Intellectual Property Law Commons^™

Don't Make Waves: Am Stereophonic Broadcasting And The Marketplace Approach, Mark Peyton Schreiber

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

This note discusses AM stereophonic broadcasting and examines the FCC's approach for the implementation of this new service. The selection of the technical standard for AM stereo was left to market forces after the Commission found itself unable to choose one proposal to be the standard. The author demonstrates why this approach is inappropriate. Of the remaining regulatory avenues available, the author feels the FCC should revise the evaluation process to more accurately reflect the differences among the proposed standards. From this fresh comparison, one should be selected to be the AM stereo standard. The Kahn proposal appears to be …

Subliminal Projection: History And Analysis, Thomas Albert Bliss

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

This article examines subliminal projection, the process whereby information is transmitted to one's subconscious without one's knowledge, as it applies to audio-visual media. The author outlines the psychological basis for the process, then describes the various techniques that have been devised for exploiting the process. A detailed history of experimental and nonexperimental applications is followed by a discussion of the responses by lawmaking, regulatory and programming bodies to those applications and the process in general. The author argues that, lacking statutory bases for prevention of the use of subliminal projection, the most appropriate tort theory on which to base an …

Journalists' Interference With Police: The First Amendment, Access To News And Official Discretion, Kent R. Middleton

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

A journalist at a news scene, such as the site of a car accident with trapped victims, may be denied access by police officer who believes the journalist's presence will hinder his performance. In such situations, the journalist's interest in access to obtain news and the officer's interest in performing official duties are in conflict. This conflict is analyzed in the author's discussion of New Jersey v. Lashinsky where a news photographer refused to leave a news scene at an officer's request and was prosecuted and convicted for interference. The author argues that the New Jersey Supreme Court improperly upheld …

Copyright Protection For Video Games, Computer Programs And Other Cybernetic Works, Marilyn A. Brody

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Computer software is an increasingly important form of intellectual property. Continued investment and development depends on patent or copyright protection, but as Apple v. Franklin demonstrates, courts disagree as to the appropriateness of such protection. Consistent application of the law based on a clear understanding of the underlying technologies is essential. Against this background, and using concepts from cybernetics and information theory, a specialized form of copyright is suggested as the appropriate protection mechanism.

Video Game Regulation And The Courts, Linda Sue Dobb

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Local governments have traditionally used anti-gambling, licensing and curfew statutes to control the presence of pinball machines, pool halls and bowling alleys within their communities. This note analyzes the recent use of similar statutes to limit the number of video games, the location of video arcades and the ownership of amusement centers. It concentrates on the constitutional challenges by owners of video devices to anti-gambling, licensing and curfew statutes as applied to these games. The rights of property owners, youths and games players of all ages are examined as courts decide whether "Pac-Man," 'Space Invaders" and "Asteroids" are entitled to …

Metromedia V. San Diego Iii: Content Regulation, Commercial Speech, And The California Supreme Court's Recent Billboard Decision, Steven Saxton

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

In Metromedia v. San Diego III, the California Supreme Court laid to rest San Diego's billboard ordinance, rejecting guidelines set forth by the United States Supreme Court for curing the ordinance's constitutional defects. This note examines the reasons for the California court's decision. The author analyzes the various uses of "content neutrality" in first amendment adjudication, and traces the influence of content neutrality principles on the development of commercial speech doctrine. In turn,this analysis is applied to the Metromedia cases to explain the inconsistencies among them.

Trade Screening Laws: A Survey And Analysis, Thomas A. Bartasi

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

For years, movie distributors have used "blind bidding," a licensing method under which an exhibitor bid and negotiated sight unseen, for the right to exhibit a motion picture. This article presents a comprehensive survey of state statutes, known as "trade screening laws," which have attempted to make the licensing process more open and fair. By examining the restrictions and prohibitions contained in the various statutes, this survey is directed at assisting legislators who seek to enact or revise trade screening laws.

The Danger Of Illusion: A Critique Of Safety Regulations In The Television And Motion Picture Industry, Shawn M. Christianson, S. Claire Soper

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Numerous accidents on movie sets in recent years have heightened concern over how the entertainment industry is protecting the safety of its actors and crews. This note explores statutory remedies and intra-industry safety regulations available to minimize the dangers and concludes they are inadequate. The authors suggest specific legislation which would require safety monitors on the set, more careful control of explosives, and higher monetary penalties for safety violations.

