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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’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
Bryan Sullivan Examines ‘Nevermind’ Album Cover Lawsuit for The Hollywood Reporter, Forbes
Category: News, Press | Friday, August 27th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Examines ‘Nevermind’ Album Cover Lawsuit for The Hollywood Reporter, Forbes
Bryan Sullivan recently provided insight to The Hollywood Reporter and Forbes on the newly filed lawsuit against Nirvana over the cover of its 1991 album “Nevermind.” The lawsuit, filed by the man who appeared as an infant on the iconic album cover, alleges that the image violates federal child pornography statutes and amounts to exploitation material. In his article for Forbes entitled “Nirvana Suit Is Baseless, Frivolous, And An Insult To Victims Of Heinous Crimes,” Bryan analyzes the legal and factual frivolousness of the plaintiff’s claims and points to the photo’s failure to meet the U.S. Supreme Court’s three-prong test for obscenity. When asked for insight by THR, Bryan also explained that even in the remote possibility that the plaintiff’s parents did not sign a release authorizing the use of their son’s image, the lawsuit was still filed on shaky grounds.
“I think it is highly unlikely that a record company would use a photograph for an album cover without verifying the existence of a release signed by the parents,” Bryan told THR. “But, if there is no release, it does not mean he has a claim for child pornography. As to the right of privacy, you can waive it by your actions or by his parents’ actions in allowing him to be photographed.”
Bryan’s comments to THR and his piece in Forbes can be found below.
Devin McRae Speaks to IndieWire, TheWrap and Yahoo! Finance About Scarlett Johansson’s Groundbreaking Lawsuit Against Disney
Category: Press | Thursday, July 29th, 2021 | Comments Off on Devin McRae Speaks to IndieWire, TheWrap and Yahoo! Finance About Scarlett Johansson’s Groundbreaking Lawsuit Against Disney
In the latest example of how COVID-19 has dramatically altered the landscape of the entertainment industry, actress Scarlett Johansson has filed suit against Disney, alleging that the studio broke its contract with her (and drastically reduced her earnings potential) by releasing the Marvel Cinematic Universe film “Black Widow” on the Disney+ streaming platform the same day as it premiered in theaters.
Devin McRae spoke to several prominent media outlets about the lawsuit, shedding light on why Johansson’s case may have real merit and why it’s likely not going to be the only such suit of its kind. “It appears that she’s got a strong case of liability and the only kind of issue really appears to be her ability to prove damages,” Devin told TheWrap and IndieWire. Upon examining the details of the suit, including the existence of correspondence between Marvel and Johansson promising that the film would be widely theatrically released, Devin commented to Yahoo! Finance that the circumstances make Marvel look “pretty bad.”
“I think that we will see an immediate change in new deals,” remarked Devin. He continued to explain that moving forward, talent and producer contracts may be renegotiated to reflect hybrid release plans and to “work in protections for decisions like this.”
For more of Devin’s insight on the bombshell suit, read the articles below.
TheWrap (Subscribers only)
Bryan Sullivan’s Article “Donald Trump Sues Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, CEOs In Latest Social Media Battle” Published in Forbes
Category: News, Press | Thursday, July 8th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan’s Article “Donald Trump Sues Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, CEOs In Latest Social Media Battle” Published in Forbes
Bryan Sullivan’s article on former president Donald Trump’s class-action lawsuits against Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, and their CEOs, Jack Dorsey, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sundar Pichai, was published to Forbes on July 8, 2021. In the article, Bryan examines the details of Trump’s lawsuit targeting the tech and media companies, their protections under Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, and their subsequent ability to operate their businesses on their own terms. Bryan also highlights the potential outcomes of the case and what this could mean for Big Tech companies in the future.
The full article can be found below.
Donald Trump Sues Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, CEOs In Latest Social Media Battle.
Bryan Sullivan’s Article “Amazon, Netflix, And Major Hollywood Studios File Massive Suit Against Rogue Copyright Infringer Jason Tusa” Published In Forbes
Category: News, Press | Thursday, July 8th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan’s Article “Amazon, Netflix, And Major Hollywood Studios File Massive Suit Against Rogue Copyright Infringer Jason Tusa” Published In Forbes
In an article published by Forbes on July 8, 2021, Bryan Sullivan examines a new copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Amazon, Netflix, and studios including Warner Brothers, Universal, Sony, Columbia, Disney, and Paramount against serial copyright infringer Jason Tusa. In the article, Bryan details the complaint against Tusa, who, after the shutdown of illegal streaming platform Area 51, has allegedly rebranded three additional illegal streaming platforms despite prior litigation and agreements to cease infringing. In addition, Bryan highlights several other major copyright infringement lawsuits and discusses the possible outcomes of this most recent suit based on Tusa’s history and the demands of the plaintiffs.
