Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Commons^™

Making A Mountain Out Of A Mogul: Jeremy Bloom V. Ncaa And Unjustified Denial Of Compensation Under Ncaa Amateurism Rules, Gordon G. Gouveia

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Note argues that the NCAA's interpretation of the amateurism provisions of the NCAA Division I Manual, with respect to Jeremy Bloom, is unreasonable, particularly in light of the NCAA's treatment of other dual-sport professional athletes. Consequently, the NCAA should create an exception to its amateurism provisions allowing Bloom and similarly-situated student-athletes to earn income from sources unrelated to the amateur sport in which they compete. Furthermore, since the NCAA Bylaws constitute a contract to which student-athletes are third-party beneficiaries, courts should provide a forum to ensure the consistent and equitable application of the provisions of that contract. Part I …

Fiduciary Duty: Can It Help Calm The Fears Of Underpaid Artists?, Wendy Bartholomew

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The purpose of this note is to examine the legal causes and consequences of what many consider poor label accounting practices, and to propose a solution: imposing a duty on record labels to correctly and transparently collect and distribute artist royalties. If labels operate under a fiduciary duty to their artists when receiving and paying royalties, artists will get paid what they are due. If they are not, artists will have viable remedies available to them--remedies that create an incentive for labels to make positive changes in the way they handle royalty accounting. This will, in turn, work to repair …

Business, The Arts & The Role Of The Copyright Act, Keith C. Hauprich

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Two recent court decisions examined, addressed, and adjudicated parallel issues potentially determining the scope of rights of legions of recording artists and freelance authors. While the core of each case centered on the fact that the agreements between each of the respective litigants did not expressly grant (or reserve) the exercise of the particular rights in dispute, the decisions of the courts have seemingly antithetical results. A review of each court's application of the governing law to the disparate facts of each case presents an interesting illustration of the relationship among business, the arts, and the role of the Copyright …

Long Overdue? An Exploration Of The Status And Merit Of A General Public Performance Right In Sound Recordings, Matthew S. Delnero

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

In the sound recording performance rights debate, positions advocated by broadcasters are the polar opposite of those taken by recording artists and labels. Considering all the factors, it is likely that neither claim is entirely meritorious. Both are too extreme to be supported by available evidence. Radio broadcasters ignore what would amount to at least some international harmonization and added foreign royalties, as well as the potential creation of new works that would not be economically viable without a performance royalty. Furthermore, broadcasters fail to adequately account for the possible inequity of granting performance royalties to those who compose music …

The Balance Between Recording Artists And Recording Companies: A Tip In Favor Of The Artists?, Nicholas Baumgartner

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

To protest the 1999 Copyright Act amendment, recording artists Don Henley and Sheryl Crow, among others, co-founded the RAC. While formed to serve as a "voice for artists' rights," the primary impetus behind its founding was to lobby Congress to delete sound recordings from the definition of "works made for hire" in the Copyright Act. Together with intense lobbying by AFTRA, individual recording artists and legal scholars, the RAC succeeded--in October 2000, sound recordings were removed from the definition of "works made for hire."

The momentum gained by artists in this lobbying effort inspired an attack on the other proverbial …

On The Ropes: New Regulations And State Cooperation Step Into The Ring To Protect Boxing From Itself, David Altschuler

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

It is the central thesis of this Note that the NAAGs recommendations represent the necessary linchpin in creating a coherent regulatory regime for ensuring that professional boxing is both safe and legitimate. In order to place a discussion of regulatory solutions in a proper frame, this Note begins by describing the problems that have long plagued professional boxing. This Note next explicates two federal laws designed to redress the corruption and abuses lawmakers found to be inherent in professional boxing. These laws are the Professional Boxing Safety Act ("PBSA") and the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act ("Ali Act"). This Note …

Crossing The (Blue) Line: Is The Criminal Justice System The Best Institution To Deal With Violence In Hockey?, John Timmer

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Note argues that the criminal justice system is ill-equipped to, and thus should refrain from, prosecuting professional hockey players for violent acts committed during the course of play. Part II examines professional hockey and provides background regarding the nature of violence in the sport. Part III then discusses the history of prosecution of violent acts committed during professional hockey games, both in Canada and in the United States, providing some context for the type of violent actions that are prosecuted. Part IV examines some of the problems that arise in the prosecution of professional hockey players, including all applicable …

The Government Tunes In To Tune Out The Marketing Of Violent Entertainment To Kids, Shannon Mccoy

