News

COWAN, DEBAETS, ABRAHAMS & SHEPPARD LLP ADDS LEADING TECH AND VENTURE LAW GROUP

New York, NY—April 3, 2013 — Cowan DeBaets Abrahams & Sheppard LLP (CDAS) announces today that key members of the Venture Law Group of MasurLaw, a leading New York venture finance, technology and digital media firm have moved to CDAS. The new talent will enhance CDAS’s venture financing and digital media capabilities and complement CDAS’s rapidly expanding Digital Media Practice
News

Aereo Update: Eleanor M. Lackman Quoted in Law360

CDAS Partner Eleanor M. Lackman was quoted by Law 360 in the wake of the most recent Second Circuit decision in WNET, Thirteen v. Aereo, Inc.; Am. Broad. Cos., Inc. v. Aereo, Inc. The Second Circuit’s decision may hold significant repercussions for the cable television industry. Within the article, Eleanor observes that the decision places Aereo in an
News

Oscilloscope Picks Up Lotfy Nathan’s “12 O’Clock Boys”

Oscilloscope Laboratories announced today that it has acquired all North American rights 12 O’CLOCK BOYS, directed and produced by CDAS Partner Marc H. Simon’s client Lotfy Nathan. The film tells the story of the 12 O’Clock Boys, a notorious urban dirt bike pack in Baltimore.  Converging in groups and invading the streets, they dangerously–yet magnificently–make their presence

Associated Press v. Meltwater: Associated Press Scores Significant Copyright Victory

The Associated Press scored a significant victory this past week in a case indicating that the scales may be beginning to tip in favor of content owners in the battle over online copyright infringement. In Associated Press v. Meltwater, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted plaintiff The Associated

Central Park Five: Judge Blocks City’s Subpoena

Renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and his film company, Florentine Films, won a significant legal victory recently as a Magistrate Judge ruled that they do not have to produce unused material from his documentary The Central Park Five to New York City. On February 19, 2013, Magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis ruled that Burns and Florentine

“Wish You Would Step Back From That Ledge (And Sign This) My Friend”

A recent lawsuit between two members of a 1990’s and early aughts alternative rock band whose debut album sold over 6 million copies in the U.S. should open the eyes of new artists to the importance of getting partnership agreements, and not just lyrics, written down on paper.

Effie Film v. Murphy: Second Victory for Emma Thompson Film

In February, we discussed Effie Film, LLC v. Pomerance, in which the Southern District of New York held that the Emma Thompson scripted film Effie did not infringe upon the copyrights in two screenplays by another writer on a similar historical subject. The upcoming film won another victory in the Southern District this week in

FTC Issues New Guideline Report for Online and Mobile Advertising Disclaimers

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued new guidelines this week for media outlets, advertisers, brands, celebrity brand spokespeople and other parties advertising products online. The report, titled “.com Disclosures: How to Make Effective Disclosures in Digital Advertising,” builds upon the FTC’s previous report on digital marketing practices, issued in 2000. In addition to emphatically clarifying

Apple Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles ex rel Krescent: California Struggles with the Digital Transition

In Apple v. Superior Court of Los Angeles ex rel Krescent, the Supreme Court of California examined whether online transactions fall within the scope of a 1971 credit card act that prevents retailers in California from requesting personal identification information. An important milestone in what is likely to be an extended wave of decisions in