No Password Required: From Heavy Metal to the Front Lines of Cyber Innovation
Is My Guitar Pedal a Klone or a Counterfeit? — No Infringement Intended Podcast
Why Can't I Clean the Graffiti Off My Walls? — No Infringement Intended Podcast
(Podcast) The Briefing: When a TikTok Costs You $150,000 - Copyright Pitfalls in Influencer Marketing
The Briefing: When a TikTok Costs You $150,000 - Copyright Pitfalls in Influencer Marketing
(Podcast) The Briefing: Trademark Mayhem – Lady Gaga Gets Sued for Trademark Infringement
The Briefing: Trademark Mayhem – Lady Gaga Gets Sued for Trademark Infringement
Can My Band Cover Another Famous Song? — No Infringement Intended Podcast
(Podcast) The Briefing: Millions at Stake – How 2 Live Crew Beat Bankruptcy to Reclaim Their Music
The Briefing: Millions at Stake – How 2 Live Crew Beat Bankruptcy to Reclaim Their Music
Why Did Taylor Swift Re-record Her Albums? – No Infringement Intended Podcast
Introduction to No Infringement Intended Podcast - No Infringement Intended
The latest on: NFL Anti-Trust decision; Record Labels Sue Over Generative AI; Copyright Office clarifies Termination Rights, Royalties, Transfers, Disputes, and the MMA.
The Briefing: Not Terminated - Cher Still Entitled to Her Share of Music Royalties
The Briefing: Not Terminated - Cher Still Entitled to Her Share of Music Royalties (Podcast)
The Briefing: Supreme Court Holds Copyright Damages Can Go Beyond 3 Years (Podcast)
Taylor's Version: El Derecho de Artistas en la Industria Musical
The Briefing: Brandy Melville Doubles Down Against Redbubble
AI Update: ELVIS Act Passes, SAG-AFTRA Agree with Record Labels. FTC Non-compete Ban Analyzed By Gordon Firemark and Tamera Bennett.
The Briefing: Tennessee’s ELVIS Act Isn’t What You Think (Podcast)
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
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
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 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
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
Jack Nicklaus just scored a $1 million win in a New York court, striking back against his former company’s attempt to control his personal brand....more
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
Over the past several years, both Congress and state legislatures have introduced legislation concerning “digital replicas,” or deepfakes created by AI. Many of these bills have been directed to protecting the...more
The 1970s were the heyday of the now-extinct television genre known as the variety show: a weekly extravaganza headlined by a well-known entertainer, generally accompanied by a supporting cast of singers, dancers and...more
A federal appeals court on Tuesday overturned the West Virginia law banning transgender girls from playing on girls’ sports teams, finding that it violates Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based...more
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
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 and please come on in, lest you catch a cold. This past Sunday’s Grammy Awards dialed up the heat, taking place in the Las Vegas desert, having been bumped from its usual Los Angeles stage due to COVID...more
Welcome back to the "Spotlight." I don’t know whether any of you have heard, but something pretty shocking took place this past Sunday night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. I hope you’re sitting down while you read this...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
Welcome back to the...— Is there anything you want to say to me? ...Are you sure...? ...You forgot, didn’t you...? Well let me remind you... It’s the first anniversary of this often irreverent, at times poignant,...more
Welcome back or for the very first time (what took you so long?) to the “Sports & Entertainment Spotlight”! As the torch is extinguished on, by most metrics (television ratings, in particular) a fairly underwhelming Olympic...more