SiriusXM is Looking to License Music Directly from Labels

Posted by on Nov 6, 2011 in Art, Business Litigation, Business Transactions, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Transactions, Copyright, Entertainment, Intellectual Property, Music, News | 0 comments There has been chatter in the entertainment industry with regard to SiriusXM’s recent attempt to directly license music from record labels. SiriusXM, a satellite radio, currently has a statutory license to play music and pays digital public performance royalties to a nonprofit organization called SoundExchange, which is a nonprofit organization designated by Congress pursuant to the 1995...
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Las Vegas Company Ordered to Pay $120,000 in Attorney’s Fees for Filing “Frivolous” Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

Posted by on Nov 5, 2011 in Copyright, Entertainment, Intellectual Property, News, Television | 0 comments On Wednesday, October 26, 2011, Las Vegas company named Righthaven LLC was ordered by a federal court judge to pay $119,488 in attorneys fees and costs. This past summer, federal judge Roger Hunt dismissed Righthaven’s lawsuit against former federal prosecutor Thomas DiBiase on the basis that Righthaven did not have standing to file its lawsuit. The basis of Righthaven’s lawsuit was...
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European Court Issues a Judgment that May Have Sweeping Impact on Celebrity Lawsuits Against Media, Bloggers, and Websites

Posted by on Nov 2, 2011 in Art, Business Litigation, Business Transactions, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Transactions, Copyright, Entertainment, Film, Intellectual Property, Music, News, Sports, Television, Trademark | 0 comments With the ever increasing reach of the internet and the speed at which website content can reach thousands, if not millions, of viewers throughout the world in a matter of minutes or hours, it is not surprising that this past Tuesday October 25, 2011 the European Court of Justice made a sweeping ruling that may greatly affect a celebrity’s publicity or privacy rights. The European Court...
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Major Players in the Entertainment Industry Show Support for New House Bill on Online Piracy

Posted by on Nov 2, 2011 in Art, Business Litigation, Business Transactions, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Transactions, Copyright, Entertainment, Film, Intellectual Property, Music, News, Sports, Television, Trademark | 0 comments A House Bill entitled “The Stop Online Piracy Act” recently introduced by several congress members has found overwhelming support by major players in the entertainment industry. The new STOP Online Piracy Act would provide the federal government with broad and sweeping powers to essentially eliminate websites that host illegal content. The federal government will have the power to shut down...
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Big Sister Napolitano has a New Bill in the House to Control What We Can and Cannot Access Online

Posted by on Oct 29, 2011 in Art, Business Litigation, Business Transactions, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Transactions, Copyright, Entertainment, Film, Intellectual Property, Music, News, Sports, Television, Trademark | 0 comments The entertainment industry has been voicing its support for a brand new bill introduced in the House of Representatives that takes aim at online websites that violate US Copyright laws, which is titled the Stop Online Piracy Act (H.R. 3261) and is scheduled for hearing by the House Judiciary committee on November 16, 2011. In May, the Senate also introduced a similar bill named the Protect IP Act...
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Bloggers and Writers Beware of Posting Original Ideas on Social Media Websites

Posted by on Oct 29, 2011 in Art, Business Litigation, Business Transactions, Copyright, Entertainment, Film, Intellectual Property, News | 0 comments Warner Brothers recently purchased the “exclusive” movie rights to “Rome, Sweet Rome,” which is about a U.S. Marine who travels back in time to fight the Roman Empire. It was created by an author named James Erwin, but now it is disputed whether or not the movie rights purchased by Warner Brothers were actually “exclusive.” This issue of exclusivity arises because Mr. Erwin originally...
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