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Crossing the Line? Director Errol Morris Will Go to Trial Against Film Subject, Joyce McKinney
Next month, acclaimed documentary filmmaker Errol Morris will face off in court against the subject of one of his documentaries, Joyce McKinney. Morris is perhaps best known for his 1988 film Thin Blue Line, which ultimately contributed to the exoneration of its subject, Randall Adams. His 2011 movie Tabloid tackled McKinney’s sensational relationship with her […]
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CPR for an EDM Corpse: $20 million enough to revive SFX Entertainment?
The Electronic Dance Music (EDM) industry has seen its share of extreme ups and downs in the last few years. Built largely on big-name glamour and social-media driven popularity, no one has cashed in on the EDM trend like those riding the festival wave, such as successful events companies Insomniac and Goldenvoice; well known for […]
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#NetflixEverywhere: The Binge Era of TV Consumption
It’s official: Netflix is taking over the world, at least in the online television viewing sphere. While Netflix had been rolling out its services in incremental stages due to subtitling, dubbing its content, and marketing cost, its expansion occurred far ahead of schedule. During his keynote address at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Reed […]
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Thrill of the Fight: Huckabee Defends use of “Eye of the Tiger” at Kim Davis Rally
Rude Music Inc., owned by Frankie Sullivan, is suing yet another politician for copyright infringement. The music company sued Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee for copyright infringement after he used the company’s song, “Eye of the Tiger,” at a rally in support of Kim Davis. Ms. Davis, the now infamous Kentucky clerk, was jailed after […]
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DMCA is Re-Examined: No More “Safe Harbors” for Digital Providers to Dock?
Throughout 2015, the myriad of music copyright infringement lawsuits donning headlines presented an industry theme: music copyright law has failed to adequately adapt to the digital age that has been ushered in by rapid technological advances. Perhaps as a response, the U.S. Copyright Office has announced it will conduct a public study of the Digital […]
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The (Ultimate?) End of the Sepp Blatter-FIFA Era
In addition to their current eight-year ban from soccer, Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, the two former FIFA leaders, are facing the possibility of a lifelong ban for mishandling the world’s largest soccer organization. During his 17-year tenure as the head of FIFA, Mr. Blatter was regarded as one of the most powerful figures in […]
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The Grammy’s Hotline Won’t Bling at This Year’s Ceremony
As usual, when the list of Grammy nominees was announced earlier this year, there were a few no-brainers: Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, and Kendrick Lamar all received a multitude of nominations. A few snubs: including Fetty Wap being excluded from the Best New Artist category. And a few head scratchers: specifically, the lack of […]
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ASCAP Shows Commitment to Greater Transparency
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) is one of the two largest Performance Rights Organizations (PROs) in the country. Boasting a repertoire of over 10 million musical compositions from over half a million members, ASCAP can now also boast that it is the first PRO to make “licensable share data” readily available […]
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Federal Appeals Court Considers Further Concussion Litigation
Federal Judges in the Third Circuit conducted a hearing on Thursday with regard to the lower court’s approval of settlements with regard to NFL concussion litigation. Per the April settlement, families of players whose brains were found to have C.T.E. qualified for up to $4 million dollars. Upon appeal, the players’ lawyer is arguing […]
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Taylor Swift “Shakes Off” Plagiarism Suit
Jesse Braham, an amateur musician, filed a copyright infringement suit in federal court in California against international pop star Taylor Swift. His complaint alleged that lyrics from Swift’s chart-topping single “Shake It Off” were 92% plagiarized from a song he wrote in 2013, “Haters Gonna Hate.” He specifically claimed Swift’s lyric, “the players gonna […]
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NBA Cheerleaders Demand Better Pay
The newest unofficial cheer of the NBA cheerleaders ought to be: You may be good at basketball You may be good at track But when it comes to fair pay You better watch your back NBA Cheerleaders, attack! NBA cheerleaders spend hours each day during the NBA season practicing and honing their craft while earning […]
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The Clock is Going “Tik Tok” on Ke$ha’s Career Prospects
Dr. Luke, the mastermind behind certain smash hits from Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne, and Ke$ha, have been embroiled in a fierce legal battle for over a year. Ke$ha accused the music producer of a multitude of charges including sexual misconduct, battery, rape, and abuse. Moreover, Ke$ha largely blamed Dr. Luke for her troubles that […]