On Tuesday the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that public-figure plaintiffs in defamation cases must set forth plausible allegations, at the pleadings stage, that media defendants acted with actual malice.  Heralded as a victory for the media industry and First Amendment rights, the court in Biro v. Condé Nast, et al.

After sorting through the tangled 80-year history behind the song “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” the Second Circuit recently held that rights to the Christmas classic will revert back to the songwriter’s heirs on Dec. 15, 2016. Rights to the composition, written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, are currently held by EMI

Continuing to establish itself as the most progressive state in the data privacy arena, California has passed the Student Online Personal Information Protection Act (“SOPIPA”).  The law imposes some of the strongest restrictions on the use of students’ information online to date.  SOPIPA will become effective January 1, 2016 and website operators, app developers and

Election season is upon us, and while music may not be the first thing that comes to mind amidst scandals, poll numbers, and innumerable primary debates, politicians’ use of theme songs almost inevitably becomes a hot-button issue for musicians, recording artists, and lawyers.  Two presidential candidates have already angered artists who feel their music was

In an important decision affecting copyright owners, online hosts, and creators of user-generated content, the Ninth Circuit, on Monday, issued a bright line rule that copyright holders must consider the fair use doctrine before issuing takedown notices to remove otherwise infringing content in order to comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).  The Court’s

Two recent federal court decisions reflect a judicial willingness to extend the traditional bounds of publicity rights, affording both current and former National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes the opportunity to share in the revenues earned from commercial use of their names and likenesses in videogames, live game telecasts, and other licensed products. Under the

Michael Jordan’s recent right of publicity victory over former Chicago-area grocer Dominick’s Finer Foods suggests that the unauthorized use of a celebrity’s name or likeness may come at a price—in this case, $8.9 million. In 2009, Sports Illustrated magazine published a commemorative issue recognizing Jordan’s athletic achievements and celebrating his induction into the Basketball Hall

So far this year two federal courts have addressed important issues relating to Internet service providers’ (“ISP”) safe harbor protection under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”).  One court dealt with the necessity of registering a DMCA agent for the service of takedown notices with the Copyright Office, and the other addressed, for the first

Last year we reported on the hotly debated ruling of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (“USPTO”) Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) in Blackhorse v. Pro Football, Inc., which cancelled six trademarks belonging to the Washington Redskins football team on the grounds that those marks were disparaging to Native Americans.  While the district court

When composer Jack Urbont brought suit for copyright infringement against rapper Dennis Coles (popularly known as Ghostface Killah), Urbont likely thought he had a straight-forward case. Urbont claimed that Coles’ had improperly sampled Urbont’s “Iron Man Theme” on Coles’ album, Supreme Clientele. Written for the Marvel television program Marvel Super Heroes, the Iron Man Theme