The Briefing: Court Says “No Way” To 50 Cent’s Battle Over Skill House
The Briefing: Trademark Basics - Protecting Names, Logos, and Brands in Entertainment
Will I Get Sued if I Create Another Hospital Drama? — No Infringement Intended Podcast
(Podcast) The Briefing: The Ninth Circuit Puts the Brakes on Eleanor’s Copyright Claim
(Podcast) The Briefing: The Future of TV? A 2025 Digital Media Trends Analysis
The Briefing: The Future of TV? A 2025 Digital Media Trends Analysis
Season 6 Ep #1 IP State of the Union- Billion Dollar Character Acquisitions- Part 1
Recognizing and Avoiding Trademark Scams and Hoaxes
(Podcast) The Briefing: Bad Spirits – How a Dog Toy Changed TV Title Clearance
The Briefing: Bad Spirits – How a Dog Toy Changed TV Title Clearance
Into the Darkness: Unmasking ‘Mare of The Night’: A Sherlock Holmes Reimagined with Filmmaker CJ Goodwyn
The Briefing: Paramount Splashes Top Gun Maverick Copyright Lawsuit
The Briefing Filmmakers Express Concern Over Impending Death of ‘Biographical Anchor’ Fair Use Basis (Podcast)
The Briefing Filmmakers Express Concern Over Impending Death of ‘Biographical Anchor’ Fair Use Basis
The Briefing: Netflix Defamation Lawsuit About Inventing Anna – Not an Imposter
The Briefing: Netflix Defamation Lawsuit About Inventing Anna – Not an Imposter (Podcast)
The Briefing: Once Upon A Time – SCOTUS Rejects Trademark Infringement Claim Against Quentin Tarantino Film
(Podcast) The Briefing: Once Upon A Time – SCOTUS Rejects Trademark Infringement Claim Against Quentin Tarantino Film
Podcast: The Briefing - Is Linda Fairstein’s Portrayal in Netflix’s “When They See Us” Fair?
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
If your handle is on this list, give us a call to discuss. Do not panic; Vondran Legal® can defend you and help you achieve an early settlement without expensive litigation to follow. We have helped many in your situation....more
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
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
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
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
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
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
In this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog, Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo discuss a copyright dispute, in which the heirs of the author who inspired the movie “Top Gun” claim that the film’s sequel infringes on their...more
This past week, I have realized my place is still on the blogosphere and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my readers, and I love my supportive family. Without them, none of this is possible....more
This week on the IP Law Blog, Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo discuss a claim for copyright reversion made by the screenwriter of Friday the 13th, seeking the reversion to the rights in the screenplay to the popular horror...more
In this episode of the Briefing by the IP Law Blog, Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo discuss a Copyright dispute between professional Basketball player, Terry Rozier III and the holiday product manufacturer, Fun World, over his...more
Admittedly, the second word in that title is a mouthful—but Paraskavedekatriaphobia is a real word, with an etymology and definition. It even has a synonym, friggatriskaidekaphobia. Each means “fear of Friday the...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit recently held that the creator of The Friday the 13th screenplay could terminate his copyright grant to Horror Inc. (the producer of the movie franchise) and reclaim it. ...more