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Note examines the recent investigation conducted by the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC" or "Commission") and its 2001 Follow-Up to that inquiry. The September 2000 Report ("Report") concluded that the entertainment industry intentionally and aggressively advertises both R and PG-13 movies to children under the age of 18. As a solution, the FTC recommended self-regulation by the entertainment industry. The 2001 Follow-Up to the Report ("Follow-Up") found that although the movie industry has made progress, a greater effort must be exerted to successfully eliminate the marketing of violent entertainment to children.' Both the Report and the Follow-Up demonstrate that self-regulation …

Nfl General Counsel Adolpho Birch Speaks On The Nfl's Drug Policy, Adolpho Birch, Journal Of Entertainment & Tech. Law Editor

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Our standards are set in stone and frankly I think that's the best way to do it. The Commissioner obviously has discretion to alter the discipline, but it is not the type of discretion that is used lightly. It is better in our view to have a defined system with delineated consequences that occur from the use of a prohibited substance. For example, a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance nets a four-game suspension without pay. That is the rule for a first violation and everybody knows it. And when it happens to you, you will be treated the same …

The Voluntary Practices: The Last-Gasp Of Big Time College Football And The Ncaa, Sarah Lemons

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

College football is desperately in need of new NCAA rules governing voluntary practices and the real problem is that coaches will always find a way to slip around the rules in order to seize the rewards of winning. Therefore, the NCAA must perform its duty and reform the rules to protect the health and well being of the collegiate football player, because as a voluntary association of a coalition of 960 member colleges, it has been given the authority to adopt rules governing its member institutions' recruiting, eligibility, financial aid and admissions.

Part II of this Note will begin by …

Co-Productions: The Future Feature, Jenica Yurcic

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Article argues that California should devise an incentive plan to attract film production projects rather than take a defensive posture to deter film flight. The objective of the incentive plan is to consolidate government funding while capitalizing on California's film marketing and distribution expertise, as well as the growing demand for digital post-production services. In an increasingly global film industry, this incentive plan would lower the bottom-line of international productions. The prospect of earning increased profits through international production efforts should attract more business to the California film industry. However, while such a business plan is easy to envision, …

The Recording Industry, Minimum Advertised Pricing Policies And Non-Price Vertical Restraints Of Trade, M. Courtney Mccormick

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Note argues that the recording industry's cooperative advertising programs do not run afoul of federal antitrust laws and, in fact, promote interbrand competition. It examines the implications of the cooperative advertising programs adopted by record companies in light of current federal antitrust law. Contrary to claims made by the FTC, the recording industry's actions can withstand antitrust scrutiny because Minimum Advertised Pricing ("MAP") policies serve pro-competitive business purposes. As will be discussed in further detail below, the recording industry has a legitimate interest in pursuing policies that help traditional music retailers stay in business in the face of crippling …

Emerging Issues In Sports Law: Symposium Transcript, Steve Underwood, Christopher Whitson

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

First we manage our litigation and clients. And we have a wide range of claims and suits to take care of. There are league-wide suits. There are labor arbitrations. There are player suits, from time-to-time. And you know the Corey Stringer case that's been filed in Minnesota, for example. We had a somewhat similar experience a few years ago that ended up as a ... cert. denied case of the United States Supreme Court, Smith v. Houston Oilers, a 1996 Fifth Circuit case .... We have a lot of workers' comp problems in our business. Our workcomp expense this year …

Filmmakers Beware: Protecting Profits Through International Licensing Agreements, Harris E. Tulchin

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The discussion that follows provides a description of the typical license terms and a more in-depth treatment of three areas of primary importance to the agreement: (1) release requirements; (2) licensed rights terms; and (3) payment obligations. The agreement usually begins with a short description of the particular motion picture licensed, the title, and the key creative elements such as its stars, director, writer, and producer. It states the country or territory to which the motion picture is licensed. The agreement will generally provide for an overall term of a number of years from the availability of certain delivery materials, …

From The Editor, David W. Dulabon

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

In this issue, the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment Law & Practice (JELP) explores two such themes. In the Film/TV section, we present views on the degree to which First Amendment protection extends to expression that arguably entails a negative influence on some audiences. In the Music section, we are pleased to offer two variations on a common theme, in the form of two accounts of the copyright law's reaction to advances in technology. Accompanying these recurrent themes are those of our own, as sections dealing with the Internet and Sports round out this, our fifth issue.

