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Bryan Sullivan Speaks to Courthouse News About Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over Netflix Film “#Alive”
Category: Press | Monday, December 6th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Speaks to Courthouse News About Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over Netflix Film “#Alive”
Courthouse News reporter Edvard Pettersson spoke with Bryan Sullivan about a new lawsuit involving the 2020 Netflix film “#Alive,” an English-language dubbed version of a hit South Korean zombie thriller. The suit alleges that in making and releasing “#Alive,” Netflix infringed on the exclusive rights of Hollywood Innovation Group, a Korean producer, to make non-Korean language versions of the film. The suit also claims that the release of “#Alive” exhausted the market for Hollywood Innovation Group’s English-language version of the film, “Alone.”
When considering this novel copyright issue, Bryan notes that results of the lawsuit could depend on the exact wording used in the agreement between Hollywood Innovation Group and the author of the screenplay, and suggests that successfully claiming copyright infringement may be difficult. “Under copyright law, I don’t know if there are cases where just pure, straight dubbing is considered infringement,” says Bryan.
Read the full article below.
Netflix’s dubbed ‘#Alive’ draws lawsuit from makers of English-language version
Bryan Sullivan Examines Astroworld Liability For Travis Scott and Others In Forbes and Yahoo! Finance
Category: Press, Publications | Friday, November 19th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Examines Astroworld Liability For Travis Scott and Others In Forbes and Yahoo! Finance
In a recent article for Forbes entitled “Astroworld’s Legal Fallout: What’s At Risk For Travis Scott And Live Nation?” Bryan Sullivan examines the liability of Scott, Drake, Live Nation Entertainment Inc., and other defendants after the Astroworld tragedy. With a look at the legal outcome of similar incidents, Bryan explains that grounds for liability for Scott or Drake would depend on if they encouraged violent behavior from the crowds.
Bryan spoke with Yahoo! Finance further about Travis Scott’s liability following the incident, telling reporter Alexandra Canal that “The law requires him to engage in specific conduct that incited the incidents…What did he do at Astroworld that night? That’s the question the courts will be asking.”
The full article in Forbes and Bryan’s comments in Yahoo! Finance can be found below.
Early Sullivan Named a 2022 “Best Law Firm” by U.S. News & World Report
Category: Awards, News | Thursday, November 4th, 2021 | Comments Off on Early Sullivan Named a 2022 “Best Law Firm” by U.S. News & World Report
Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae has been named a 2022 “Best Law Firm” by the prestigious ranking guide U.S. News & World Report. The firm received national and metropolitan rankings in the practice areas of “Entertainment Law – Music, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures & Television, Litigation – Real Estate, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Transactions / UCC Law, Environmental Law, and Litigation – Environmental.”
The “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.
Bryan Sullivan Examines Who Could Be Held Legally Responsible for ‘Rust’ Shooting in Article Published by Forbes
Category: News, Press | Friday, October 29th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Examines Who Could Be Held Legally Responsible for ‘Rust’ Shooting in Article Published by Forbes
In an article recently published by Forbes, Bryan Sullivan sheds light on who could be held liable for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and the injuries sustained by director Joel Souza after the accidental shooting that took place on the set of the film ‘Rust’ on October 21, 2021.
“…It is clear that if the key decision-making producers did cut safety protocols or knowingly hired unqualified personnel or personnel with a history of problems, those producers may face liability. If Baldwin was among these decision-makers, then he may face liability as well,” explains Bryan in the article. He continues on to note that, “further investigation is also needed to look into whether the claims of unsafe working conditions were a contributing factor the shooting,” highlighting parallels between recent negative attention the film industry has drawn due to lack of regard for crew safety and the reported conditions allegedly endured by those on the set of ‘Rust.’
For more of Bryan’s commentary and insight into whether this tragedy will bring about meaningful change in Hollywood, read the full article below.
‘Rust’ Shooting – Who Could Be Held Legally Responsible And Why?
Early Sullivan Prevails in Jury Trial Regarding Restaurant Sale
Category: Results | Thursday, October 28th, 2021 | Comments Off on Early Sullivan Prevails in Jury Trial Regarding Restaurant Sale
Scott Gizer obtained a unanimous verdict in favor of Early Sullivan client Dion Rottman following a two-week jury trial in Los Angeles. The lawsuit arose out of the sale of a West Hollywood restaurant by defendant Michael Kesler to Mr. Rottman. It was alleged that Mr. Kesler failed to disclose a restriction that affected the ability to operate a restaurant at the location at issue, resulting in a loss of value for the restaurant. Mr. Kesler denied knowing about the restriction, but Scott was able to convince the jury otherwise, and as a result, Mr. Rottman was awarded full damages for the lost value.
