EASL Is All Grown Up

Our symposium was given some great advertising, thanks to Michael McCann, one of the moderators of Sports Law Blog

Professor McCann, a professor at Mississippi College School of Law is one of the leading voices in the field of Sports Law, and we hope that he can attend our symposium as a speaker or moderator. We'd like to thank him for all of his help.

Here is the direct link to our shot-out.

Sports Law Symposium

SPORTS LAW SYMPOSIUM

"Legal Issues Facing the NBA In the Next Decade"

The Entertainment & Sports Law Society will be hosting the first annual Entertainment and Sports Law Symposium in Spring 2008. Our sports panel will be a general discussion on legal issues in the NBA including the following topics:
- The Globalization of the NBA and the growing influx of players from Asia, South America, and Europe
- The Potential of an NBA Division outside of the United States
- The Donaghy Fiasco: Is gambling a rampant problem among NBA officials? What can be done to remedy the situation?
- General State of the League. Is Commissioner Stern's dress code policy and technical foul policy good for the league's image?

Anyone interested in participating in the symposium as a panelist or moderator, or simply interested in attending this cant-miss event, please contact Andrew Smith at ansmith04@hotmail.com for further information.

How Much Would you Pay for Music?

Radiohead Album Price Tag: ‘It’s Up to You’
By Mike Nizza

How much would you pay for the next Radiohead album, “In Rainbow”? This is not a trick question: Your answer will be as binding as a dictator’s edict.

“IT’S UP TO YOU,” the rock band’s site informs customers pre-ordering the digital download, which will be available Oct. 10. Doubters get a second assurance: “NO REALLY. IT’S UP TO YOU.”

Read the rest of the Article here.

TV Censorship

Our Fall Symposium will discuss legal issues revolving around censorship on television and radio. Check out the following videos from the Emmys, Kathy Griffith's acceptance speech, and Sally Fields acceptance speech. Which one do you think was censored by Fox? The answer may surprise you.

Kathy Griffith Emmy Speech


Sally Field Emmy Speech (start watching one minute in)


And just because she wasn't censored by Fox, doesn't mean she might not be censored by E! during the rebroadcast. Read more here.

Thanks to one of our members for finding these videos.

$70 Million Lawsuit

One of our new members shared the following article; Dan Rather is suing CBS for $70 Million:

Rather’s Lawsuit Says CBS Made Him a ‘Scapegoat’

By JACQUES STEINBERG

Published: September 20, 2007

Dan Rather asserts that CBS violated his contract by giving him insufficient airtime on “60 Minutes.” Read the full NY Times Article here.

Red soled high-heel shoes...is a single color recognizable enough to identify a designer? If Mr. Louboutin gets his trademark on red soles, can we all run to trademark soles of different colors? We call dibs on black!

Read the full Vogue article here

Copyrighted Clothing?

Should copyright protection be extended to clothing? As fashion week descends on Bryant Park, the Council of Fashion Designers of America descends on DC, making it their number one priority to lobby Congress to extend copyright protection on clothing.

Before Models Can Turn Around, Knockoffs Fly

By ERIC WILSON

Published: September 4, 2007

Copying has become so pervasive it is now the No. 1 priority of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Whatever Happened to Napster?

Some of you may remember the early days of music downloading and the free-for-all technology that sparked the download revolution in music. As the Hollywood Reporter reports, four years of ongoing litigation between BMG and Bertelsmann AG has finally come to an end with a $130 million settlement... Full article here

Sign Here Please

What rights would you be willing to sign away if you (or in this case, your child) were a participant on a reality show? The Smoking Gun has the document that the parents signed before their children went on the air for the new CBS reality show "Kid Nation," coming later this fall. Check it out here: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0823071kidnation1.html

Copyright Law in the News...

An interesting article in the NY Times today, images of the new Harry Potter book circulating online. Brings up interesting issues of copyright law...

New Potter Book May Have Made Its Way to Web

By MOTOKO RICH

Published: July 18, 2007

What appear to be pages from the eagerly awaited final installment in the series have been circulating online.
Read the full article here.

Welcome

Welcome to the St. John's University School of Law Entertainment, Arts, Sports Law Society website and blog. Please contact us with any questions you may have about our organization and to join our mailing list.

The EASL Society is an organization dedicated to law students and alumni interested in taking a legal education into the industries involving Entertainment, the Arts, and Sports. Our goal is to provide resources and plan events that will allow law students to gain knowledge of career paths in these industries from people in the industries.

We will be hosting two symposiums, one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester. Attendees will be able to hear St. John's Law graduates and various other speakers involved in the industries discuss pertinent legal issues and share their career paths and experiences. We will also hold smaller events throughout the year for students to share their own experiences and to meet students and alumni interested in or working in the industry.

We look forward to seeing you at one of our events!