Analysis of Warhol Art Fair Use Ruling
October 01, 2019
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York held that a series of silkscreen paintings and prints by Andy Warhol based on a photograph of music legend Prince taken by Lynn Goldsmith constituted a transformative fair use.
Lawyers Win Contingency Fee Fight Against Estate of Blues Icon's Son
October 01, 2019
There have been disputes over rights to the two existing photographs of blues icon Robert Johnson as well as over who was his rightful heir. The latest court decision involves a contingency fee agreement originally entered into by a law firm hired by Johnson's son, who died in 2015. The case offers an example of what rights counsel may gain from such an arrangement following the death of the signatory client.
9th Circuit Says End Steinbeck Copyright Fight
October 01, 2019
In a nearly half-century-long legal dispute over the rights to John Steinbeck's works, the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's $5 million compensatory damages award against the author's daughter-in-law but vacated punitive damages against the heir.
Book Publishers' Lawsuit Against Amazon's Audible
October 01, 2019
A coalition of publishers has sued Audible, the Amazon-owned audiobook company, over a new feature announced last summer that will display the text of a book to listeners while it's read to them by their device.
Star Athlete's Trainer Loses Commission Bid
October 01, 2019
A lawsuit alleging a former trainer was entitled to a portion of tennis star Naomi Osaka's lifetime earnings is out of play, after a Broward County, FL, Circuit Court judge dismissed the case.
Bit Parts
October 01, 2019
Texas Court of Appeals Won't Let Former Lawyer for Matthew Knowles Use State's Anti-SLAPP Statute to Dismiss Knowles' Cross-Claims in Legal Fees Dispute
Increasing Client Requirements: Securing Law Firms for the 21st Century
October 01, 2019
Gone are the days of "basic security." What used to be optional is now standard: two factor authentication, complex passwords, clean desk policies, data encryption at rest and in transit, mobile device management and up-to-the-minute patching. Clients expect these items to already be in place and are further expanding their expectations.
Cybersecurity False Claims Act Cases: The Next Frontier
October 01, 2019
A new wave of False Claims Act cases is crashing ashore. Based on the federal government's inclusion of toughened cybersecurity requirements for government contractors, numerous FCA cases will undoubtedly be filed and litigated in coming years against prime contractors and their major subcontractors for allegedly failing to comply with their contractual cybersecurity obligations.