Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Commons^™

A Complete Property Right Amendment, John H. Ryskamp

ExpressO

The trend of the eminent domain reform and "Kelo plus" initiatives is toward a comprehensive Constitutional property right incorporating the elements of level of review, nature of government action, and extent of compensation. This article contains a draft amendment which reflects these concerns.

Through The Looking Glass: Runaway Productions And "Hollywood Economics", Adrian H. Mcdonald

ExpressO

This paper uses the issue of runaway production as a looking glass into the complex world of Hollywood economics and politics. As such, a broad overview of Hollywood's business practices, history, and technology are discussed so the reader can understand how runaway production (a major issue itself) is one piece of the Hollywood puzzle. Specifically, this paper attempts to study runaway productions from the Law and Economics approach described in Judge Richard Posner's text on the subject. Events in 2006 illustrate the continuing importance of runaway productions and CEIDR's August 2006 report is discussed in this paper.

Recently expanded, this …

On The Legal Consequence Of Sauces: Should Thomas Keller's Recipes Be Per Se Copyrightable, Christopher J. Buccafusco

ExpressO

This article is devoted to copyright protection for one of the restaurant industry’s most valuable assets – original recipes. The two most recent appellate courts to consider the issue have been hostile to the notion that recipes are copyrightable, but given the enormous amount of money at stake, litigation in this area is likely about to expand. The article begins by critiquing the courts’ conclusions. Following an analogy to musical composition, I argue that recipes are simply the means of fixation for culinary works of authorship, i.e, dishes. Next, based on interviews with some of America’s leading chefs, including Thomas …

How The Other Half Lives (Revisited): Twenty Years Since Midler V. Ford - A Global Perspective On The Right Of Publicity, Alain Lapter

ExpressO

For celebrities, name and image are, arguably, two of their most valuable assets. From headlining a movie, to starring in a commercial, to endorsing a product, a celebrity’s persona is potentially worth thousands to millions of dollars. However, this intangible commodity’s worth is often siphoned off by those who appropriate a celebrity’s name or image without authorization or remuneration, thus potentially decreasing the property’s value. In order to stifle this unjust enrichment, celebrities greatly desire the absolute right to control the commercial exploitation of their name and likeness.

In this article, I examine the current state of the right of …

Bond Repudiation, Tax Codes, The Appropriations Process And Restitution Post-Eminent Domain Reform, John H. Ryskamp

ExpressO

This brief comment suggests where the anti-eminent domain movement might be heading next.

As Our Heritage Crumbles Into Dust: The Threat Of State Law Protection For Pre-1972 Sound Recordings, Henry L. Mann

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This article examines the perplexing question of why U.S. copyright law allows states to grant virtually unlimited protection to sound recordings created prior to 1972. Although the Constitution grants the federal government commanding authority over the United States’ copyright regime, it appears that states are still free to do as they please in at least one important field. In the 2005 decision of Capitol Records, Inc. v. Naxos of America, Inc., the New York Court of Appeals breathed new life into the doctrine of common law copyright by holding that the rights-holder to a sound recording created any time before …

Fair Use And The First Amendment: Corporate Control Of Copyright Is Stifling Documentary Making And Thwarting The Aims Of The First Amendment, Paige Gold

ExpressO

Documentary motion pictures constitute a crucial part of contemporary public debate, because in today’s highly consolidated mass media environment, documentaries offer the kinds of independent voices that the First Amendment was designed to protect. However, current intellectual property practices are chilling speech by forcing documentary filmmakers to tailor their films to accommodate new, strict licensing practices. When filmmakers are compelled to edit their work to meet insurance requirements, it harms the interests of not just the filmmaker, but also the public. Thus, the “clearance culture,” in which anything and everything that could possibly lead to a lawsuit must be cleared, …