It seems we are seeing more suits against Ad agencies and the companies they represent for unauthorized use of copyrighted songs. A little due diligence to get clearance before using a song goes a long …
The Ins and Outs of Clearances . . . Celebrities And More -#LX11 Licensing International Expo 2011
I attended the seminar “The Ins And Outs of Clearances . . . Celebrities And More” at the recently concluded 2011 Licensing International Expo. The seminar sought to address the important issues to consider when …
Eminem Says Audi ‘You Better Lose Yourself’ Or Pay Up for Music Copyright Infringement!
I’ve always said lawyers and rappers are very much alike. We both love intelligent wordplay. I am thinking the love for wordplay is what is making rappers like D-Black (Ghana) and Eminem (USA) sue those …
Music Law: Ke$ha We are Who We Are Forgets to Stop, TikTok’s Her Way Into Law Suit
So, you are busy minding your business i.e. running your fashion and entertainment enterprise when you receive a letter from a very popular musician called Ke$ha. She says the “swag” watches you sell of which …
Amazon v Music Industry: Music Industry Will Force Licenses on Amazon Cloud Player — or Else
“Amazon’s decision to launch its new Cloud Player without securing additional music licenses has been described as a “bold move” by many observers. It takes serious guts for Amazon to simply declare that it doesn’t need …
Google’s $125 Million Digital-Library Settlement Rejected by U.S. Judge
“A U.S. judge rejected Google Inc. (GOOG)’s $125 million settlement with publishers and authors, saying the deal to create the world’s biggest digital book library would be unfair to authors. The expansive nature of the …
“Oh Na na What’s [Her] Name?” David LaChapelle Sues Rihanna Over Video images in “S&M” Music Video
“Oh na, na what’s [h]er name?” Whatever it is, famous fashion photographer David LaChapelle is not pleased with Rihanna. Rihanna just got slapped with a suit for allegedly using his photos for her music video …
CBS Sued Over 63-Year-Old Song Used in ‘Family Ties’
“Kling Corporation, the rights-holder of the theme song to TV’s first hit — the 1940s variety show titled Texaco Star Theatre featuring Milton Berle — has just filed a lawsuit against CBS over an episode …
J-Lo Stole Your Idea? PAY $900k! Haven’t We Said Ideas Are NOT Protected? What Part of that Don’t You Understand!
J-Lo gave the warning a long time ago, “don’t be fooled by the rocks that I got. I’m still Jenny from the block.” Everyone heard but Sheri Gilbert. Gilbert sued J-Lo claiming copyright infringement on …
Africa: Songwriter Credits + ESQlaw.net (Nigeria)
These days, I am getting used to receiving messages from legal colleagues within and outside Africa curious about Africa’s intellectual property laws and specifically, Nigeria’s as it pertains to its fashion and entertainment industries. If …