Happy New Year, and welcome back to the Spotlight! If your New Year’s resolution is to get up to speed on the latest in the sports and entertainment business, while also getting the occasional chuckle, you have come to the...more
Welcome back and please come on in, lest you catch a cold. This past Sunday’s Grammy Awards dialed up the heat, taking place in the Las Vegas desert, having been bumped from its usual Los Angeles stage due to COVID...more
4/8/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Basketball ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows ,
Women in Sports
Welcome back to the "Spotlight." I don’t know whether any of you have heard, but something pretty shocking took place this past Sunday night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. I hope you’re sitting down while you read this...more
4/1/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Social Media ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows
This past week, I have realized my place is still on the blogosphere and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now.
I love my readers, and I love my supportive family. Without them, none of this is...more
3/18/2022
/ Advertising ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Entrepreneurs ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Instagram ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Marketing ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Social Media ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows ,
TikTok
Welcome back to the...—
Is there anything you want to say to me?
...Are you sure...?
...You forgot, didn’t you...?
Well let me remind you...
It’s the first anniversary of this often irreverent, at times poignant,...more
3/11/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Basketball ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NBA ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows ,
Trademarks ,
Women in Sports
Welcome back or for the very first time (what took you so long?) to the “Sports & Entertainment Spotlight”! As the torch is extinguished on, by most metrics (television ratings, in particular) a fairly underwhelming Olympic...more
2/25/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Coaches ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Kanye West ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Olympics ,
Pay Discrimination ,
Race Discrimination ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
After a compelling weekend of playoff football in the NFL, in which all four of the matchups came down to the final play of each game (serving to drive even more eyeballs to the NFL in what has been a fruitful season for the...more
1/28/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Copyright ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Royalties ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Spotify ,
Television Shows ,
Trademarks
Welcome back to another week of the “Sports & Entertainment Spotlight.” Sadly, for the third week running (first legendary NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden, then beloved Golden Girl, Betty White), the S&E world is coming...more
1/17/2022
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Football ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Pump and Dump ,
Social Media ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows
Welcome back to the “Spotlight”! With Thanksgiving just around the corner (brace yourself, midsection), I wanted to pause to take a moment to reflect on all that for which I have to be thankful. Certainly my family, health...more
11/19/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Quentin Tarantino ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
Trademark Infringement
- Cher filed a lawsuit against her late musical partner and ex-husband Sonny Bono’s widow over the rights to many of their cherished Sonny & Cher songs. She asked the court to block the trust which handles Sonny’s estate, the...more
10/22/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Copyright ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Television Shows ,
The Copyright Act
- Tina Turner signed the rights of her iconic music catalogue spanning 60 years, including her name, image and likeness to a German music company, BMG. While Warner Music record label still manages her record, is this a sign...more
10/8/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Record Labels ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
- What will the “Endgame” be for the lawsuit between Walt Disney Company and former Marvel comic book creators? In the spring of this year, a host of famed artists and illustrators of Marvel characters such as Iron Man,...more
10/1/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Communications Decency Act ,
Copyright ,
Disney ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Facebook ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Marvel Comics ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Photographs ,
Right of Publicity ,
Section 230 ,
Social Media ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Statutory Rights ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
Work Made For Hire Doctrine
- Esteemed filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s decision to leave his 19-year-long relationship with Warner Bros. for Universal to make his next film (about Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of an atomic bomb) continues to...more
9/17/2021
/ Apple ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
Warner Brothers Entertainment
- Beyoncé’s announcement of building a hemp farm (together with a honey farm) brings the perceived health benefits of CBD even further into the mainstream. Could this momentum ultimately lead to positive conversations around...more
8/23/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Compensation ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Entrepreneurs ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hemp ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows
Some of this week's highlights include:
- Emerging trends are showing signs of change in the sponsorships and endorsement markets. A segment once largely overlooked, athletes in the LGBTQ+ community are finally ringing in...more
8/6/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Blockchain ,
Brand ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
Investors ,
LGBTQ ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Olympics ,
Popular ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
Video Games
Just months after breathing life into to the "Sports & Entertainment Spotlight," I am (well, my wife is) giving birth to a new creation — a baby boy. As such, I will be taking a break from the usual commentary (sleep...more
7/30/2021
/ Advertising ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
