When Social Media Finally Holds Feet to the Fire, Trump Fires Back: Undermining the Communications Decency Act’s Safe Harbor by Executive Order
Like most other providers of interactive computer services, such as websites or mobile applications that allow their users to post or contribute their own content, Twitter through its Terms of Service and community guidelines has long prohibited its users from posting or communicating, among other things, defamatory, profane, infringing, obscene, unlawful, exploitive, harmful, racist, bigoted,
Proposed Guidelines for Resumption of Motion Picture, Television and Streaming Productions
Earlier this week, the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee Task Force released proposed policies and guidelines for the recommencement of productions, known as the White Paper. As of June 1, the White Paper was submitted to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and California Governor Gavin Newsom for review. The Task Force, comprised of the Alliance of
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Character Exclusivity in Rights Deals
In this increasingly competitive media landscape, companies are seeking to create entertainment brands that can endure, serve as the basis for dozens of hours of content on the new generation of owned-and-operated premium platforms, and extend across various forms of media. However, transmedia deals are seldom straightforward, and may create issues that one is less
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.
Second Circuit Limits Copyright Damages to Three-Year Period Before Suit
How do you square Psihoyos with Petrella, two of the most significant copyright statute of limitations cases in recent years? Courts and attorneys alike have struggled with that question since the Second Circuit and the Supreme Court, respectively, handed down these two copyright decisions within the span of a month in 2014. For the most
COVID-19 Relief
While certain states have started to ease lockdowns and shelter-in-place limitations, the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects have taken a toll on many lives, communities, and small businesses. One of the many challenges this unprecedented situation has spawned is how small business will weather the economic downturn it has caused. This situation has been particularly dire for
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.
Ninth Circuit Holds First Amendment Tolerates Whiskey-Inspired Parody Dog Toys in Trade Dress Spat
A legal decision that simultaneously upholds the foundational tenets of free speech while quoting a dog toy’s claim to be “43% Poo by Vol” and “100% Smelly” is a welcome spot of levity in these trying and stressful times. The Ninth Circuit offered both in VIP Products v. Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc., a recent decision holding