The full article can be found below.
Deadline Covers Early Sullivan Client Enderby Entertainment’s Premiere of New Film on NFT Platform
Category: News, Press | Wednesday, July 7th, 2021 | Comments Off on Deadline Covers Early Sullivan Client Enderby Entertainment’s Premiere of New Film on NFT Platform
Bryan Sullivan recently represented Enderby Entertainment in a deal to premiere the film “No Contact,” starring Anthony Hopkins, on the new NFT (non-fungible token) platform Vuele this summer. The deal is being reported as possibly the first time a full-length feature film has been offered for sale as an NFT.
Vuele is a partnership between fintech firm CurrencyWorks and Enderby Entertainment. Vuele users can watch, trade or sell content using cryptocurrency or traditional credit cards, giving the platform an opportunity to usher in new and cutting-edge revenue streams for the film industry. “No Contact” will be available via several “drops” over the summer, each of which will feature additional exclusive content and vary in price point.
Read the full article here.
Devin McRae Quoted in Yahoo! Finance on the Future of Bill Cosby’s Sitcom Empire
Category: News, Press | Thursday, July 1st, 2021 | Comments Off on Devin McRae Quoted in Yahoo! Finance on the Future of Bill Cosby’s Sitcom Empire
Devin McRae spoke with Yahoo! Finance about the future of Bill Cosby’s television sitcom empire now that Pennsylvania’s highest court has overturned the comedian’s sexual assault conviction. In the article, entitled “Overturned Cosby conviction ‘far from an exoneration’ with $400M empire at stake,” Devin explains that Cosby’s contract likely makes him still eligible to receive royalty payments from his hit sitcoms should they be sold or broadcast.
“You typically wouldn’t have a forfeiture like that based on any morals clause,” says Devin. “If [the studio] wants to prevent him from profiting, they would simply not sell the show and just shelve it.”
Read the full article.
Eric D. Anderson Featured in Yahoo! News and Business Insider on Derek Chauvin Sentencing
Category: News, Press | Saturday, June 26th, 2021 | Comments Off on Eric D. Anderson Featured in Yahoo! News and Business Insider on Derek Chauvin Sentencing
Eric D. Anderson, the firm’s senior trial counsel, spoke to Yahoo! News and Business Insider about the sentencing of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. In the Yahoo! piece, Eric, a former prosecutor, gave his predictions about the June 25th sentencing hearing and offered an analysis on what aggravating factors might determine the sentencing length.
“He was in a position of authority,” Eric told Yahoo! News. “He was dealing with a victim who was particularly vulnerable, because at the time Mr. Floyd is handcuffed and he’s on the ground, surrounded by cops, he’s in their custody and care.”
In his interview with Business Insider, Eric expressed doubt that Chauvin’s 22.5-year sentence will lead to far-reaching accountability for police misconduct: “It is really hard for me to not see this as a blip because I’m not completely confident that as a society we are ready to hold officers accountable. Had it not been for the camera footage that was taken, this would have been swept under the rug like every other offense that Chauvin was involved in and he had a lengthy history of complaints about abuse.”
Read the Yahoo! News article.
Read the Business Insider article.
Bryan Sullivan Quoted in the Delaware Valley Journal on Potential Legal Issues of Post-Pandemic Worklife
Category: News, Press | Wednesday, June 16th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Quoted in the Delaware Valley Journal on Potential Legal Issues of Post-Pandemic Worklife
Bryan Sullivan was recently asked by Delaware Valley Journal to provide comment on the legal problems that could arise as employees return to the office post-pandemic, especially with a wave of workforce changes taking place. Bryan shared that while there’s nothing wrong with mandating employees return to the office, legal issues can occur depending on how companies implement their policies, including for new hybrid work models.
“The issue is, what if you have someone who isn’t good at remote work and how you deal with that,” says Bryan. He notes that new work from home policies could potentially yield, “…claims of discrimination, based on gender, ethnicity, or religion because they’re being treated differently from the other employees.”
Read the full article here.