Just two weeks into the name, image, and likeness (NIL) era in college sports, and we are already starting to see not only novel and creative partnerships, but also the emergence of legal gray areas and pitfalls for college...more
7/16/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Blockchain ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
Netflix ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patents ,
Popular ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
Laws — like people — are imperfect. They can be slow to adapt to evolving societal norms, and worse still, their application can yield unjust outcomes. Indeed, look no further than this past week’s developments involving...more
7/9/2021
/ Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Marijuana ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Olympics ,
Right of Publicity ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows
Well, today is the big day. If you’re reading this week’s installment of the Spotlight, it means that you survived the long and arduous journey of the name, image and likeness (NIL) era in college sports. Indeed, with the...more
7/2/2021
/ Amazon ,
Amended Complaints ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Blockchain ,
Brand ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Data Privacy ,
Digital Assets ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Entrepreneurs ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Beshear ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
Investors ,
Jay Z ,
Kanye West ,
Kim Kardashian ,
Knockoffs ,
Marvel Comics ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Nike ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Olympics ,
Photographs ,
Radio Stations ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
SiriusXM ,
Smart Contracts ,
Social Media ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
UCLA ,
Universal ,
Wal-Mart
“The NCAA is not above the law.” Those seven words capped Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s searing concurring opinion issued in connection with Monday’s (June 21) unanimous (9-0) U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Alston v. National...more
6/24/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Alston v NCAA ,
Amazon ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Athletes ,
Blockchain ,
Brand ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Coca Cola ,
College Athletes ,
Colleges ,
Compensation ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
EU ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Gucci ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
Investors ,
MGM ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NASCAR ,
NCAA ,
Netflix ,
Nike ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Online Platforms ,
Partnerships ,
Popular ,
Restraint of Trade ,
Right of Publicity ,
SCOTUS ,
Sherman Act ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademarks ,
Universities ,
Video Games ,
Warner Music Group ,
YouTube
As we inch closer to the summer solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere (the first day of summer for those of you who were asleep in science class), the heat is not rising only on the thermometer, but also in the halls of...more
6/18/2021
/ Adidas ,
Amazon ,
Apple ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Brand ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Crimes ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
ESPN ,
Influencers ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Marketing ,
MasterCard ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NBC ,
NCAA ,
Netflix ,
Nike ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Partnerships ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Student Athletes ,
Television Shows ,
Travelers ,
Video Games
Less than three weeks remain for either the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) or for Congress to act to stem the impending chaos on July 1 when college athletes’ name, image and likeness (NIL) laws go into...more
6/11/2021
/ Adidas ,
Amazon ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Entrepreneurs ,
Influencers ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Lions Gate Entertainment ,
McDonalds ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NCAA ,
Netflix ,
Nike ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Olympics ,
Right of Publicity ,
Rolling Stone ,
Social Media ,
Sony ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Spotify ,
Television Shows ,
Twitter ,
Universal ,
Vimeo ,
YouTube
Athletes and entertainers are people, too. Albeit, incredibly talented people, but deserving of the same treatment with dignity and respect as how we would want ourselves to be treated. For better or worse, sometimes their...more
6/4/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Advertising ,
Amazon ,
Art Auctions ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Christies ,
College Athletes ,
Colleges ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
DMCA ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
IRS ,
Marketing ,
Mergers ,
MGM ,
MLB ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Music Streaming ,
Name and Likeness ,
NBA ,
NHL ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Right of Publicity ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Tax Code ,
Television Shows ,
Universities ,
Vaping
Throughout the United States, people are eagerly preparing for this Memorial Day Weekend (MDW), which marks the unofficial start of summer (not to mention those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country). If you listen...more
5/28/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Amazon ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Facebook ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Streaming ,
Investors ,
Mergers ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Netflix ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
Social Media ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows
As readers from last week will recall, we spent some time examining the notion of credibility. One week later, we’re witnessing what credibility (or lack thereof) hath wrought on our subjects. Bob Baffert? Banned from New...more
5/21/2021
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Artists ,
Athletes ,
Basketball ,
Brand ,
Celebrities ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
College Athletes ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Deep Fake ,
Endorsements ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Google ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Movies ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
NBA ,
NCAA ,
Nike ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Retailers ,
Right of Publicity ,
Royalties ,
Securities Violations ,
Sponsorship Agreements ,
Sports ,
Television Shows ,
Unregistered Securities