Presentations
Media & Entertainment

"IP in Entertainment & Media," The State Bar of California, CLE, Los Angeles

By Sean M. Sullivan and James D. Nguyen
06.27.13
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Davis Wright Tremaine partners Jimmy Nguyen and Sean Sullivan will participate in The State Bar of California's, IP in Entertainment & Media CLE on June 27.

Sean Sullivan, also on the planning committee, moderated "Something Familiar, Something Peculiar: The Travails of Bringing Broadway to Film and Back." In one medium or another, motion pictures, live plays, and musicals provide entertainment for us all. But taking a successful production from one stage to another involves a host of IP issues. This entertaining session will cover some of the following IP issues that must be considered:

  • I Wanna Be a Producer: Why are the studios getting into the live stage business (525,600 titles) and what role do they take on? Licensor only or Rights Grantor & Producer?
  • Bit by Bit, Putting it Together: What IP issues arise when taking a film to the stage? What is the source material? Are anyone else’s rights needed?
  • Everything's Coming Up Grosses: The success or failure of a live stage production can lead to other IP issues in the (sub) rights (stock, amateur, commercial use products, etc.)
  • The Circle of Life: Bringing a popular film-based stage production back to the screen. Should it be done and if so, how, and when?

Jimmy Nguyen also presented "Socially Interactive: IP and Digital Privacy Issues With Social Media." Social media provide powerful platforms to deliver entertainment content and information to consumers, but have also triggered a wave of IP and privacy risks. This dynamic session covered some cutting edge IP and digital privacy issues that arise when companies use social media to engage consumers:

  • Social game and app cloning -- copyright infringement cases
  • Social media apps -- issues with DMCA safe harbor qualification
  • Ownership of employee social media accounts -- trade secret and Lanham Act issues
  • Social media marketing campaigns -- right of publicity issues
  • Digital privacy issues with social media, mobile apps, and online video services

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