Simon Geller And The Comparative Renewal Process: What's Good For Gloucester, Frances C. Lindemann

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) employs a "comparative renewal process" in determining which of two mutually exclusive applicants should be granted a broadcasting license. This note examines the controversial method used in awarding licenses by focusing on the case of Simon Geller, the first instance in which the FCC failed to renew an existing broadcasting license when challenged by a new applicant. It considers the factors weighed in the comparative renewal process, questions whether they were accurately applied in the Geller case, and discusses whether the comparative renewal process really protects the "public interest."

What Does Negligence Mean In Defamation Cases, Marc A. Franklin

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Ten years have passed since the Supreme Court decided Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc. and introduced "fault" analysis into defamation cases. The author examines how the courts have approached the determination of a defendant's fault in the years since Gertz. He further reviews recent statistical data and insurance trends, and analyzes the impact that the emergent negligence standard has had on libel litigation.

The Athlete As Public Figure In Light Of Gertz V. Robert Welch, Inc., Or Torts In Sports: The Role Of The Courts, Richard M. Wise

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Recognizing the need for a systematic treatment of the public figure doctrine in relation to professional athletes, this article examines the tension between first amendment rights of free speech and the athlete's right to privacy. The author presents a brief history on the law of defamation and analyzes the differences between limited and general public figures. Supporting a flexible framework of analysis, he proposes close scrutiny of the mitigating factors of time and audience. Only then, he concludes, will the courts be able to protect both the constitutional guarantees of free speech and the athlete's personal interest in his reputation.

Spotlight On The Jury: Trial Publicity And Juror Privacy, Susan L. Greenberg

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

The note examines the current law regarding media coverage of jury trials and the effect of such publicity on the privacy rights of jurors. The author proposes that the competing rights of jurors and the media be balanced in order that jurors' privacy rights may be protected without excluding the media from the courtroom.

Museums, Artists And Copyright, Dorothy Weber-Karlitz

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Sound And Video-Recording And The Copyright Law: The German Approach, Ernest A. Seemann

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Bankruptcy: The Death Of Recording Contracts, Mitchell R. Julis, Ricardo A. Baez

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Artists' Moral Rights: A European Evolution, An American Revolution, Dan Rosen

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Courts In Broadcast Regulatory Policy-Making, Lawrence D. Longley, Erwin G. Krasnow, Herbert A. Terry

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

In the early decades of broadcast regulation, the regulatory process was dominated by (and largely restricted to) three major participants--Congress, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the industry itself. This balance of forces has now been altered by the increased involvement of three new participants in broadcast regulatory policy making the public, in the form of citizen groups; the White House, by means of special advisory bodies, appointment powers, budgetary control, and active communication-oriented divisions of Cabinet level agencies; and the courts, in the form of judicial opinions prescribing and precluding FCC policy initiatives. These three new activist participants in …

Control Of, And Access To, On-Line Computer Data Bases: Some First Amendment Issues In Videotex And Teletext, Henry Beck

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Information stored in centralized data banks is now accessible by home computer over telephone and cable networks, and through over-the-air broadcasting. The proprietors of these data banks may be said to "publish" their information each time an end-user retrieves information from their data bases. If taken seriously, this concept of "electronic publication" raises important first amendment questions.

After a brief introduction to the nature of the new medium, this article discusses some of the first amendment issues involved in access to stored information bases and the "mirror image" problem of controlling such stored information. Because many of the potential first …

Federal Preemption Of State Obscenity Law Applied To Broadcasting, William Hanks, Steve Coran

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

With the expansion of cable and free-air subscription television into more markets, interstate transmission by satellite and by broadcasting have frequently included R-rated movies. This increases the likelihood that states will apply obscenity laws and other laws related to program content to television programming. This article argues that state obscenity laws applied to broadcasting are preempted by federal law. There are several grounds for concluding that Congress intended to preempt: (1) the Communications Act empowered the FCC to establish a nationwide telecommunications system, and it is probable that state obscenity laws would conflict with each other and with federal broadcast …

Cable Television Secured Financing, Robert G. Weiss, Alan G. Benjamin

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Lenders financing cable television construction and operation commonly use the cable television system itself as collateral. This article focuses on the documentation requirements and the legal impediments to realization of anticipated cash flow. Documentation includes the security agreement and the financing statement; this article also examines documentation in relation to the municipal franchise. Legal impediments include rate controls, recent developments in antitrust law and competition from alternative technological systems such as subscription television, direct broadcast satellite, multipoint distribution service, satellite master antenna television, low power television and home view networks.

