Counsel Concerns: Lawyer Ethics Rule In Play in Suit By Business Manager Against Rap Artist
August 01, 2018
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina dismissed a conversion counterclaim by rapper Chingy against his former business manager Leslie King, who is a lawyer, on the ground that the artist hadn't established that a royalty purchase agreement he signed with the lawyer was void for allegedly violating the state's attorney ethics rule. However, the district court allowed the artist to pursue the ethics rule as an affirmative defense in the underlying lawsuit the attorney's music company has filed against Chingy.
'Surrealistic' Suit Against Museum over Dalí Persona
August 01, 2018
The Spanish foundation that administers the intellectual property rights of famed surrealist Salvador Dalí is suing a Monterey, CA, museum that displays a permanent Dalí exhibition and uses the artist's name and likeness to promote it.
Compensation Issues from Cancelled Roseanne TV Show
August 01, 2018
It is rare that a hit network television series is cancelled, as recently occurred with the ABC series <i>Roseanne</i>. But when that happens, the immediate and long-term implications for the network, producers, talent and other entities related to the series can be significant.
Issues Between EU Data Protection, Use of Blockchain
August 01, 2018
Emerging technologies and regulations have the power to create, shape or kill businesses. For the entertainment industry, the European Union's (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and blockchain technology each embody forces that have the potential for profound impact. Taken in tandem, the GDPR and blockchain highlight the possibilities and pitfalls of disruption and the importance of cross-organizational collaboration in compliance and innovation initiatives.
Behind MGM Suits Against Concert Shooting Victims
August 01, 2018
MGM Resorts International's filing of lawsuits against 2,500 victims of the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting at the country music concert in Las Vegas was an unprecedented move that has plaintiffs' lawyers accusing the entertainment conglomerate of forum shopping and defense lawyers scratching their heads.
Bit Parts
August 01, 2018
Cryptocollectible Concept Denied Trade Secret Protection<br>Jefferson Starship Co-Founder Loses Anti-SLAPP Motion Against Current Members of Band
Cryptography's Legal Landscape
July 01, 2018
The same applications, and the same cryptographic protocols, don't function in the exact same ways when appearing in 'the same software' utilized in different control devices. What, if any, are the legal ramifications of differing delivery mechanisms for the same cryptographic functions that may or may not perform the same?
Loan-Out Corporations after Tax Reform and CA Supreme Court Decision in 'Dynamex'
July 01, 2018
The tax reform bill signed by President Trump at the end of 2017 has caused us to take a fresh look at many long-held assumptions about how to take into account income taxes in planning for the entertainment industry. At the same time, the California Supreme Court recently decided a case that has the potential to eviscerate loan-out corporations entirely. This article discusses loan-out corporations in light of these two important developments.
A Legal Primer for Making Indie Movies
July 01, 2018
While thousands of films are made each year in the United States and Canada, less than 800 were theatrically released in 2017, with many exceptional films failing to obtain commercial distribution because of legal issues.
Will Law Firms Be Ready When the Next Recession Hits?
July 01, 2018
<b><i>The Bottom Is Eventually Going to Drop on the U.S. Economy, and Many Law Firms Won't Be Positioned to Handle the Fallout</b></i><p>No economic expansion lasts forever. That's a hard-and-fast truth of macroeconomics, one that's on the minds of certain law firm leaders.
