Events

November 15, 2016

A Piece of the Action: How Two Copyright Cases Changed the Filmmaking Business (LA OFFICE)

Who owns the copyright in a motion picture, television, theatrical or digital video project?

While frequently this question is determined by talent and work-for-hire agreements, what happens when directors, writers, producers and other creators don't agree on ownership issues or paper their deal? Do the creators jointly own the copyright? Does each person hold a copyright interest in his or her own contributions? Who gets a piece of the action?

The answers have a profound impact on the rights and leverage of a creator working on an entertainment project. But as the Ninth and Second Circuits recently discovered, figuring out who owns the copyright in a work involving multiple creators is not easy. In Garcia v. Google (9th Cir. 2015) and 16 Casa Duse v. Merkin (2d Cir. 2015), the courts addressed these questions head on and established default rules for determining who owns the copyright in a motion picture.The decisions are fascinating and may surprise both lawyers and non-lawyers in the entertainment industry.

Please join us as two distinguished copyright and entertainment litigators, Maura J. Wogan from Frankfurt Kurnit's New York office and Jeremy S. Goldman from Frankfurt Kurnit's new Los Angeles office, lead a fun, fast-paced and informative discussion about copyright ownership in motion pictures, television, theatrical and digital video projects.

Topics include:

  • Stories about Oscar Wilde, Jackie "Moms" Mabley, the Titanic, Rent, Malcolm X, the Prophet Mohammed, independent film projects gone awry and more...
  • Who owns the copyright in a work?
  • Who is the "author" of copyrightable work?
  • When does someone become a joint author of a movie or TV project?
  • What are the rights and interests of a joint author?
  • The Ninth Circuit's "mastermind" test and the Second Circuit's "dominant author" test
  • The key legal and business takeaways from the Garcia and 16 Casa Duse decisions
  • Practical strategies to resolve disputes between embattled collaborators
  • And much more

This program has been approved in accordance with the requirements of the California Continuing Legal Education Board for a maximum of 1.0 credit hours in Areas of Professional Practice. (Note: The content of this course is appropriate for both newly admitted and experienced attorneys (non-transitional and transitional)).

Date:
Tuesday, November 15th, 2016

Time:
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM (Presentation begins promptly at 1:00 PM)

Location:
Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, PC

2029 Century Park East
Los Angeles, CA
Conference Room A

Speakers:
Maura J. Wogan & Jeremy S. Goldman

Partners -- Entertainment Litigation Group
Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz

Click here to RSVP. A complimentary lunch will be served.