People Ex Rel. Gow V. Mitchell Brothers: California Gropes For A Civil Obscenity Standard, Peter F. Frost

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of civil nuisance actions to restrain the exhibition of obscenity. Authorities have split over whether civil or criminal procedural standards should govern such actions. The California Court of Appeal, in People ex rel. Gow v. Mitchell Brothers Theatre, has addressed some of these issues. The author examines the court's reasoning regarding the appropriate remedies and standard of proof in such actions. In addition, the author addresses the propriety of a jury trial, concluding that a jury trial should be a matter of right in the determination of obscenity.

Mississippi's Prohibition Of Alcoholic Beverage Advertising: A Constitutional Analysis, Charlotte K. Ito

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Mississippi prohibits alcoholic beverage advertising to further its interest in promoting temperance. This note applies the first amendment commercial speech standard to the advertising ban and concludes that the alcoholic beverage advertising ban is an unconstitutional restraint of free speech. Further consideration of the interplay between the first and twenty first amendments indicates that to the extent that the ban violates first amendment interests, it is unsupported by the twenty first amendment.

Feature Film Secured Financing: A Transactional Approach For Lender's Counsel, Robert G. Weiss, Alan G. Benjamin

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

The authors describe the legal techniques that can be used by a secured lender's counsel to reduce the risks attendant upon the interim financing of feature films. The authors tell counsel how to accomplish the essential and inter-related tasks of (1) defining, perfecting and protecting a security interest in the feature film and related collateral; (2) assuring timely and on-budget delivery of the feature film; and (3) assuring receipt of promised presale advances used to "take out" the interim lender.

Copyright Infringement: An Argument For The Elimination Of The Scenes A Faire Doctrine, Don M. Tamura

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

This note deals with a relatively obscure aspect of copyright law-the scones a faire doctrine. In recent years it has gained popularity as a defense for potential infringers. The note first discusses the background of copyright law and the elements of a copyright infringement action. Then, two major theories and a procedural methodology are outlined before the scones a faire doctrine is defined and analyzed. After comparing the doctrine with the established theories of copyright protection, the author concludes that the doctrine is seriously flawed and conflicts with the other theories.

Divorce In The Entertainment Industry - Some Special Problems, Ovvie Miller

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Lawyers representing divorce clients in the entertainment industry are often presented with cases where the parties have substantial variations in annual income. Claims involving characterization and valuation of unique assets such as "right of publicity" also arise regularly. The legal background of these matters is reviewed from the perspective of California and New York law. The author offers practical advice to the lawyer who may have a case where these issues are presented.

Fair Use And Audiovisual Criticism, Brian S. O'Malley

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

The doctrine of fair use, recently codified at 17 U.S.C. § 107, has long been recognized as a defense to infringement actions where excerpts of a copyrighted work were used in a criticism of that work. Two recent

cases, however, Iowa State University v. ABC and Roy Export v. CBS, have rejected defenses of fair use of audiovisual excerpts. This note traces the history of the fair use doctrine as it has been used in cases involving criticism, and as it has been applied to visual and audiovisual materials. The author proposes a "subject of the criticism" analysis for examining …

The Author, The Irs And Prepublication Expenditures, David Walton

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

Authors have customarily deducted expenditures incurred in preparing a book for publication. The IRS has taken the position that such expenditures should be capitalized and then amortized. In the recent case of Faura v. Commissioner, the Tax Court allowed authors to deduct prepublication expenditures rather than capitalize them. In 1976, section 280 was added to the Internal Revenue Code by the 1976 Tax Reform Act. This section appears to require authors to capitalize prepublication expenditures for books. The Tax Reform Act of 1976 also contained section 2119 which allows authors to deduct prepublication expenditures until regulations are promulgated concerning them. …

A Media Labor Law Symposium: Introduction, David Tajgman

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

No abstract provided.

Music And The Law: A Comprehensive Bibliography Of Law-Related Materials, Gail Fleming Winson

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

No abstract provided.

Personal Contracts For Bargaining Unit Employees - An Analysis Of Media Labor Implications, Victor Strimbu

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

No abstract provided.