Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%
Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.
How U.S. Court Ruled Whether France's Right of Publicity Law Is Descendible
Battles over celebrities' estates often end up in litigation, but a recent court ruling involving the estate of French oceanic explorer, environmentalist and documentary filmmaker Jacques Cousteau included a not-often-seen right of publicity consideration: how a U.S. court determines whether right-of-publicity protection in another nation is descendible. The Cousteau Society Inc. v. Cousteau, 3:19-cv-1106 (D.Conn. 2020).
Protection of the right of publicity varies globally, either directly, through related laws or not at all. Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who died in 1997, had assigned the exclusive international rights in his intellectual property to The Cousteau Society (TCS), a Virginia-based not-for-profit formed back in the 1970s to safeguard Cousteau's legacy. The exclusive rights included to Cousteau's name, voice, likeness and signature, as well as trademarks. In addition to Cousteau's name, the registered trademarks include the name of his boat "Calypso" and the phrase "The Journey Continues."
Cousteau's granddaughter Celine Cousteau founded The Celine Cousteau Film Fellowship (CCFF) to create multimedia productions focused on environmental and socio-cultural matters. TCS filed suit over CCFF's documentary production Celine Cousteau, The Adventure Continues, described in the complaint as "retrac[ing Cousteau's] steps. Exploring how the planet has changed since his epic adventures." The TCS lawsuit also alleged CCFF was using Jacques Cousteau intellectual property without permission to raise funding through CCFF's website.
This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only
ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE SINGLE SOURCE OF OBJECTIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS, PRACTICAL INSIGHTS, AND NEWS IN ENTERTAINMENT LAW.
- Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
- Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
- Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts
Already a have an account? Sign In Now Log In Now
For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin
With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.
'Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P.': A Tutorial On Contract Liability for Real Estate Purchasers
In June 2024, the First Department decided Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P., which resolved a question of liability for a group of condominium apartment buyers and in so doing, touched on a wide range of issues about how contracts can obligate purchasers of real property.
CoStar Wins Injunction for Breach-of-Contract Damages In CRE Database Access Lawsuit
Latham & Watkins helped the largest U.S. commercial real estate research company prevail in a breach-of-contract dispute in District of Columbia federal court.
The Article 8 Opt In
The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.