New York has protected the rights of living persons to control the use of their name and likeness in commerce for over one hundred years. The existing right to privacy gives any person the right to sue for an injunction
Close-Ups
Entertainment and Media News
Close-Ups, published by Venable LLP, focuses on legal developments and issues related to intellectual property, defamation, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. The blog covers topics including updates to publicity rights statutes, challenges in defamation law and anti-SLAPP protections, and the intersection of AI with copyright and fair use principles. It also addresses practical legal questions about opinion versus defamation and liability for spreading rumors. The content reflects Venable LLP's expertise in navigating complex legal landscapes involving technology, media, and individual rights.
Latest from Close-Ups - Page 7
Ninth Circuit Panel Adopts “Asserted Truths” Doctrine in Holding Jersey Boys Musical Does Not Infringe Copyright
A panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed the Nevada District Court’s ruling that the play Jersey Boys did not infringe plaintiff’s copyright in the autobiography of Tommy DeVito – a member of the Four Seasons –…
Eleventh Circuit Says Netflix Series Does Not Infringe Copyrighted Memoir
On October 27, 2020, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court’s summary judgment ruling that scenes from the Netflix series Narcos did not infringe a Colombian journalist’s copyrighted memoir, agreeing that “no reasonable jury could find that the two works…
“Are You Guys Into Crypto???”: Celebrities Promoting Cryptocurrencies Become Class Action Targets
This article was previously published on Venable’s All About Advertising Law blog.
A class action lawsuit filed against Kim Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather, and former professional basketball player Paul Pierce earlier this month underscores the need for celebrity endorsers to take…
Impactful Tax Changes for the Entertainment Industry
On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the $2.3 trillion Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the Act). At over five thousand pages, the Act is an amalgamation of numerous legislative measures, including further stimulus measures to combat the coronavirus…
Spac Boom of 2020 Likely to Trigger Media M&A Boom in 2022
One of the oddities of 2020 is that a great many people in the entertainment and media industries became familiar with a complex form of securities offering: the SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company).
Despite having the word “Company” in their…
New COVID-19 Relief Bill Reboots Paycheck Protection Program and Provides Grants to Hardest Hit Businesses in Entertainment
The federal government’s latest spending bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Act (Act), included $284 billion of renewed funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and a newly established $15 billion grant program for “Shuttered Venue Operators” (described below). Congress also modified…
Florida Court Reinforces Protections for Newsworthy Publications
The United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida recently dismissed all claims against the coupon database and news website Coupons in the News, reinforcing protections for online publications and associated photographs that are of legitimate public concern. …
A Discussion on the Intersection of Race and Sexual Orientation with Author and Commentator Keith Boykin
Keith Boykin, a New York Times best-selling author and one of TV’s leading commentators on politics, race, and sexual orientation, participated in Venable’s Diversity and Inclusion Speaker Program on December 3. Keith discussed his personal struggles in coming out as…
The Rise in Demand for Studio Space in Los Angeles – Q & A with Andrew Schmerzler
While the COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on commercial real property markets in much of the country, an ever-increasing demand for streaming content has caused existing studio space in Los Angeles and elsewhere to become even more valuable,…