Forming A Single Entity: A Recipe For Success For New Professional Sports Leagues, Karen Jordan

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Note begins by introducing some of the more recently founded professional sports leagues, identifying their background and single-entity structures. It then provides a general background of antitrust issues in sports, followed by explanations of the possible defenses, including the single-entity structure. Next, it discusses Fraser as a potential landmark case for professional sports leagues, showing how its lessons contribute to the current mode of antitrust analysis. Finally, this Note illustrates why single-entity structuring may be essential for leagues in their infancy, but of little use to well-established professional sports leagues.

Selecting A Sports Agent: The Inside For Athletes & Parents, Charles B. Lipscomb, Peter Titlebaum

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The goal of this Article is to educate and enlighten athletes, their families, and their coaches as to what they should know to make the best possible choice when selecting an agent. Identifying the individual best equipped to provide professional guidance to a high school or collegiate athlete contemplating a professional sports career is an extremely difficult task. Nevertheless, information is power, and that power belongs in the hands of the athlete. Thus, in the course of this Article, we will explore all the necessary topics and questions to help guide an athlete and his or her parents in selecting …

Framing And Blaming In The Culture Wars: Marketing Murder Or Selling Speech?, Clay Calvert

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Article uses the Pahler legal battle as a case study to examine the current culture wars that have placed the Hollywood recording and entertainment industries in the legal crosshairs of both legislative and judicial efforts to redefine popular teen culture. The first section demonstrates how the theories at issue in Pahler mirror the tactics used in the recent war against tobacco industry advertising that also allegedly targeted minors. Next, the Article situates Pahler within the context of Congressional hearings in the fall of 2000 that focused attention on the alleged Hollywood marketing of products featuring violent content to minors. …

For Entertainment Purposes Or Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam: Televangelism In The Marketplace Of Ideas, Juan G. Villasenor

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Note discusses the proposed legal responses to the problem of fraud by televangelists. Finding the solutions constitutionally deficient, politically unsound, or practically ineffective as deterrents, it then explores the possibility of a content-based restriction on televangelists' speech. The Note concludes that such a deliberate restriction on speech cannot withstand First Amendment scrutiny, regardless of the dishonesty or disingenuousness one may find in televangelists' tactics. Accordingly, despite the great potential for deception, televangelists' activities are, and should be, absolutely protected by the First Amendment. Any proposed remedy to deal with televangelism must occur in the marketplace of ideas, which is …

Chillin' Effect Of Section 506: The Battle Over Digital Sampling In Rap Music, Ronald Gaither

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Digital samples are to rap music as precedent is to the practice of law. Lawyers, mindful of the principle of stare decisis, mine court opinions for arguments to support legal theories. Similarly, rappers use the lyrics and musical arrangements found in previously recorded works to spin out new and creative pieces. But where-as no one worries when a lawyer quotes pieces of old case law to fashion her arguments in a novel case, rappers' heavy reliance on digital sampling routinely puts their community front and center in a debate over copyright infringement...

Considering the severity of most criminal penalties for …

Digital Performance Royalties: Should Radio Pay?, Bruce H. Phillips, Carl R. Moore

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

We must acknowledge that some questions remain unanswered. Have we entered an era in which record labels, recording artists, record producers, and musicians will finally earn royalties for the public performance of their creations? Will the recent Copyright Office action be a watershed development in United States copyright law? Or will the broadcasters and their well-funded and powerful lobbying arm, the NAB, prevail in the end--if not in the courts, then in Congress? The only clear answer is simply this: not if the RIAA, the record labels' own well-funded and powerful lobbying arm, has anything to do with it. It …

Flag On The Play: 25 To Life For The Offense Of Murder, Sean Bukowski

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Note will consider the extent to which the "professional athletic" community should add its own sanctions to those imposed by public law. First, it asks whether athletes are getting into more trouble than in the past, as it is possible that athletes are just following a trend of society, and thus are no more prone to violence than anyone else. Nevertheless, violent crime, especially that committed by role models like athletes, is especially damaging to society. Therefore, the Note then addresses why the sports leagues should care whether their athletes are committing such offenses.

