California District Court Dismisses “Tiger King” Case, Citing First Amendment Interests
After captivating home-bound viewers earlier this year, Netflix’s documentary series “Tiger King” had its day in court recently when a California district judge dismissed a case brought by the publisher of Hollywood Weekly Magazine (“HW”) against the producers and distributors of the show. See Prather Jackson v. Netflix, Inc., Case No. 2:20-cv-06354-MCS-GJS (C.D. Cal. Dec.
New York Enacts a Post-Mortem Right of Publicity Law and Addresses Deep Fakes
Joining the majority of states, New York recently enacted a new right of publicity statute that extends the right past death. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the legislation on November 30, 2020, establishing a right of publicity (N.Y. Civ. Rights Law § 50-f) for deceased persons (and their descendants) domiciled in New York to
New York Passes Anti-SLAPP Legislation to Protect Speech Rights
On November 10, 2020, Governor Cuomo signed into law a robust expansion to New York’s existing anti-SLAPP legislation, in a significant effort to curb lawsuits filed with the goal of intimidating and suppressing free speech. Amending New York’s current statute—Sections 70-a and 76-a of the New York Civil Rights Law—the law addresses the problem of
SDNY Judge Dismisses “Hustlers” Invasion of Privacy and Defamation Claims
In an opinion rife with references to adult entertainment and drugs, a judge in the Southern District of New York recently dismissed an invasion of privacy and defamation case over a plaintiff’s apparent depiction in the 2019 film “Hustlers.” See Barbash v. STX Financing, LLC, Case No. 1:20-cv-00123-DLC (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 10, 2020). For the uninitiated,
Line By Line Media’s “Instant Family” Ordered by USA
CDAS is production counsel for the Line By Line Media show “Instant Family” which was just ordered by the USA network as a half-hour reality series.
August Wilson to be Honored in Hollywood
CDAS is pleased that Pulitzer Prize and Tony award-winning playwright August Wilson will be honored with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Fred Bimbler is counsel to the Estate of August Wilson.
Blumhouse’s Sci-Fi Feature “Upgrade” to Become a TV Series
Briana Hill represented Blumhouse in the deal to adapt sci-fi thriller feature “Upgrade” as a TV series. Leigh Whannell, who wrote and directed the movie, is set to direct the series.
Nancy Wolff Spoke as US Copyright Law Expert in IPIC Webinar
Nancy Wolff provided the US perspective in the “Comparative Copyright Law: Key Differences Between Canada, US and EU” webinar hosted by the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) on May 14, 2020.
“The Good Lord Bird” Trailer Just Released
CDAS represented producer Blumhouse in its deal to acquire rights to the James McBride book, the deal with Ethan Hawke (who stars as abolitionist John Brown), and the deal with Showtime where the miniseries will premiere on August 9. Watch the trailer here.
Susan Bodine Addressed the Association of Brazilian Television Producers
Sue discussed “Doing Business in the U.S.” in a webinar produced by the ABTP on April 29, 2020.