Law Arts Blog

Much More Than Just a Fight Over AI.

For the first time since 1960, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have gone on strike as a result of unsuccessful negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).  While production studios' interest in AI has emerged as one of the main talking points due the AMPTP’s allegedly poor reaction to the WGA’s AI proposals

The Benefits and Pitfalls of AI in the Art and Entertainment Industries

Technology: it’s a blessing and a curse. Artificial intelligence has long been an “if and when” subject. Within the last year, ChatGPT and other AI tools have become increasingly popular in many industries, especially the art and entertainment industries. While AI has no doubt provided vast opportunities and benefits to these industries, it also is presently a legal gray area with issues like infringement becoming prominent.

Whether you and your friends have just started a band or you have been playing together for over 10 years, your band is a business. Sure, your focus is on creating music and hopefully making money from that music, but it is also important to recognize that that can have legal implications.

Despite what an old children’s rhyme about sticks and stones may say, words can hurt both your mental state and your wallet. Defamatory statements can affect your reputation, business dealings, and your status in your community.

Could “Betty (Get Money)” be the most expensive “Rick-Roll” of all time?

On January 26, 2023, Rick Astley filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against rising-star rapper Yung Gravy; producers Popnick, Dillon Francis, and dwilly; as well as Republic Records.  Astley alleges that, although defendants had permission from the songwriters to make the track, Yung Gravy vio

Update: On January 27, 2023, in light of the results from its playtest survey, WotC announced that it would be leaving OGL 1.0a in place and unrevised, and that the entire SRD 5.1 would be available under a Creative Commons license.

In late December 2022, District Court Judge Stephen Wilson of the Central District of California, issued a limited order denying Universal Studio’s motion to dismiss in a lawsuit brought by two fans of actress Ana de Armas.

These disputes illustrate that streaming has changed Hollywood drastically and that entertainment lawyers must be more creative when drafting client contracts while staying conscious of union developments across the industry.

Though it may seem like streaming services have already fully entrenched themselves as the present and future of television, behind the scenes, the transition away from broadcast business models is still very much in progress and creating strife within a few of the major entertainment unions. Two major Hollywood union disputes in recent years have shown the complicated task facing entertainment lawyers moving forward.

Why and How Small Arts Organizations Should Develop an Internal Complaint Procedure for Responding to Reports of Harassment and Discrimination

Zelina Gaytan was a museum attendant at the San Diego Museum of Art. On July 9, 2021, she filed a lawsuit against her former employer alleging pervasive sexual and racial misconduct. Among other allegations, she claims teenage staff members were repeatedly asked out on dates and followed to their cars by older staff, volunteer docents referred to darker Latinos as “savages” and likened Frida Kahlo to a “Muppet”, and that Black and Latino employees weren’t promoted to leadership roles.