The use of someone without permission in entertainment can trigger a lawsuit for "commercial appropriation of likeness." And so it was recently when "Jimmy Kimmel Live" created a video mocking a 2010 "business meeting" between... Read More
By Richard J. Leighton When is speech "commercial" and what is an "advertisement"? A recent federal decision addresses these fundamental questions in an eyebrow-raising fashion. * BACKGROUND Plaintiff is basketball legend... Read More
By Kathryn Hines and Christine Steiner Society is consumed with celebrity. We can survey Hollywood marriages and divorces, analyze Golden Globe wardrobe choices and comment upon the latest Lindsey Lohan foible. It is not surprising that many artists... Read More
A Minnesota federal court rejected trademark and cybersquatting claims levied against a borrower that created a website to warn consumers about what it perceived to be a lender's fraudulent business practices. Jalin Realty Capital Advisors v. A... Read More
Gasper, an adult movie actor, was the president and sole shareholder of Jules Jordan Video (JJV), the creator of the videos in which Gasper appeared. Gasper and JJV filed a copyright action against defendants, alleging that they had copied and sold... Read More
When somebody talks you up, what's the best way to thank them? Offer them a bouquet of flowers? Send them a card? Take them to court? The third option - a warm "thank you" via complaint - isn't as unlikely as you might suspect.... Read More