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)
District court dismisses SoundExchange’s suit against Sirius XM Radio seeking $150 million in alleged unpaid royalties, finding that “licensing and enforcement of rights” under Section 114 of Copyright Act is not synonymous...more
On August 7, 2025, a federal district court dismissed the complaint in a lawsuit brought by SoundExchange, Inc., an independent nonprofit representing owners of copyrighted sound recordings that sought underpaid royalties...more
Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed SoundExchange's $150 million lawsuit against SiriusXM, finding that the performance rights organization lacks legal...more
In 1984, acclaimed composer Jay Livingston assigned his interests in numerous musical compositions, including the classics “Silver Bells” and “Que Sera, Sera” to a publishing company called Jay Livingston Music (“JLM”). In...more
Sixth Circuit affirms dismissal of lawsuit brought by granddaughter of late composer Jay Livingston, holding that termination notices served and filed by Livingston’s daughter were valid and that granddaughter retained no...more
Addressing the intersection of a trust beneficiary’s rights to royalties and an heir’s copyright termination rights under 17 U.S.C. § 203, the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the district court’s order...more
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
Mo Money, Mo Problems? In March 2025, music publishing giant Primary Wave acquired a substantial stake in the Notorious B.I.G. music catalog with an estimated value of $200 million....more
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
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
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
Mechanical Licensing Collective v. Spotify USA Inc., Case No. 24 Civ. 3809 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 29, 2025) - On January 29, 2025, the Southern District of New York dismissed a lawsuit filed against Spotify for allegedly failing...more
This blog is written by Arizona copyright lawyer Steve Vondran. Vondran Legal has handled hundreds of federal court litigation cases since its founding in 2004. One important area we practice is restaurant IP law, which...more
Florida State University is pushing for the dismissal of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s NC lawsuit, saying it was prematurely filed to preempt the university’s own suit against the conference, in an attempt to win a “race to...more
Broadcasting of background music – Equitable remuneration – Mere provision of physical facilities – Sound equipment on board trains and aircraft – Presumption of communication to the public as a result of possession of...more
Just months after breathing life into to the "Sports & Entertainment Spotlight," I am (well, my wife is) giving birth to a new creation — a baby boy. As such, I will be taking a break from the usual commentary (sleep...more
Just two weeks into the name, image, and likeness (NIL) era in college sports, and we are already starting to see not only novel and creative partnerships, but also the emergence of legal gray areas and pitfalls for college...more
Well, today is the big day. If you’re reading this week’s installment of the Spotlight, it means that you survived the long and arduous journey of the name, image and likeness (NIL) era in college sports. Indeed, with the...more