and roll photographer” who has been photographing music legends since the early 1970s. The photograph in question was from a 1981 shoot
Does LeBron James Have the Right to License His Own Tattoos?
One copyright lawsuit says the answer is “no.”
In a case against Take Two Interactive, the maker of the popular “NBA 2K” video game franchise, Solid Oak Sketches LLC argues LeBron James can license his likeness, but cannot license images of his tattoos due to copyright law.
Solid Oak claims it owns the images of
Ninth Circuit Vacates Verdict in Stairway to Heaven Copyright Action: Missteps in Jury Instructions Result in Remand for New Trial
Among copyright lawyers, Stairway to Heaven may become known not just for its abstract lyrics and acclaimed guitar solo, but also for the legal rulings that upended a jury verdict of non-infringement and sent the parties back to the District Court for a second trial to determine if the classic Led Zeppelin song was the
Bloom Hergott LLP in Depp Trouble After Court Finds Oral Fee Agreement Unenforceable
Johnny Depp won a major battle last week in his war against his former attorneys Bloom Hergott LLP. The firm alleged that it was entitled to a percentage of Depp’s gross entertainment earnings pursuant to an oral fee agreement. The Court disagreed and found the contract unenforceable.
Bloom represented Depp
Studios and Porn Producers Face off over Celebrity Deep Fakes–Their Arguments Will Surprise You
Earlier this year, the leading online pornography site PornHub announced a ban on celebrity “deep fakes.” These are videos in which AI technology is used to place a celebrity likeness seamlessly over existing footage. The site stressed its commitment to the proposition that pornography must be consensual on the part of both makers and consumers,
Cocky Controversy Roils Romance Community
Alarm bells rather than wedding bells are ringing in the insular but passionate world of romance novels as authors and publishers grapple with the question whether an author can claim exclusive rights to use “cocky” in book titles.
It started in early May, 2018. A self-published author named Faleena Hopkins obtained a registration for “cocky”