January 2022
The Pitch newsletter is a monthly update of legal issues and news affecting or related to the music, film and television, fine arts, media, professional athletics, eSports, and gaming industries. The Pitch features a diverse cross-section of published articles, compelling news and stories, and original content curated and/or created by Arnall Golden Gregory LLP’s Entertainment and Sports Industry Team.
Georgia’s “Name, Image, and Likeness” Law for Student-Athletes Goes Into Effect
January 6, 2022 (Arnall Golden Gregory LLP)
In May, Governor Brian Kemp signed House Bill 617, which goes into effect on July 1, 2021. In doing so, Georgia has joined several other states with “Name, Image, and Likeness” (“NIL”) laws that take effect on this date. The Georgia law, like others around the country, allows student-athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness through sponsorships, endorsements, personal appearances, autographs, and social media marketing. More >
Coachella Wins Restraining Order Against Live Nation Over Similarly Named New Year’s Eve Event
December 21, 2021 (Rolling Stone)
A judge ruled that the original name of the “Coachella Day One 22” concert likely infringes on the annual festival’s trademark. More >
December 20, 2021 (Music Business Worldwide)
The idea of releasing music that has no copyright attached to it would probably seem absurd to most people working in the music industry. The point is to at least try to earn money from all uses of music, right? NoCopyrightSounds (NCS) would disagree. More >
December 21, 2021 (Law.com)
Changes to the law, both enacted and proposed, mark the start of a lasting potential impact on the legal and tax considerations for college athletes. Perhaps most importantly, students and their families should be cautious and careful when capitalizing on their NIL and signing on any dotted lines. More >
December 20, 2021 (New York Law Journal)
Recently filed lawsuit possibly set the stage for the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider a 1922 decision holding that baseball leagues were not subject to the Sherman Act. More >
November 24, 2021 (The Hollywood Reporter)
Big-name players are likely to come to blows over NFTs sooner rather than later, and often there's no clear contractual language to determine rights. More >
December 7, 2021 (Forbes)
Prince’s Estate has settled its tax dispute with the IRS over the value of the star’s assets on his death. More >
December 21, 2021 (The Limial Space)
A framework to understand what a Crypto Music Industry could look like and how it could evolve. More >
January 4, 2022 (Ars Technica)
A federal judge yesterday dismissed the complaint filed against Nirvana by the man who appeared on the band's Nevermind album cover when he was a baby. More >
December 28, 2021 (The Wall Street Journal)
A decision on the team’s future is expected soon. But first, the team went to court to settle an unexpected claim that someone holds rights of first refusal on a potential sale. More >
January 26, 2021 (NME)
Consumers’ class action suit revisits claims defendants have created a “barrier to entry” in the primary and secondary ticketing markets. More >
January 6, 2021 (NME)
Consumers’ class action suit revisits claims defendants have created a “barrier to entry” in the primary and secondary ticketing markets. More >
January 6, 2021 (Music Business Worldwide)
Fans were given the opportunity to invest in Nas’s music by buying shares in the royalties earned from streaming for two of his tracks: Ultra Black, the lead single from his 2021 Grammy Award winning-album King’s Disease, and Rare, a single from follow-up 2022 Grammy Award-nominated album, King’s Disease II. More >
November 18, 2021 (Forbes)
Virtual concerts and the future of "live" music. More >
January 10, 2022 (Music Business Worldwide)
Based on confirmed prices and information from industry sources – at least $5.05 billion was spent on catalog and music rights acquisitions across the 60-plus big-money deals we reported on during last year. More >
January 11, 2022 (Georgia Entertainment News)
Homegrown educational oppotunities and training resources are proving to be game-changing for the Georgia film industry. More >
January 12, 2022 (JURIST Legal News & Research Services, Inc.)
Two Florida student athletes filed a lawsuit against the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), the National Federation of State High School Associations and the National Collegiate Athletics Association alleging that the FHSAA currently prevents Florida high school athletes from profiting off their name, image, and likeness (NIL). More >
January 24, 2022 (Rolling Stone)
Cardi B won her defamation case against celebrity blogger Latasha Kebe — known as Tasha K — on Monday. The jury awarded the rapper $1.25 million in damages after a trial in federal court in Georgia.. The rapper sued the blogger for defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress over false claims she had herpes, used cocaine, and worked as a prostitute. More >
January 20, 2022 (Law.com)
A group of musical artists including Jay-Z and Meek Mill on Wednesday sent a letter urging New York legislators to pass legislation that would change the rules of evidence to make a defendant’s “creative expression,” including rap lyrics, inadmissible at trial. Under the “Rap Music on Trial” bill, the proffering party would have to overcome the presumption of inadmissibility by proving that the lyrics or other material were meant to be literal, are relevant to a disputed issue of fact and have “a strong factual nexus … to the specific facts of the crime alleged.” More >
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People ask me, 'Don't you ever run out of ideas?' Well, on the first place, I don't use ideas. Every time I have an idea, it's too limiting and usually turns out to be a disappointment. But I haven't run out of curiosity. |
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Robert Rauschenberg |
Our Entertainment & Sports team represents clients across the entertainment industry spectrum including film, television, radio, theater, music, visual arts, publishing, and athletics. As the entertainment industry continues to evolve, we help our clients navigate their inevitable legal and business challenges, offering the peace of mind and confidence necessary for our clients to focus their energies on creative pursuits.
