by jburns | Mar 16, 2016 | Copyright, Entertainment Law
Perry Kibble, best known as part of the funk band A Taste of Honey (1978 Grammy Award for Best New Artist), passed away back in 1999 and left the copyrights of his 1969 song “A New Day Is Here At Last” to Janis McQuinton, principal of PK Music Performance[1]. This...
by jburns | Mar 2, 2016 | Entertainment Law, Trademark Law
The Kardshian family owns an empire built on a foundation of lifestyle brands and reality television shows, but can they stake their claim in their first names too? Kylie Jenner, the youngest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, is certainly trying. In a trademark...
by jburns | Feb 29, 2016 | Entertainment Law, Labor and Employment, Policy
Music is a global phenomenon. Each musician brings his own unique voice and teaches audiences about various cultures and traditions throughout the world. To perform in the United States, foreign musicians must first obtain visas from the U.S. Citizen and Immigration...
by jburns | Nov 9, 2015 | Copyright, Entertainment Law, Labor and Employment, Policy, Unfair Competition
The song “Big Pimpin” by Jay-Z became a nationwide hit in 1999 and reached number 18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. [1] The song came under scrutiny in the District Court for the Central District of California and re-opened the issue of moral rights for artists...
by jburns | Nov 8, 2015 | Copyright, Entertainment Law, Labor and Employment, Trademark Law
Each time we turn a year older, our friends and relatives sing “Happy Birthday”. This song is part of the American birthday tradition for millions of people, but companies have paid licensing fees to Warner/Chappell Music Inc. for its use. Warner/Chappell Music...
by jburns | Oct 24, 2015 | Copyright, Entertainment Law, Uncategorized
On October 14th, 2015, Jay-Z and Timbaland appeared in a Los Angeles federal court for copyright infringement regarding a sample used in their 1999 hit, Big Pimpin. This court appearance marked the beginning of the end of an eight-year legal battle, which began in...
