—The 2008 election saw a number of issues involving copyright. On Thursday the 19th, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Luxe Hotel Bel Air, the Association's Intellectual Property Section will present a panel discussion on this topic. Lincoln Bandlow, Elena Muravina, and Ben Sheffner will cover:
- The use of copyrighted material in campaign ads and videos, and the fair use issues it raises.
- The use (and abuse) of the DMCA takedown process, and the McCain campaign's response to improper takedowns.
- Analysis of complaints by musicians about their songs being used at McCain rallies. Is getting an ASCAP/BMI license enough? Do musicians have a right of publicity or Lanham Act claim if a song they perform is used without their permission?
- Right of publicity issues. Could Paris Hilton and Britney Spears have sued John McCain for putting them in ads?
- Artist Shepard Fairey's lawsuit against the Associated Press regarding the "Obama Hope" poster.
- The Jackson Browne v. McCain lawsuit arising from the use of "Running On Empty" in a video by the Ohio Republican Party, which involves anti-SLAPP and 12(b)(6) fair use motions that Lincoln recently filed.
Valet parking will be available for $8. For complete information, visit the LACBA
calendar.
—More on Black Thursday: The
ABA Journal has
extensive coverage.
—Los Angeles City College student Jonathan Lopez has sued, claiming his speech professor called him a "fascist bastard" and refused to grade his speech in support of Proposition 8. The
LA Times,
Christianity Today, and the
Volokh Conspiracy have more.
—
Rough and Tumble continues its coverage of the California budget crisis, now with a Twitter feed.
—The Ninth Circuit has issued
United States v. Autery, a new ruling affecting
criminal sentencing.