Writers Engaged in “Additional Capacities” – Article 14 Basics

WGA writers, particularly as they advance in their careers, often end up engaged in both their capacity as writers as well as in an additional non-writing capacity, such as executive producers.  Article 14 of the WGA Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) is therefore an important provision to understand for both writers and anyone engaging them; it
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Chambers USA 2017 Ranks Partners Lackman and Wolff as Top IP Attorneys; Recognizes Two Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP (CDAS) Practice Groups

Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP is proud to announce that partners Eleanor M. Lackman and Nancy E. Wolff and both CDAS’s Entertainment and IP, Copyright and Litigation Practices have been recognized by Chambers and Partners in the Chambers USA 2017: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business guide. This is the fourth consecutive year Ms. Lackman

“Marijuanaville” Mark Goes Up In Smoke: Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville Empire Riding High After TTAB Throws Out “Marijuanaville” Trademark Application

Enterprising corporations looking to join the “green rush” and cash in on the marijuana boom have found a loophole in the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) refusal to register trademarks for products that contain cannabis.  By registering a trademark for ancillary products not related to marijuana, such as clothing or accessories, corporations can
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Law360 – DMCA 2.0: A Potential Shift In Safe Harbor Jurisprudence

Law360 – May 19, 2017, 1:00 PM EDT The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 is almost 20 years old, and while the statute hasn’t evolved, the internet has, and with it — albeit at a slower pace — the common law interpreting the DMCA. The scope and applicability of the “safe harbor” provision of

Client Alert: Copyright Office Amends DMCA Designated Agent Rule – May 10, 2017

Earlier today, the U.S. Copyright Office issued a new release of its electronic system used to designate and search for Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) agents. Under the DMCA, a qualified online service provider (OSP) is not liable for copyright infringement with respect to infringing material residing on the OSP’s network if, upon notification of
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Partner Aileen Atkins Named to Variety’s “2017 Women’s Impact Report”

Aileen Atkins, partner and co-head of Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams and Sheppard LLP’s (CDAS) Corporate Entertainment Practice is featured in Variety’s “2017 Women’s Impact Report.” Aileen is recognized for her work handling a range of digital and tech clients at CDAS  – where four of seven equity partners are women — and for her in-house general

Ninth Circuit Ruling Raises New Legal Risks for Websites That Use Moderators to Screen User-Submitted Content (Mavrix Photographs v. LiveJournal)

On April 7, in a decision with far-reaching implications for websites that allow users to post content, the Ninth Circuit reopened a paparazzi photo agency’s copyright lawsuit against the social media website LiveJournal. In doing so, the court reversed a lower court ruling in LiveJournal’s favor. The photo agency, Mavrix Photographs, sued LiveJournal over twenty