A California district court denied Swift’s motion to dismiss a trademark infringement suit over ‘Lucky 13’ brought by Blue Sphere, Inc. last May. Blue Sphere, an Orange county-based company, does a business as ‘Lucky 13’ and sells a wide range of products including clothing and has sued over Swift’s use of the phrase ‘Lucky 13’and selling via internet t-shirts bearing the phrase without the company’s authorization. Additionally, the suit named American Greetings as one of the defendants for running the online promotion of a “Lucky …
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Not So Fancy – Iggy Azalea Sues Ex-Boyfriend for Marketing Unfinished Songs
On Wednesday, September 17, pop-star and Levi Jeans model Iggy Azalea filed a lawsuit in the Central District of California against her ex-boyfriend, Maurice Williams over allegedly stolen bootleg copies of unreleased songs.
The complaint, published here by The Hollywood Reporter, alleges that Williams downloaded the contents of her personal computer onto a thumb drive, including several unfinished and unreleased songs. The songs were recorded from March 2008 to December 2008, during which time Azalea was living and working in Texas. It was also during …
Continue ReadingEminem Sues New Zealand’s National Party for Copyright Infringement
Detroit-based Eight Mile Style, LLC and Martin Affiliated, LLC, the music publishers of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” filed a copyright infringement suit against New Zealand’s National Party. According to Joel Martin, a spokesperson for both companies, New Zealand’s ruling party used the song in a political campaign commercial without authorization.
The party allegedly used the song in a TV advertisement in its efforts to support the reelection of Prime Minister John Key. Rejecting the allegations, Prime Minister Key responded that the party did not intentionally …
Continue ReadingThicke “Blurred” His Writing Credit
“Blurred Lines,” the pop song that became an instant hit and put Robin Thicke on the map is back in the lime light. When the song was noted for its similarity to Marvin Gaye’s 1977 classic “Got to Give it Up,” “Blurred Lines” “writers” Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and Clifford “T.I.” filed suit against the estate of Marvin Gaye to protect their song against claims of being a rip-off. Gaye’s estate filed a cross-complaint accusing the plaintiffs of making an unauthorized derivative of “Got to Give …
Continue Reading“Morals Clauses” in Sports Contracts – More Important Now Than Ever Before?
NFL players Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson are the latest in a long line of professional athletes whose misdeeds have been exposed to the glare of public scrutiny and discourse on whether they should be terminated or suspended due to their conduct away from the playing field. Implicit in the dialogue and debate on the proper response of professional sports leagues and teams to the off-field misdeeds of their players is the contractual right to terminate or suspend players under the so-called “morals clauses” of …
Continue ReadingThe Real Cost of Concussion-Related Litigation
The NFL is expected to pay out about $950 million over the next 65 years to resolve a class action brought by retired football players for head-injury claims. It is estimated some 3,600 players, about 17 percent of potential class members, will get paid from the settlement. Over 5,000 football players sued the NFL for head injuries, alleging that the NFL did not inform players of the link between repeated traumatic head impact and long-term brain injuries.
In August 2013, the NFL agreed to pay …
Continue ReadingOdds May Be Better For New Jersey Sports Wagering
New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, issued a directive that allows the state’s casinos and racetracks to offer sports betting. Governor Christie based his directive on a Third Circuit court ruling that said New Jersey is not necessarily prohibited from repealing its ban on sports wagering.
However, many believe that Governor Christie is exploiting a loophole in a federal law. The law bans states from setting up regulatory schemes for sports betting, but allows the state to deregulate gambling, rather than regulate it. Governor Christie …
Continue ReadingFormer Mets Executive Sues for FMLA Violation and Discrimination
Former Senior Vice Presidnet for Ticket Sales and Service, Leigh Castergine, filed a lawsuit Wednesday in the Eastern District of New York, alleging Jeff Wilpon, part-owner of the Mets and Chief Operating Officer, harassed her for being pregnant, ultimately leading to her dismissal from the team on August 26.
Castergine alleges in her complaint that Jeff Wilpon became fixated on her pregnancy as she was not married. In addition to several accounts of other discriminatory and appalling behavior, the complaint alleges Wilpon stated “I am …
Continue ReadingNCAA Using the O’Bannon Decision to Have Two Other Similar Suits Dismissed
While the NCAA is appealing the O’Bannon decision by Judge Claudia Wilken, it is using Judge Wilken’s ruling in that case as the reason why she should dismiss two other scholarship suits before her.
One lawsuit was brought by several former men’s and women’s basketball players in 11 conferences as well as football players, including former West Virginia running back Shawne Alston. The other suit covered players in men’s basketball and football, including Clemson football player Martin Jenkins.
In the O’Bannon case, Judge Wilken had …
Continue ReadingMoore & Bertuzzi Officially Reach an Agreement
The decade long legal battle between Todd Bertuzzi and former Colorado Avalanche player Steve Moore is officially at rest. After earlier reports of a potential settlement between Moore and Bertuzzi surfaced about two weeks ago, they were quickly undermined by Steve Moore’s brother, Mark, claiming the deal was a farce to pressure Steve into settling.
The allegations were finally ended on Thursday, however, when Steve Moore released an official statement leaving no suspicion or doubt: “the legal case for the loss of my NHL career …
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