Entertainment Law Update Episode 160 – August/September 2023
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
One thing about being part of a heavily regulated industry—you know well in advance most of the regulatory obligations and deadlines you’ll be facing in the year ahead. While that brings no solace to broadcasters, it does...more
Items of Note in 2025 - I. Commercial and Noncommercial Biennial Ownership Reports: December 1, 2025 is the deadline by which all commercial and noncommercial radio and television stations must file their biennial...more
The Summer Olympic Games will begin on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) carefully protect Olympic trademarks and...more
I. Phased-In Expansion of Audio Description Requirements: The FCC adopted rules in 2011 requiring certain broadcast television stations in Designated Market Areas (DMAs) 1-60 to provide audio description (i.e., audio-narrated...more
Under the Copyright Law, certain copyright and related rights are subject to mandatory collective management, meaning that they can be exercised only through a collective management organisation (CMO). These rights include: ...more
On 15 April the Agriculture and Fisheries Council formally adopted the Directive on online transmissions of broadcasting organisations and retransmissions of TV and radio programmes (the “Directive”), following the European...more
The Music Modernization Act (MMA) is headed to the President's desk for signature following unanimous approval from the House of Representatives and the Senate. The bill, now called the "Orrin G. Hatch Music Modernization...more
Last month in our Olympics edition, we provided a glimpse into the arcane world of licensing of musical works under the U.S. Copyright system. It’s actually crazier still. ...more
On July 19, 2017, the CLASSICS Act (H.R. 3301 – Compensating Legacy Artists for their Songs, Service, and Important Contributions to Society Act) was introduced into the House, the purpose of which is to provide copyright...more
On December 20, 2016, the New York Court of Appeals (New York’s highest court) issued a landmark state copyright law decision, holding in response to a certified question from the Second Circuit in Flo & Eddie, Inc. v. Sirius...more