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Copyright Movies

A Copyright is an exclusive legal right granted to the creator of an original work to license, copy, sell, distribute, or otherwise exploit the work for his or her own benefit.
Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Spotlight or Lawsuit? Strategic Brand Use in Film and Media

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When The White Lotus returned to HBO for its third season, it came with the usual dose of dramatic tension, along with one unexpected intellectual property wrinkle. [WARNING – Potential Plot Spoiler Ahead!] In a particularly...more

Kaufman & Canoles

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

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A former Major League Soccer marketing executive sued the league in New York federal court Friday, alleging he was fired in retaliation for repeatedly complaining of racial discrimination by his superiors....more

Arnall Golden Gregory LLP

The Pitch - June 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

Troutman Pepper Locke

Will I Get Sued if I Create Another Hospital Drama? — No Infringement Intended Podcast

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In this episode, Rusty and Austin explore the potential legal hurdles they might encounter if they were to venture into creating their own hospital drama. With the television landscape already saturated with series like ER,...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

ArentFox Schiff

Movie Release Moves Forward Amidst 50 Cent Trademark and Publicity Lawsuit

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The release of Skillhouse, a horror film streaming on the platform GenTV, shares headlines with a high-profile lawsuit brought by rapper 50 Cent based on alleged violations of his intellectual property (IP) rights....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

Loeb & Loeb LLP

Enos v. The Walt Disney Company

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District court grants Disney’s motion for summary judgment, holding it did not infringe plaintiffs’ copyright in blue-eyed ukulele-playing turtle character, but rather independently created its own musical turtle character,...more

Loeb & Loeb LLP

Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc. v. Halicki

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Ninth Circuit holds that custom Ford Mustang called “Eleanor,” which appeared in four films from 1974 to 2000, is not entitled to character copyright protection under Towle test and that licensor of custom car design did not...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

Loeb & Loeb LLP

Eden Film Production LLC v. Lockjaw LLC

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District court dismisses claim for copyright infringement against writers, producers and distributors of television show Yellowjackets, holding no substantial similarity between protectable elements of Yellowjackets and...more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - April 2025

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A New York federal judge has tossed several school district lawsuits seeking to void a state law banning the use of Native American team mascots and names, throwing out individual board members’ free speech claims but saying...more

Kaufman & Canoles

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

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Twelve current and former tennis professionals filed a proposed antitrust class action in New York federal court on Tuesday, accusing the sport’s governing bodies of operating as a “cartel” that manipulates pay and rankings,...more

Venable LLP

New York District Court Confirms Limits of Copyright Protection Regarding Historical Events

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On March 6, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York confirmed that historical events are not subject to copyright protection....more

Fox Rothschild LLP

New Year, New Public Domain Works: Copyright Public Domain Day 2025

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Every year, the world celebrates the first of January as Public Domain Day, marking the release of copyrighted works into the public domain. In 2024, we saw popular intellectual properties enter the public domain, including...more

Amundsen Davis LLC

Potential Concerns With Copyrighted Characters Entering the Public Domain

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Celebrated on the first day of every year, Public Domain Day marks the day works with copyrights that expired the year prior enter the public domain. While the calculations to determine copyright expiration can be complicated...more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - October 2024 #5

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A federal judge late Wednesday ordered the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to lock down UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium on the VA’s West Los Angeles campus at noon Thursday until the university comes up with a proposal for...more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - October 2024 #3

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A former Olympian is suing New Balance over the end of her career. Khamica Bingham, a two-time Olympic sprinter from Canada, is suing the Boston-based shoe company alleging that a malfunction in her running shoes led to a...more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - August 2024 #4

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Floyd Mayweather finds himself deep into a lawsuit, as fraud and theft claims have been put against his name. The American boxer and rapper Tyga are now part of a suit by Leonard Sulaymanov, who has alleged the non-payment of...more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - August 2024 #2

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The Eleventh Circuit on Monday refused to reopen a former football coach’s lawsuit accusing a Georgia school district of unlawfully refusing to renew his contract because he’s white, backing a lower court’s determination that...more

Arnall Golden Gregory LLP

The Pitch - July 2024

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

Weintraub Tobin

The Briefing: Paramount Splashes Top Gun Maverick Copyright Lawsuit

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Paramount triumphs in the Top Gun Maverick copyright case. Join Scott Hervey and Jamie Lincenberg of Weintraub Tobin on 'The Briefing' as they dissect the court's ruling....more

Weintraub Tobin

The Briefing: Paramount Splashes Top Gun Maverick Copyright Lawsuit

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Paramount triumphs in the Top Gun Maverick copyright case. Join Scott Hervey and Jamie Lincenberg of Weintraub Tobin on 'The Briefing' as they dissect the court's ruling. ...more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - March 2024 #4

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Major League Baseball announced Friday that it has opened an investigation following allegations involving Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, who has been at the center of a potential theft and sports betting scandal...more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - March 2024

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One day, Name, Image and Likeness may pivot away from collectives and pivot toward university-based funding. At least one prominent athletic department is preparing for the possibility....more

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