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Photographers Clap Back at Ariana Grande’s Copyright Grabs
Ariana Grande’s “Sweetener” World Tour is not so sweet for the press photographers tasked with capturing her star power on stage. Major media outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press, and the Los Angeles Times have joined forces with the National Press Photographers Association to protest the pop star’s markedly restrictive photo policies. According […]
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Whistle Blown on Referee’s Suit against Kentucky Radio Network
One year ago, referee John Higgins officiated a controversial NCAA March Madness basketball matchup between Kentucky and North Carolina. In the wake of Kentucky’s loss, Kentucky Sports Radio hosts allegedly shared Higgins’s personal and business information and encouraged the vitriol directed by fans at the referee. Higgins was bombarded with thousands of calls and numerous death […]
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Fortnite Choreography Copyright Suits Stalled by Unanimous SCOTUS Ruling
In the midst of three copyright infringement suits against Epic Games, creator of the celebrated Fortnite video game, the Supreme Court has announced a groundbreaking decision that has put all such litigation on hold. On March 4, SCOTUS unanimously ruled that copyright infringement suits cannot be filed until a copyright is registered. In light of […]
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U.S. Women’s Soccer Sues for Gender Discrimination
The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (WNT) has sued the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) for gender discrimination in the United States District of Los Angeles, citing unequal pay between the WNT and the Men’s National Team (MNT), despite the WNT outperforming the MNT in revenue in 2015. The named plaintiffs in the suit include […]
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2019 Harvard Sports Law Symposium Scheduled for Monday, April 1, 2019
For Immediate Release: 2019 Harvard Sports Law Symposium Scheduled for Monday, April 1, 2019. On April 1, the Harvard Committee on Sports & Entertainment Law and the Harvard Journal of Sports & Entertainment Law are hosting the 2019 Harvard Sports Law Symposium. An annual event, the Symposium is intended to bring together sports industry–focused practitioners, […]
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SCOTUS Says Copyright Plaintiffs Need Registration to Sue
On Monday, the Supreme Court affirmed the 11th Circuit’s decision in Fourth Estate Public Benefit Corporation v Wall-Street.com, holding that a copyright owner may not file an infringement suit or seek other legal remedies until the Copyright Office registers their copyright. The unanimous decision resolved a circuit split on the issue of when a copyright […]
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Lack of Insurance May Sack Football
A recent ESPN “Outside the Lines” investigation revealed an existential threat to football: the disappearing insurance market. From the NFL to Pop Warner, leagues, schools, and teams spend large sums of money on general liability insurance. With greater concern over traumatic brain injury, insurance companies are raising prices on premiums or pulling out of the […]
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2007 NBA Ref Scandal Back in Play
After pleading guilty in 2007 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and transmit gambling information, former NBA referee Tim Donaghy is back in the news. In an in-depth report, ESPN analyzed the games Donaghy officiated and interviewed his co-conspirators. The findings reveal that Donaghy did more than just bet on the games he worked – he […]
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Proposed California Bill Would Allow Student-Athletes to Pursue Sponsorships
California state Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) proposed a bill that would compensate college athletes from the state’s 24 public colleges for sponsorship opportunities. The “Fair Pay to Play Act” would also allow student-athletes to sign with agents while maintaining amateur status in order to ensure they are adequately represented while pursuing these new opportunities. The […]
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Oregon Ducks Pushed to the Limit in Rhabdomyolysis Suit
In January, former Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Doug Brenner sued his alma mater, coaches, and the NCAA for $11.5 million, relating to a series of extreme workouts in 2017. In the wake of the workouts in question, Brenner and two teammates suffered from rhabdomyolysis, a syndrome in which muscle content breaks down and leaks into […]
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No Joke: Court Dismisses Conan’s Affirmative Defense in Joke Theft Lawsuit
On Thursday, Judge Janis Sammartino of the Southern District of California rejected the affirmative defenses advanced by Conan O’Brien in a long-running joke theft lawsuit. The suit centers on four jokes that O’Brien told on his show Conanin 2015, which were allegedly stolen from the Twitter account of plaintiff Robert Kaseberg, a former comedy writer for […]
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De Havilland v. FX Networks: Another “Slapp” in the Face?
On Tuesday, FX Networks filed a brief in opposition to Olivia de Havilland’s petition for writ of certiorari, asking the Supreme Court not to hear de Havilland’s case after her petition for review was rejected by the California Supreme Court on July 11. The initial lawsuit began on June 30, 2017 when de Havilland filed suit […]