It will then examine how …

Truckin' In Style Along The Avenue: How The Grateful Dead Turned Alternative Business And Legal Strategies Into A Great American Success Story, Brian C. Drobnik

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

That the Grateful Dead were "different" undoubtedly is true on a broad social level. But it is not so easy to ascertain how they were different in the business and legal aspects of their enterprise. The ephemeral nature of their approach stems from the fact that they conducted their affairs within and alongside the world of statutes and contracts and yet provided themselves with a great degree of independence from that world. This Note will comment on the Dead's perspective on and their ultimate rejection of many of the business and legal strategies traditionally ascribed to in the industry. After …

The Hollywood Shuffle: Protecting Film Investors, Mark Litwak

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

In Los Angeles, the city of a thousand stories, many tales are told by financiers who complain they have been cheated by producers or distributors. As would be expected in any industry grossing about seven billion dollars annually at the domestic box office, the movie business attracts more than its fair share of disreputable characters. The glamour of the business ensures a steady stream of star-struck investors motivated by non-financial concerns. This combination of the unsavory and inexperienced often produces hand-shake deals made without the proper investigation and due diligence. Consequently, experienced investors often refuse to even consider film-related investments. …

The Changing Role Of Agents In Professional Basketball, Bappa Mukherji

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Article will discuss the status of agents for NBA players after the adoption of the new collective bargaining agreement (the "1999 Agreement"). First, this Article will summarize the relevant provisions of the prior collective bargaining agreement (the "1996 Agreement") and illustrate how application of these provisions led the owners to declare a lockout. Next, it will review key provisions of the 1999 Agreement. It will conclude by discussing how the new CBA and the recent consolidation in the sports representation business will affect agents.

From The Editor, Steven Lopez - Editor

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Welcome to the second issue of The Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment Law & Practice. As always, we have blended legal scholarship, readable style, and engaging design to create a publication that we hope is as informative as it is entertaining. In the areas of Music, Internet, Film/TV, and Sports, you'll hear from scholars, practitioners, students, and even a United States Congressman on issues that are timely, compelling, and relevant, to life and practice. We'd like to thank the professional and student writers whose sleep- less nights and deadline-driven efforts made this publication possible. We also owe a great debt of …

Don't Sell Out, Sell Bonds: The Pullman Group's Securitization Of The Music Industry, Hewson Chen

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Securitization is the selling of debt to investors. In general, securitization converts future income streams like credit card receivables or auto loan payments to present in-pocket cash. Notably, this transformation from future income to current wealth gives the issuer of the security immediate access to cash at less cost than other financing methods such as bank loans. In the 1970s, this technique was applied to the housing industry, and since then, securitization has evolved into greater varieties of income streams, including medical insurance, typhoon insurance, and unused airline tickets. The application of securitization in the entertainment industry, however, remains largely …

Concerts: Rated Or Raided? First Amendment Implications Of Concert-Rating, Deborah Cazan

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Note examines the constitutionality as well as practicality of two different concert-rating statutes. San Antonio ordinance 61,850, the first attempt at concert-rating, has never been challenged constitutionally. This Note asserts that if the ordinance were challenged, the Court would find it constitutionally valid on its face, despite the possibility of unconstitutional applications. However, some unconstitutional consequences remain. The second statute examined is one recently proposed by Senator Shugars in the Michigan state legislature. Like the San Antonio ordinance, this Note concludes that Senate Bill 239 would also withstand a constitutional challenge.

This Note examines the history and structure of …

A Journey Through Olympic Drug Testing Rules: A Practitioner's Guide To Understanding, Jill Pilgrim, Kim Betz

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

While many top U.S. Olympic-caliber athletes have been drug tested throughout their careers, few truly understand the drug testing process. The ever-changing rules and regulations, as well as the increase in the number of doping control programs have proven to be confusing and sometimes inconsistent, despite appearing to assist in the fight against doping in sport. Many organizations cannot interpret their own rules, nor do they fully understand the jurisdictional issues that arise with respect to every sample taken, until they are caught in a crisis. This Article attempts to untangle the web of rules and regulations and provide athletes, …

Changing The Rules: Why The Current "Actual Knowledge" Sexual Harrasment Standard Doesn't Make The Cut In Athletics, Andrea Ivory

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

In clear cases of sexual harassment, it is easy and appropriate to punish improper, predatory behavior. In such cases, the victim will be compelled to report the abuse, and the school will be compelled to respond. But the athletic environment occupies the blurry periphery of conduct that violates personhood. Here, in the sports context, intimate contact is routine, whether in heated moments on the field or in the forced companionship on the road. There is an increased risk of sexual harassment because the very environment is characterized by close physical and emotional relationships as well as unequal power relations. Physical …