Trademarks, Name and Likeness

Zooming in on AI: Tackling deepfakes around the world

A&O Shearman on 8/15/2025

Deepfakes (also known as digital replicas) are created when sophisticated AI technology generates or alters audio-visual content to misrepresent someone or something. Often a person's voice or appearance is digitally...more

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

Kaufman & Canoles on 8/7/2025

Drag queen Vicky Vox failed to revive her lawsuit accusing Netflix and several creators of an animated series of using her likeness without permission....more

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

Kaufman & Canoles on 7/22/2025

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

IP Terminology: Accuracy Matters

Farella Braun + Martel LLP on 7/14/2025

In the linked article about a trademark dispute, the author notes that the plaintiff claimed the defendant used a “copyrighted name.” Just a reminder: one can patent inventions, copyright creative works of expression, and...more

Boxing Out Competitors: WNBA Star Angel Reese’s Growing Trademark Portfolio

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on 7/2/2025

Angel Reese—the former LSU basketball superstar who now plays for the Chicago Sky in the WNBA—made headlines recently when she filed an application to register MEBOUNDS as a trademark for clothing and related items (Serial...more

(Podcast) The Briefing: Who Owns Jack Nicklaus? Lessons for The Creator Economy From a Brand Battle

Weintraub Tobin on 6/6/2025

What happens when a business built on a celebrity’s name no longer controls the name itself? In this episode of The Briefing, attorneys Scott Hervey and Jessica Marlow break down the Nicklaus Companies v. GBI decision and...more

Turn the Trademarks Off: The Trademarks of Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and Beyonce

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on 6/4/2025

On May 9, 2025, I sat in a crowded football stadium for the sold-out second night of the Grand National Tour concert featuring Kendrick Lamar and SZA (the stage name of Solána Rowe). As I listened to those iconic artists...more

Gone from Copyright: Ninth Circuit Rejects Copyright Protection for Iconic “Eleanor” Shelby Mustang

Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP on 6/3/2025

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

The High Stakes of NILs: MLB Players Inc. Challenges DraftKings and bet365 Over NIL Rights

ArentFox Schiff on 4/10/2025

In a legal clash between MLB Players Inc. (MLBPI) and sports betting companies, DraftKings and bet365, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania denied the defendants’ motions to dismiss....more

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - March 2025 #3

Kaufman & Canoles on 3/18/2025

Former University of Michigan football players are fighting to keep a proposed class action seeking $50 million in compensation for their names, images and likenesses in Michigan federal court and fend off what they called...more

The Pitch - January 2025

Arnall Golden Gregory LLP on 2/3/2025

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

Want to Partner with a College Student Athlete? What Businesses Should Know About NIL Deals | Insights

Venable LLP on 1/6/2025

Name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals are analogous to endorsement deals, where businesses contract with a person to promote a product or service, but "NIL deals" is typically used to refer to agreements with college student...more

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

Kaufman & Canoles on 12/3/2024

The Canadian Hockey League and its affiliate organizations have been dismissed from an antitrust suit alleging they entered unlawful deals allowing them to exploit junior players and illegally profit from their labor....more

What’s Trending in Trademarks, October 2024: T.I., Tiny Win $71.5M Verdict for OMG Girlz, Second Circuit Holds Against 1-800...

Erise IP on 10/25/2024

Every month, Erise’s trademark attorneys review the latest developments at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in the courts, and across the corporate world to bring you the stories that you should know about: Third...more

Personality Rights – The Power of Influence, Its Misuse and Protection

International Lawyers Network on 10/21/2024

INTRODUCTION - Publicity rights play an important role in India based on the culture of celebrity worship and the importance of the name, image, and likeness of sports, television and media personalities, political figures,...more

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

Kaufman & Canoles on 10/8/2024

Surinamese sprinter Issamade Asinga sued the Gatorade Company on Wednesday, alleging his recent doping ban was the result of eating contaminated “recovery gummies” that the brand manufactured and provided....more

Is the Third Time the Charm? Court Awards $71.4M in Contentious Trade Dress and Publicity Rights Dispute

Troutman Pepper Locke on 10/3/2024

Imitation may be considered the sincerest form of flattery, but in the world of intellectual property (IP), it might cost you....more

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

Kaufman & Canoles on 9/17/2024

A woman in Texas filed a new lawsuit last Monday accusing Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and battery in 2020....more

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

Kaufman & Canoles on 9/11/2024

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that Illinois has joined an $82.5 million proposed antitrust settlement with Varsity Brands (Varsity). As a result, Illinois consumers who paid to participate in Varsity Brands’...more

USPTO Roundtable: AI and Right of Publicity

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP on 7/30/2024

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is holding a roundtable discussion, on August 5, 2024, about the intersection of AI technology and legal protections for individuals’ reputations and name, image, voice,...more

Supreme Court Doesn’t Want to Play the Name Game: Prohibition Against Using a Person’s Name in a Registered Mark Without Consent...

Mintz - Intellectual Property Viewpoints on 7/23/2024

On June 13, 2024, the Supreme Court held that the Lanham Act’s prohibition on registering trademarks utilizing another person's name without consent was constitutional. In Vidal v. Elster 602 U. S. ____ (2024), the Supreme...more

Trademarks › Name and Likeness