Bryan Sullivan’s “Cher Claims ‘I Got You Babe,’ Sues Mary Bono For Share Of Royalties” Published in Forbes
Category: News, Press | Tuesday, October 19th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan’s “Cher Claims ‘I Got You Babe,’ Sues Mary Bono For Share Of Royalties” Published in Forbes
In an article published by Forbes, Bryan Sullivan examines the issues in a legal battle between Cher, Mary Bono (Sonny Bono’s widow), and the late singer’s Estate. In the piece, Bryan dissects Cher’s lawsuit against Mary Bono and The Estate, questions Sonny and Cher’s 1978 Marriage Settlement Agreement, and ponders Cher’s case to keep her future royalties from songs she and Sonny Bono created as Sonny and Cher. Bryan explains the lawsuit has as much to do with the terms of the 1978 Marriage Settlement Agreement as it does with the Copyright Act and whether Sonny and Cher, individually or as a duo, have cause to reclaim their publishing rights.
The full article can be found below.
Cher Claims ‘I Got You Babe,’ Sues Mary Bono For Share Of Royalties
Bryan Sullivan Reps AJ Mendez in ViacomCBS/Women of Wrestling Distribution Deal
Category: News, Results | Thursday, October 14th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Reps AJ Mendez in ViacomCBS/Women of Wrestling Distribution Deal
ViacomCBS has signed an exclusive multi-year distribution deal with WOW – Women of Wrestling that will provide the women’s wrestling league with distribution opportunities across the U.S. and abroad. ViacomCBS plans to air past seasons of WOW on its CW Seed and Pluto TV platforms beginning in December of 2021, with new episodes launching in weekend syndication later in 2022.
As part of the deal, former WWE Champion AJ Mendez, represented by Bryan Sullivan, will provide commentary during each broadcast. She will also serve as an executive producer. Mendez is the author of Crazy Is My Superpower and is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee.
Read more about the deal in The Hollywood Reporter.
Early Sullivan Secures Major Victory for Shannen Doherty in Woolsey Fire Case
Category: News, Results | Tuesday, October 5th, 2021 | Comments Off on Early Sullivan Secures Major Victory for Shannen Doherty in Woolsey Fire Case
Early Sullivan scored a major victory for client Shannen Doherty in a lawsuit filed against State Farm insurance company, which refused to pay for repairs, following the 2018 Woolsey fire, under a policy on Ms. Doherty’s Malibu home. After an intense legal battle during which Doherty revealed that she had stage 4 terminal cancer, a federal jury in Los Angeles awarded Doherty $6.3 million to cover damages to her home and personal property, emotional distress, and attorneys’ fees. Lead trial counsel Devin McRae and partners Peter Scott and Lisa Boswell tried the case, with support from associate Cory Ray.
After the trial, Devin commented: “We thank the members of the jury for their thoughtful consideration of Shannen’s case.” He continued, “We are happy they saw the case the way we do. This should send a message to State Farm and other institutions that they should not forget they are dealing with human beings.”
Hundreds of outlets covered the victory including The Associated Press, TMZ, and RadarOnline.
Bryan Sullivan’s Article “Disney Fights For Rights To Popular Marvel Characters” Published in Forbes
Category: Press | Friday, October 1st, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan’s Article “Disney Fights For Rights To Popular Marvel Characters” Published in Forbes
In an article published by Forbes on October 1, 2021, Bryan Sullivan examines the copyright issues at stake in the latest legal battle between Marvel Studios’ owner, The Walt Disney Company, and the co-creators of several popular Marvel characters. In the article, Bryan details whether these creators can retrieve full return of the copyright rights to the characters they helped to create. In this high-stakes litigation, Bryan believes that if the creators obtain the right to terminate the copyright transfers, it would not only cost Disney billions of dollars but could change how comic creators operate in what have become multi-billion properties.
The full article can be found below.
Disney Fights For Rights To Popular Marvel Characters
Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae Named in Benchmark Litigation’s 2022 Guide
Category: Awards, News | Thursday, September 30th, 2021 | Comments Off on Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae Named in Benchmark Litigation’s 2022 Guide
Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae has been named a top entertainment law firm for 2022 by prestigious ranking guide Benchmark Litigation. Each year, Benchmark Litigation selectively honors top law firms in California doing cutting-edge work in their fields and making an impact on the legal profession. Extensive editorial research is administered through interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists, and their clients to identify the very best litigators and firms.
Click to view the full rankings on the Benchmark Litigation website.