Sign Up for Alerts
Sign up to receive receive industry-specific emails from our legal team.
Sign Up for Alerts
We provide tailored, industry-specific legal updates to our clients and other friends of the firm.
Areas of Interest
June 6th, 2022
Drag Queens Traverse Trademark Law: ‘I Don’t Think We’re Safe’
Advertising and Intellectual Property Partner Brian G. Murphy is quoted in the article, “Drag Queens Traverse Trademark Law: ‘I Don’t Think We’re Safe’” published by Bloomberg Law. The article discusses that while drag has gone mainstream, intellectual property laws have not kept up with the shifting landscape leaving some performers in copyright disputes over performances and stage names. For example, with their growing popularity drag queens must take music copyrights into consideration. Brian is quoted saying, “Anytime you play a song—and to anyone other than, like, your friends in your own living room—that requires a license.” He explains, “When performing in a club, most drag queens are covered by the establishment’s music licenses. If they incorporate the music into an act in a different setting, however, they might need additional rights.”
Lastly, Brian says there are many rights holders to specific songs which make obtaining music licenses more complex. “When it comes to music, you know, there’s multiple rights holders,” and “There’s the songwriters, and these days just about any song is written by not one person but multiple people. And each of those is a different rights holder.”
Read the full article here.
Other Quoted
Jonah Brill and Spouse Emma Brill Featured on Cardozo Law School Podcast
Jonah Brill and his wife Emma Brill are interviewed on their alma mater’s audio publication SPARKS: A Cardozo School of Law Podcast | Cardozo Law. Having met as first-year law students at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, they discuss how their law school affected their personal lives and chosen career paths. They share their class recommendations, “insights into the complexities of tax law,” and “lessons learned along the way.” Listen here.
April 8 2025
Key Amendments to the New York Rules of Professional Conduct
The New York Law Journal quotes Tyler C. Maulsby on the recently amended Rules of Profesisonal Conduct, which will affect conflicts, screening of laterals, fairness to opposing counsel, and more. View Article
April 1 2025
Duke’s ‘White Lotus’ Cameo Not Likely An IP Problem for HBO
Law360 quotes Kimberly M. Maynard on whether HBO was within its rights to use Duke University's apparel in its artistic expression on the dark comedy show "The White Lotus." Kim argues that when discussing something that's clearly an artistic expression, brand owners' rights are fairly limited by the First Amendment and the Rogers case, even as amended by the Jack Daniels' case. (Behind paywall) View Article
March 31 2025
