7 Legal Trends for Artists and Entrepreneurs from 2015

/
7 Legal Trends for Artists and Entrepreneurs from 2015

The end of a year is a time to reflect on the changes in our lives, and that holds true for the life of American law, which often struggles to keep up with technology. From the arrival of new forms of, and new uses for, social media (iTunes App Store favorites Periscope and Meerkat, with Facebook bringing the competition) to the envelope-pushing of artists and photographers, law related to art and entrepreneurship is in as much a state of flux as it has ever been.

Read More

Some Guy is Pretending to be Me, and I'm Okay with That... For Now.

/
Some Guy is Pretending to be Me, and I'm Okay with That... For Now.

Maybe it's karma. I have been posting a lot of articles about "life story rights" lately. Questions of copyright, trademark, rights of publicity and privacy seem to affect every film, play, and television series I advise. So maybe I shouldn't be surprised that there's some dude out there that's pretending to be me.

Read More

Your Life Isn't Protected by Copyright (and Neither is Lenny Kravitz's Junk)

/
Your Life Isn't Protected by Copyright (and Neither is Lenny Kravitz's Junk)

What do a Mets game, a Flying Rabbi, and a private part of Lenny Kravitz's anatomy have in common? Lawyers have had entirely too much latitude, without substantial consequence, in making legal claims on their behalf.

Read More

The Life Time Fitness Camp Contract is All That's Wrong With Lawyers in America

/
The Life Time Fitness Camp Contract is All That's Wrong With Lawyers in America

Life Time is a model of customer service. And the setup they have for the kids is pretty incredible: a whole long row of computers, a tree house, an indoor basketball court, and a staff of well-trained child care professionals. Life Time Fitness doubles as a wonderful daycare facility, too, which is the real reason I joined. So, of course, I wanted to enroll my kids for a few weeks in their day camp. But I am not sure if I will. Because of one contract clause that makes my blood boil.

Read More

Vanna White Couldn't Hit the Legal Jackpot Against New York Lottery, Could She?

/
Vanna White Couldn't Hit the Legal Jackpot Against New York Lottery, Could She?

In 1993, Vanna White won a California case against Samsung that many lawyers and judges found preposterous: she won more than $400,000 for a "right of publicity" claim in which she argued that a commercial that featured a robot with a blonde wig turning letters on a board was infringing her likeness. 

Read More