Copyright Claims Dismissed over Seinfeld Cookbook
September 29, 2009
Missy Chase Lapine, author of <i>The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals</i>, has come up empty in her claims against Jerry Seinfeld and his wife, Jessica. Lapine had sued Jessica, author of the book <i>Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food</i>, for copyright and trademark infringement. But Manhattan federal district court Judge Laura Swain threw those claims out, finding that there were sufficient differences between the two books.
Jury Finds Against Film Producers In Bribery Case
September 29, 2009
A pair of Beverly Hills film producers have been found guilty of conspiring to bribe a former Thai government official to obtain contracts that provided for, among other things, control of the annual Bangkok International Film Festival, the Justice Department said.
Radio Personality Must Pay for Lawyer's Services
September 29, 2009
The Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, affirmed a quantum meruit award based on contract-negotiation representation that attorney Todd Musburger provided to talk show personality Gary Meier.
Strategies for Maximizing Campaigns for Movie Merchandise
September 29, 2009
The billions of dollars in movie merchandising profits reflect the incredible value of intellectual property. If a film is, for example, adapted from a book, or ' more commonly for merchandising in recent years ' a comic book or graphic novel, a movie studio must first obtain rights, either through assignment or more commonly licensing, from the literary work's author or owner. However, that does not mean the studio can begin production of action figures the next day.
The Virtual Museum
September 29, 2009
In the movie <i>Field of Dreams</i>, a mysterious voice assures the protagonist, a down-on-his-luck city-boy-turned-farmer named Ray played by Kevin Costner, that "if you build it, they will come." Today, however, in an age of instant, digital entertainment, curators of museums and historical sites must also wonder if anyone "will come" to their static displays to visit and donate ' and what will happen if they don't.
Actionable Trademark Infringement
August 27, 2009
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has held that the sale of products lacking a unique serial number applied by a brand owner for anticounterfeiting and quality control purposes constitutes trademark infringement under federal law. This is so even if the removal of the code does not cause physical damage to an otherwise genuine product and consumers are not aware that the code has been removed.
Upcoming Events
August 27, 2009
Texas Bar 19th Annual Entertainment Law Institute<br>American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries Annual Meeting
Bit Parts
August 27, 2009
Alleged Oral Copyright License No Bar to Infringement Suit<br>Musical Compositions' Valuation Upheld<br>Song Suit Against Destiny's Child Sent to Trial
