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Copyright Infringement Entertainment Industry Copyright Litigation

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - August 2025 #2

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The Denver Broncos told a Colorado state court Friday that a now-defunct coffee company illegally used the team’s intellectual property to sell products even though it owed the team over $1.5 million....more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Up, Up, and Litigated: Superman’s 87-Year Copyright War

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Superman has soared back onto the big screen, and unless you’ve been locked in the Fortress of Solitude, you already know his origin story: Rocketed from the doomed planet Krypton. Raised in Kansas. Secretly, a mild-mannered...more

Vondran Legal

Being Pursued by Backgrid USA for Photo Infringement?

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According to the lawsuit referenced above filed against Twitter in 2022: Backgrid is the world's premier celebrity-related photograph agency and provides highly sought-after images of celebrities around the world to top...more

Vondran Legal

ASCAP Calls Out Alleged Infringers Publicly Citing Lawsuits Filed

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We have talked about this in other blogs; ASCAP is getting aggressive in enforcing their legal rights when restaurants, bars, fitness centers and other establishments play copyrighted music without having the proper BMI,...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

ER and The Pitt-falls of a Frozen Rights Provision

Dorsey & Whitney LLP on

Michael Crichton, author, director, and visionary created works that resonate today like Jurassic Park, Twister, Westworld, and ER. Now, his estate is suing the production team and leading actor of the newly released medical...more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Beyond the Strikes: How AI Is Reshaping the Media & Entertainment Landscape—and How Global Regulators Are Responding

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the media and entertainment industry. Once viewed by many as a threat, AI is increasingly being embraced as a powerful tool. Studios and tech-forward production companies...more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - June 2025 #4

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The PGA Tour announced a significant structural change Tuesday hiring longtime NFL executive Brian Rolapp as the first CEO in the organization’s history while beginning the transition away from commissioner Jay Monahan, who...more

Fenwick & West LLP

Ninth Circuit Pumps Brakes on Character Copyright Claim over Action Movie Car

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In a new precedential decision, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held in Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc. v. Halicki that “Eleanor,” a stable of Ford Mustangs that appears across four action films, is not a copyrightable...more

Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP

Major Studios Strike Back: Disney & Universal Sue Midjourney Over AI-Created Characters

On June 11, 2025, Disney (including Lucasfilm, Marvel, and 20th Century Studios) and Universal Pictures (including DreamWorks) filed a Complaint for direct and secondary copyright infringement in the Central District of...more

Weintraub Tobin

(Podcast) The Briefing: The Ninth Circuit Puts the Brakes on Eleanor’s Copyright Claim

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Can a car be a copyrightable character? In Carroll Shelby Licensing v. Halicki, the Ninth Circuit said no — ruling that “Eleanor,” the iconic Mustang from ‘Gone in 60 Seconds,’ lacks the distinctiveness and consistency...more

Weintraub Tobin

The Briefing: The Ninth Circuit Puts the Brakes on Eleanor’s Copyright Claim

Weintraub Tobin on

Can a car be a copyrightable character? In Carroll Shelby Licensing v. Halicki, the Ninth Circuit said no — ruling that “Eleanor,” the iconic Mustang from ‘Gone in 60 Seconds,’ lacks the distinctiveness and consistency...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

When Is a Car a Character? The Ninth Circuit Revisits Copyrightability in Halicki v. Carroll Shelby Licensing

The Copyright Act does not expressly address the protection of individual characters in expressive works, but courts have long recognized that certain characters, particularly those with strong visual or narrative identities,...more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - June 2025 #3

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A former University of Michigan assistant football coach accused of hacking the personal information and intimate photos of thousands of students has asked a Michigan federal judge to set aside a default entry against him,...more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

IP Hot Topic: The (Media) Empire Strikes Back

Some of the largest movie studios have entered the fray of GenAI copyright litigation. Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Pictures, and DreamWorks sued the image-GenAI company Midjourney, Inc. in the...more

Vondran Legal

Who is the international intellectual property alliance?

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Who is the International Intellectual Property Alliance?  Here is some general information....more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - June 2025 #2

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The New York State Education Department said it won’t rescind a ban on the use of Indigenous mascots and names in public schools despite a threat from the Trump administration to pull its federal funding, telling the U.S....more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Why Can't I Clean the Graffiti Off My Walls? — No Infringement Intended Podcast

Troutman Pepper Locke on

In this episode of No Infringement Intended, hosts Austin Padgett and Rusty Close delve into the 5Pointz case, where graffiti art clashed with property rights in Queens, NY. Explore how the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA)...more

Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP

Gone from Copyright: Ninth Circuit Rejects Copyright Protection for Iconic “Eleanor” Shelby Mustang

Court Narrows Scope of Character Copyright, Drawing Sharp Line Between Props and Protectable Expression - Not every film icon gets legal protection. On May 27, 2025, the Ninth Circuit ruled that Eleanor—the legendary Mustang...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

These Are the Lawsuits You’re Looking For: Fortnite’s AI Voice Dispute

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A long time ago in a galaxy not so far away, voice acting was the exclusive domain of talented humans. But today, in the age of generative AI, even the iconic voice of a legendary villain can be conjured without a single...more

Arnall Golden Gregory LLP

The Pitch - May 2025

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

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - May 2025 #4

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The former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. has pushed back against efforts to force him to hand over documents relating to his alleged sexual misconduct and hush money payments in a class action over the company’s...more

Vondran Legal

SESAC music licensing overview for restaurant and club owners

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Many new business owners in the restaurant, bar, nightclub, and karaoke business fail to understand that if live music is played in their establishment (called a public performance), the establishment must have the proper...more

Weintraub Tobin

(Podcast) The Briefing: When a TikTok Costs You $150,000 - Copyright Pitfalls in Influencer Marketing

Weintraub Tobin on

Warner Music Group just sued DSW for using 200+ hit songs in social media ads—without permission. Those TikToks could now cost $30M. On this episode of The Briefing, entertainment and IP attorneys Scott Hervey and Tara...more

Weintraub Tobin

The Briefing: When a TikTok Costs You $150,000 - Copyright Pitfalls in Influencer Marketing

Weintraub Tobin on

Warner Music Group just sued DSW for using 200+ hit songs in social media ads—without permission. Those TikToks could now cost $30M. On this episode of The Briefing, entertainment and IP attorneys Scott Hervey and Tara...more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - May 2025 #3

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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

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