Copyright on the Wild Side
It’s been theorized that if you give a million monkeys a million typewriters, they will eventually produce the entire collected works of William Shakespeare. It’s been proven, however, that if a troupe of monkeys steals a camera, one will eventually take a really good selfie. By now you’ve probably heard this story, but just in
The Future of Video
By Simon N. Pulman Consumption of online video continues to grow at a rapid pace. Online video ad revenue is projected to reach nearly $5 billion in 2016, while premium streaming video distributors including Netflix, Hulu Plus and Yahoo are stepping up their licensing and commissioning of original content. Most industry observers believe that online
Video Game Cases May Break New Right Of Publicity Ground
Note: This blog is cross-posted from Law360.com with permission of Portfolio Media, Inc. A lawsuit filed in California Superior Court has taken video game right-of-publicity cases beyond college athletes and Hollywood celebrities. Former Central American despot Manuel Noriega, from his prison cell in Panama, is suing Blizzard/Activision over Activision’s portrayal of Noriega in its highly
Producing Content in Emerging Markets
By Simon N. Pulman As the marketplace for entertainment content becomes increasingly global and the middle classes in the BRICS nations (i.e., Brazil, China, Russia, India and South Africa) become both larger and equipped with greater disposable income, content owners of all kinds are looking exploit their intellectual properties in international markets. As part of
Fight for the Fiend Skull Glenn Danzig v. Gerald Caiafa, et al. (C.D. Cal. 2014)
A legal battle is brewing: punk/heavy metal icon Glenn Danzig has sued his former Misfits bandmate, renowned bassist and singer Gerald “Jerry Only” Caiafa, for violations of various Misfits trademarks and logos. Following in the footsteps of Black Flag the filed complaint is another example of former bandmates’ battles over merchandise that remains profitable long
Negotiating Digital Distribution Agreements
By Simon N. Pulman Digital and direct distribution options have created new opportunities for producers seeking to leverage multiple platforms to find new revenue streams and audiences for their work. While the traditional “all rights” deal will continue to exist as long as there are major distributors willing to pay a minimum guarantee and give
Supreme Court Allows Copyright Claim to Proceed Despite Delay
On May 19th, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Petrella v. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. et al., 2014 WL 2011574 (U.S. May 19, 2014), ruling that laches, an equitable doctrine barring suits after unreasonable delay, cannot be used to preclude copyright infringement claims brought within the Copyright Act’s three year statute of limitations.
CDAS To Moderate Two Panels At BookExpo America This Week
CDAS Partner Kenneth N. Swezey will moderate a panel on business opportunities and funding essentials in digital publishing at BookExpo America on Wednesday, May 28th. The event description is below, while additional details can be found here.
Instagram Beats Attempt At Class Action Over Change In Terms Of Use
In Rodriguez v Instagram, CGC-13-532875 (San Francisco Sup. Ct. Feb 28, 2014), the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, rejected a proposed class action lawsuit brought against Instagram LLC in connection with modifications to its original Terms of Use, instituted after the free photo-sharing platform was purchased by Facebook, Inc. The lawsuit challenged Instagram’s
Registration of Collective Work Registers Component Works, Says Ninth Circuit
On March 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in Alaska Stock, LLC v. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Pub. Co., 110 U.S.P.Q. 2d 1062 (9th Cir. 2014), determined that registration of a database of stock photographs as a collective work registered the component photographs within.