In what must be counted as a victory for solidarity among WGA members and the often controversial tactics of its executive director David Goodman, the leading agency WME reached a
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Television
DOJ Keeps the Music Playing for ASCAP and BMI
On January 15th, the Department of Justice announced it has ended its two-year review of the 80-year old consent decrees that govern the operation of the largest music…
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“Stranger Things”: Copyright Challenge to Popular Series Survives Motion to Dismiss
In response to a copyright claim that the Netflix series “Stranger Things” infringed the plaintiff’s unpublished screenplays, Netflix and the other defendants filed a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, arguing…
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Follow Up: Enola Holmes Case Settles, Leaves Unsolved Mysteries
Owners of copyright in characters are often well-advised not to press their claims too far in litigation at the risk of losing their rights altogether. This may be what motivated…
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Stories to Watch in 2021
Happy New Year to all. To kick off 2021, I’ve provided quick takes below on some of the bigger stories we’ll be watching
WME v. WGA
Just before Christmas, CAA…
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CAA, WME Head Back to Court in WGA Dispute
In my last blog, I expressed cautious optimism that the WGA was making progress in settling its long-running dispute with CAA and WME, the two largest talent agencies and…
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WGA Scores Points in Agency Litigation
The battle between the Writers Guild of America and the major agencies has been waged on two fronts for over a year, with mixed results.
Attention recently has focused primarily…
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UTA Ends WGA Packaging Dispute
UTA has just announced that it reached agreement with the Writers Guild to sign a franchise agreement that will permit it to resume representation of writers.
This will bring a…
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Peace in Our Time: WGA Reaches Deal on New Basic Agreement
In a down to the wire bargaining session, the Writers Guild of America negotiating committee reached agreement with the studios on a new three-year deal. This was unanimously approved by…
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Sherlock Holmes’s Sister Subject of Copyright Infringement Claim
A planned Netflix movie about Sherlock Holmes’s sister is the target of a lawsuit from the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of the legendary detective. The estate has…
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