Entertainment Litigation Blog

SUPREME COURT MAY CONSIDER WHETHER FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULING PERMITTING REMOTE DIGITAL VIDEO RECORDERS VIOLATES THE COPYRIGHT ACT

The manner in which we view television programs has changed. The advent of digital video recorders like Tivo means that viewers are regularly "copying" content. While copying for personal use has been upheld by the courts, new technologies allowing cable companies to provide digital video recorders from a remote, central location have given rise to a number of cases across the country.

In August 2008, the Second Circuit considered the issue of whether such a "remote digital recorder" violated content providers' copyrights. That court reversed a ruling in the Southern District of New York and held that these remote DVRs did not infringe upon the providers' rights. However, just last month, the United States Supreme Court requested the government to weigh in on the issue -- requesting that the Solicitor General submit a brief to express the government's view of the law.

Should content providers really be complaining about a DVR system which appears to be more secure against piracy? Stay tuned to see if your cable's DVR will be upheld to be legal.

Continue reading "ENTERTAINMENT LITIGATION: COPYRIGHT AND THE NEW REMOTE DIGITAL VIDEO RECORDERS" »

JUDGE DISMISSES MOST OF CLEMENS' CASE AGAINST FORMER TRAINER

In my prior post about protecting celebrities and their reputation, I commented on the defamation lawsuit that Roger Clemens brought against his former trainer, Brian McNamee. Clemens sued McNamee over McNamee's statements to investigators led by former Senator George Mitchell, as revealed in the infamous "Mitchell Report" concerning drug use in Major League Baseball, as well as statements McNamee made to Clemens' friend and Yankee teammate Andy Pettitte. As I previously wrote, a defamation lawsuit is a legitimate aggressive course of action to pursue -- but one which requires complete assurance that the factual and legal grounds of the case is solid, not just an expensive PR gambit.

On February 12, a federal judge in Houston dismissed the majority of Clemens' case against McNamee. Given the many embarrassing facts about Clemens' character and reputation that have been revealed, and now the order which effectively guts Clemens' case, the Clemens lawsuit is another example of that aggressive strategy gone awry.

Continue reading "ENTERTAINMENT LITIGATION: UPDATE ON ROGER CLEMENS' DEFAMATION LAWSUIT" »

CONGRESS MAY ATTEMPT TO LIMIT LIBEL SUITS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

In my recent post about protecting your reputation, I alluded to the recent trend of filing defamation (libel) cases in the UK because of that country's less restrictive burdens of proof. Lance Armstrong filed such a case over reports in the European press alleging that he used performance enhancing steroids during his incredible cycling career.

It's one thing for a celeb like Armstrong to sue the European press in the UK over a story. The problem comes when libel defendants in the US, who may not have the resources to defend themselves, are sued in the UK.

Here comes the US Congress to the rescue.

Continue reading "ENTERTAINMENT LITIGATION: PREVENTING "LIBEL TOURISM"" »

BATTLE OVER THIS YEAR'S SUNDANCE FESTIVAL PHENOM REVIVES AGE OLD QUESTION: WHEN IS A DEAL CONSIDERED A DEAL?

The fight over the rights to "Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire" reflects the same battle that has been fought time and again in Hollywood: when is a deal considered a deal. "Push" was the undisputed darling of the Sundance Film Festival last month. The film built up a steady buzz during the festival week. "Push" ultimately garnered the festival's US grand jury and audience prizes. And now, "Push" has spawned dueling lawsuits in New York and Los Angeles filed by the two suitors for North American distribution rights, The Weinstein Company (TWC) and Lionsgate.

So who knew that this drama -- about an illiterate African American teen in late '80s Harlem who is pregnant by her own father and abused by her mother -- could cause such a legal ruckus?

Continue reading "ENTERTAINMENT LITIGATION: SUNDANCE FILM "PUSH" SPARKS MULTIPLE LAWSUITS OVER FILM RIGHTS" »

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TAKING A LESSON FROM BASEBALL'S STEROID SCANDALS

The task of protecting celebrities from public humiliation is difficult and complex. In a recent post, I discussed strategies to protect celebrities and, in particular, the need to be absolutely sure about the true facts before embarking upon aggressive response strategies. Recent revelations about the use of performance enhancing drugs in baseball illustrate the problems for celebrities facing scandalous allegations.

The way different players handle these difficult issues can provide lessons on how to deal with such accusations against any celeb.

Continue reading "ENTERTAINMENT LITIGATION: UPDATE ON PROTECTING CELEBRITIES" »