Can Tattoos Be Copyrighted? The Legal Battle Over Mike Tyson's Iconic Ink — No Infringement Intended Podcast
(Podcast) The Briefing: Trademark Mayhem – Lady Gaga Gets Sued for Trademark Infringement
The Briefing: Trademark Mayhem – Lady Gaga Gets Sued for Trademark Infringement
The JustPod: Lawyer, Gentleman, and Counsel to the Stars: A Discussion with Brian McMonagle
Harassment in the Celebrity Workplace: Insights From It Ends With Us — Hiring to Firing Podcast
(Podcast) The Briefing: About Face – Courts Weigh AI Face-Swapping Technology and Celebrity Rights
The Briefing: About Face – Courts Weigh AI Face-Swapping Technology and Celebrity Rights
The Journey From Athlete To Executive
The Briefing – Late Night, Early Dismissal: The Santos-Kimmel Copyright Case
(Podcast) The Briefing – Late Night, Early Dismissal: The Santos-Kimmel Copyright Case
TortsCenter Podcast | Episode 4 | The Bold and the Branded
The Briefing: IOC Goes For Gold In Trademark Suit Over Logan Paul - Kevin Durant Sports Drink
The Briefing: IOC Goes For Gold In Trademark Suit Over Logan Paul - Kevin Durant Sports Drink (Podcast)
The Briefing: No Copyright Protection in Fitness Routines for Celebrity Trainer Tracy Anderson [PODCAST]
California Employment News: Is The FTC Recent Rule on Non-Competes a New Reality for Reality Stars
California Employment News: Is The FTC Recent Rule on Non-Competes a New Reality for Reality Stars (Podcast)
The Briefing: Scarlett Johansson vs Chat GPT What the Legal Claims Would Look Like
The Briefing: Scarlett Johansson vs Chat GPT What the Legal Claims Would Look Like (Podcast)
The Briefing: Another Court Gets It Right in Tattoo Copyright Dispute
The Briefing: Another Court Gets It Right in Tattoo Copyright Dispute (Podcast)
On May 9, 2025, I sat in a crowded football stadium for the sold-out second night of the Grand National Tour concert featuring Kendrick Lamar and SZA (the stage name of Solána Rowe). As I listened to those iconic artists...more
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse...more
Welcome back to the Spotlight! Given the volume of rain across the country recently, I may have to temporarily change the title to “Floodlight.” Yikes. I’d say these late nights watching the NBA Playoffs have made me a little...more
The Purple Reign… in Chaos: Netflix, Secrets, and the Fight Over Prince's Legacy...more
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court’s dismissal of a copyright action, finding that the plaintiff failed to plausibly allege either that the defendant had “access” to the work in question...more
Welcome back to the Spotlight! In the past 7 months, I have borne witness to monumental postseason collapses by two of my favorite professional sports teams: my beloved hometown New York Yankees and New York Knicks. Last...more
The Dorsey Trademark, Copyright + Advertising team is back from the 2025 International Trademark Association Meeting. It was one for the books. We mixed and mingled with old and new colleagues and as well as our friends from...more
Ninth Circuit affirms dismissal of copyright infringement claim against musician Lil Nas X, finding that mere availability of plaintiff influencer’s photographs on Instagram does not amount to access to those photographs and...more
Spinning the Globe: When the Music Stops, the IRS Listens - Imagine standing on stage in Ibiza, Tokyo, or Miami, spinning beats to millions while pulling in seven figures per gig. That’s the reality for Dutch DJs Tiësto...more
The relationship between a talent, on one hand, and a studio, concert promoter, or venue, on the other, almost always extends beyond performance and payment. One instance where this plays out is the promotion of a performance...more
Pop icon Lady Gaga is no stranger to making waves, but a new lawsuit initiated by California-based surfboard company Lost International (aka Lost Surfboards), shows that even superstars can find themselves navigating choppy...more
In the high-profile legal drama surrounding Sean "Diddy" Combs, the public’s attention has been focused on headlines, allegations, high-profile legal teams and courtroom appearances. But behind the scenes, a critical aspect...more
French cinema icon Gérard Depardieu was convicted of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in Paris in 2021 and handed an 18-month suspended sentence....more
The event that took over the Women’s Football World Cup Final on 20 August 2023 returned to dominate headlines this month. Luis Rubiales (Rubiales), former president of the Spanish Football Association, was found guilty of...more
The Fourth Circuit on Friday seemed poised to unravel a federal court’s injunction allowing two NASCAR teams, including one co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan, to continue racing as chartered teams while they pursue...more
In this episode, Austin Padgett and Rusty Close discuss the legal implications of Mike Tyson's face tattoo in the context of intellectual property law. They explore the copyright infringement lawsuit filed by tattoo artist S....more
Weight Watchers files bankruptcy after growth in GLP-1 drugs | Bloomberg via Yahoo! Finance - Having rebranded as WW International in 2018 and acquired Sequence, a telehealth company, in 2023, the 62-year-old health and...more
Liam Payne’s sudden and tragic death shocked the world—but what followed should concern anyone without an estate plan. Despite a $32 million fortune, the former One Direction star left no will, leaving behind a young son, an...more
Welcome back to the Spotlight! While I appreciate your valiant efforts in coming back to this space, that comeback pales in comparison to the two comebacks the underdog New York Knicks have had against the defending NBA...more
Ninth Circuit reverses summary judgment in favor of pop singer Sam Smith in music copyright dispute, holding in unpublished opinion that hook in plaintiff’s song may be protectable as unique selection and arrangement of...more
On April 29, 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals revived the copyright infringement case filed by Sound and Color, LLC against Sam Smith, Normani, and related parties (collectively, “Defendants”) concerning the hit song...more
National Football League (NFL) Hall of Famer Terrell Owens recently filed a lawsuit in Illinois state court against TMZ, accusing the news and media company of unauthorized use of his trademark, GETCHA POPCORN READY....more
FIFA is demanding attorney fees from plaintiffs for misusing artificial intelligence in an antitrust suit against the soccer federation in Puerto Rico, with a formatting error revealing that it is seeking more than $50,000...more
Welcome back to the Spotlight! Based on the layers of pollen caked on my car and nary an unstuffed nose to be found, I would venture to guess that allergists are doing well for themselves this Spring. After the past week in...more