November 20, 2001
MEDIA HAS NO RIGHT TO BROADCAST EXECUTION
Last June Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was executed. The execution was witnessed by reporters and members of the victim’s families. The execution was not transmitted over the Internet, however, despite the requests by several website operators to do so. Entertainment Network and Liveontheweb.com brought suit.
A federal court in Indiana has ruled that the plaintiffs had no right to record or broadcast an execution from within a prison. Entertainment Network, Inc. v. Lappin, 134 F. Supp. 2d 1002, 2001 U.S. Dist. Lexis 5035 (S. D. Ind. 2001).
Tuesday, November 20, 2001
Friday, November 16, 2001
SONY DENIED INJUNCTION IN REGARD TO ZORRO
November 16, 2001
SONY DENIED INJUNCTION IN REGARD TO ZORRO
Sony was denied its request for an injunction to stop distribution of the syndicated television program “Queen of Swords.” Sony had alleged that the program infringed its copyright and trademark rights to Zorro. Sony had recently produced and distributed the feature film “The Mask of Zorro,” starring Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Zorro is a fictional character originally created by pulp magazine writer Johnson McCulley. Movie rights were sold to Douglas Fairbanks Sr. who starred in a number of Zorro films including the silent film “The Mask of Zorro.” The copyrights to the original magazine story and the movie “The Mask of Zorro” have now expired.
Sony contended that the “Queen of Swords” TV program was similar to its “Mask of Zorro” film. The court disagreed, finding that the two were not similar in regard to the copyright protected aspects of Sony’s Zorro. The case illustrates how difficult it may be to prove infringement when another party creates material based on a public domain story or character. Sony Pictures Entertainment v. Fireworks Entertainment Group, 137 F. Supp. 2d 1177, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4549 (C.D. Cal. 2001).
FLICKER MEDIA
Congratulations to our client Flicker Media (www.FlickerMedia.com) on its new internet advertising campaign for Hallmark. Flicker Media provides a new concept in Internet advertising: a targeted streaming ad-delivery system with on-line content and hyperlinks. The company has created ad campaigns for skateboarding magazine Beyond Extreme, as well as for Speedo, Diesel and a “Free Tibet” spot.
You can see the Hallmark Stories Flicker, "Memories" on:
www.scrapbook.com (home page)www.marthastewart.com (all channels except home page)www.iparentingstories.com (home page)Law Offices of Mark Litwak & Associates (www.marklitwak.com)
SONY DENIED INJUNCTION IN REGARD TO ZORRO
Sony was denied its request for an injunction to stop distribution of the syndicated television program “Queen of Swords.” Sony had alleged that the program infringed its copyright and trademark rights to Zorro. Sony had recently produced and distributed the feature film “The Mask of Zorro,” starring Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Zorro is a fictional character originally created by pulp magazine writer Johnson McCulley. Movie rights were sold to Douglas Fairbanks Sr. who starred in a number of Zorro films including the silent film “The Mask of Zorro.” The copyrights to the original magazine story and the movie “The Mask of Zorro” have now expired.
Sony contended that the “Queen of Swords” TV program was similar to its “Mask of Zorro” film. The court disagreed, finding that the two were not similar in regard to the copyright protected aspects of Sony’s Zorro. The case illustrates how difficult it may be to prove infringement when another party creates material based on a public domain story or character. Sony Pictures Entertainment v. Fireworks Entertainment Group, 137 F. Supp. 2d 1177, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4549 (C.D. Cal. 2001).
FLICKER MEDIA
Congratulations to our client Flicker Media (www.FlickerMedia.com) on its new internet advertising campaign for Hallmark. Flicker Media provides a new concept in Internet advertising: a targeted streaming ad-delivery system with on-line content and hyperlinks. The company has created ad campaigns for skateboarding magazine Beyond Extreme, as well as for Speedo, Diesel and a “Free Tibet” spot.
You can see the Hallmark Stories Flicker, "Memories" on:
www.scrapbook.com (home page)www.marthastewart.com (all channels except home page)www.iparentingstories.com (home page)Law Offices of Mark Litwak & Associates (www.marklitwak.com)
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