On October 16, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a new rule, referred to as the “Click to Cancel” rule, which is intended to make it easier for consumers to cancel recurring subscriptions and memberships.[i]
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Lights, Camera, Tax Breaks: California’s Updated Film Incentives
By Serene Ateek
In a state where the sun always shines, California’s film tax credits seem to be the script for success. On July 10, 2023, Governor Newsom signed legislation to extend and expand California’s $330 million-a-year Film and TV Tax Credit Program 3.0 for an additional five years, meaning the original expiration date of June 30, 2025…
Funny Business: Comedians Push for Music-Style Licensing
In the ongoing legal battle of Yellow Rose Productions, Inc. v. Pandora Media, LLC, a group of high-profile comedians, including Lewis Black, George Lopez, and the estates of Robin Williams and George Carlin, has filed a motion for partial summary judgment claiming that Pandora is infringing on their copyrights by streaming over 2,000 comedy routines…
California’s New Price Transparency Law May Reshape Pricing Practices in Broad Range of Industries
By Joseph Ireland & Betty Li*
Effective July 1, 2024, new California Senate Bill 478 (SB 478)[1] bans the practice of “drip pricing,” where the price for product or service is advertised without including all mandatory fees and charges that consumers must pay.[2] This law applies to nearly all businesses that sell or lease goods and services to California…
Guarding the Name of the Game: The Role of Lawyers in Safeguarding Athlete Trademarks
In recent years, the surge in athlete trademarks has marked a strategic shift in how sports personalities approach their personal brands. Having recognized their inherent commercial value, athletes today are viewed as powerful brands with marketable identities.…
FTC Finalizes Revisions to the Endorsement Guides, Proposes New Rule for Consumer Reviews and Testimonials and Updates FTC Staff Guidance
By Ted Max
The Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) Endorsement Guides have evolved over the past forty years from regulating celebrity endorsements and testimonial advertisements to policing social media advertising, including influencer endorsements and native advertising. On February 12, 2020, the FTC announced that it had voted 5‑0 to approve a proposed Federal Register Notice, seeking comment on whether to make…
Rise of the Machines: How AI is Shaking Up the Music Industry
Just like Napster triggered a global, technological shift in the way music is consumed and distributed, we are now on the precipice of another major revolution certain to disrupt the music industry. Artificial intelligence, or “AI” as it is more commonly referred, has quickly emerged as a game changer across a myriad of industries and…
Navigating the Sports Biometrics Boom
Now more than ever, access to quality data translates to monetization opportunities and this is especially true in the world of collegiate and professional sports. In the past two decades, data analytic tools measuring athlete health and performance have come a long way, and now, it is not just players or teams that stand to…
What Brands Can Expect from College Sports’ Ever Evolving NIL Landscape
Background
The first domino fell in late 2019 when Governor Newsom signed The Fair Pay to Play Act into law.[1] This was the first statute allowing collegiate student-athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL). Specifically, the statute bars universities, athletic conferences and the NCAA from preventing student-athletes in California from profiting…
Practical Considerations for Reviewing Entertainment Agreements in M&A Transactions
With content distribution methods evolving rapidly, major players within the entertainment industry are looking to mergers and acquisitions (M&A) as a means to strengthen their position and maintain market share. Industry insiders predict a continued increase in M&A activity within the entertainment sector. In light of the likelihood that entertainment companies may be presented with…