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Not Yet Over the Goal Line: Understanding What Happened with the NCAA Compensation Vote and What Comes Next
On Tuesday, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) made headlines when its governing board voted to “start the process of modifying its rule to allow college athletes to profit from their names, images and likenesses ‘in a manner consistent with the collegiate model.’” This change comes on the heels of California passing the Fair Pay […]
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CASE Act Passes House in Win for Entertainment Lobby
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″] [et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] The Copyright Alternative in Small Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act sailed through the House of Representatives last week after a 410-6 vote, a move industry organizations and lobbying firms are calling a major win. “The Recording Academy applauds the House for passing the CASE Act today, a…victory for […]
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It’s In the Game?: EA CEO Expresses Interest in NCAA Football’s Return, as Legal Questions Loom
Electronic Arts (EA) CEO Andrew Wilson recently expressed interest in bringing back the once-popular NCAA Football video game franchise, if the legal framework governing college athletics changes in such a way that would permit its existence. Wilson made the comments at the WSJ Tech Live conference in California, favorably citing a newly signed California law […]
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Spider-Man: Where is Home As Sony/Marvel Compete Over Rights
August was dominated by reports that Spider-Man would be leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe following an impressive theatrical run of the newest movie “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” Spider-Man’s possible departure is due to Disney and Sony failing to reach an agreement on funding and revenue sharing for future Spider-Man films. The very concept of this […]
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Decision Issued on Nationals-Orioles Television Dispute, but Immediately Tarped Over
The relationship between the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles has been fraught ever since baseball returned to DC in 2005. Because the Nationals (formerly the Montreal Expos) would be tapping into a major chunk of the Orioles’ formerly exclusive television market, an unwieldly and tenuous deal was brokered: The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN). Since its […]
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Who Owns the Concept for Netflix’s Stranger Things?
Last week, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge denied a motion for summary judgement submitted by Stranger Things creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, in a breach of implied contract suit filed by independent filmmaker Charlie Kessler. Kessler claims the Duffers stole the idea for their show after he pitched his own project to the brothers […]
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College Basketball Head Coaches Will Not Have to Testify
Judge Edgardo Ramos for the Southern District of New York ruled that that actions of University of Arizona men’s basketball coach, Sean Miller, and Louisiana State University men’s basketball coach, Will Wade, are irrelevant to the upcoming college basketball bribery trial and will thus not have to testify. An audio from a wiretap of Wade […]
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EU Approves Controversial Copyright Directive
As of April 15th, the European Union officially approved a controversial new Copyright Directive that has left members of the art and tech worlds fiercely divided. The Directive, which was narrowly approved by the European Parliament in a 348 to 274 vote last month, has now been given the green light by 19 out of […]
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Trump Administration Strikes Out MLB-Cuba Deal
Baseball is the national pastime of both the United States and Cuba, but players from the Caribbean nation who dream of playing in the Major Leagues have only two options: defect during international tournaments or embark on maritime journeys at the mercy of human smugglers. Both options are extremely dangerous and preclude any chance of […]
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Pokémon Go Class Action Settles as Augmented Reality Legal Questions Remain
Property owners suing Niantic, the developer of augmented reality gaming sensation Pokémon Go, for trespass and nuisance, have likely settled after years of litigation. They submitted a proposed settlement to the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The class action, a consolidation of numerous claims filed against Niantic in 2016, alleged that […]
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EA and Retired NFL Players Settle Suit Regarding Players’ Likeness
A group of retired NFL players and Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) settled a lawsuit this past week regarding the use of the players’ likeness in the Madden football games in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. While EA licensed current players’ image, the “historic teams” rosters in the game featured retired players […]
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Congressman Introduces Legislation to Allow NCAA Athletes to Profit Off Likeness
The Student-Athlete Equity Act was introduced by U.S. Representative Marker Walker (R-NC) and co-sponsored by U.S. Representative Cedric Richmond (D-La). The bill is designed to prevent qualified amateur sports organizations from restricting student-athletes from using or being compensated for use of their name, image, and likeness. The bill’s sponsors purport to give equitable free-market opportunities […]