Blogs

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 10 minutes ago
By Haley Lyons Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Entertainment Trump Assails Grammys and Threatens to Sue Trevor Noah Over Epstein Joke President Donald Trump described this year’s Grammys as “virtually unwatchable” and threatened to sue the host Trevor Noah over a joke that implied Trump had been to Jeffery Epstein’s island. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/arts/television/trump-grammys-trevor-noah.html Timothy Busfield Is Indicted on Charges of Child Sexual Abuse A grand jury in New Mexico voted to indict Timothy Busfield, longtime actor and director, on four counts of ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 7 days ago
By Giancarla Sambo Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Below, for your browsing convenience, the categories are divided into: Entertainment, Arts, Sports, Technology/Media, and General News: Entertainment Sundance Says Thank You, and Goodbye, to Park City “It’s hard not to feel a disturbance in the force,” said Ethan Hawke, whose acting career took off after his early movies appeared at the Utah festival in the 1990s. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/business/media/sundance-film-festival-park-city-boulder.html Ye Apologizes for Antisemitic Behavior, Again The artist formerly known as Kanye West, who first ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 14 days ago
By Jessie Schuster Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Entertainment Paramount Extends Deadline for Warner Bros. Discovery Shareholders to Back Hostile Bid; WBD Says Base has Already Snubbed “Inferior Scheme” Paramount extended its deadline for Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders to back its bid in attempts to give the media giant more time to oppose Warner Bros’ proposed merger with Netflix. https://deadline.com/2026/01/paramount-extends-deadline-warner-bros-discovery-netflix-1236692082/ Matthew McConaughey Trademarks ‘Alright, Alright, Alright!” and Other IP as Legal Protections Against ‘AI Misuse’ As part ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 21 days ago
By Christine Coleman Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Entertainment Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Hands Down Landmark Vetter v. Resnik Copyright Termination Decision — ‘No Explicit Geographical Limitation’ to U.S. Copyright Recaptures The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has handed down a landmark copyright ruling in Vetter v. Resnik , determining that U.S. copyright termination rights apply worldwide. https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2026/01/13/vetter-v-resnik-appeals-court-determination/ L.A. Reid Settles Lawsuit Shortly Before Sexual Assault Trial On the day when his civil trial was set to begin, ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 28 days ago
By Haley Lyons Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Entertainment Warner Bros. Board Rebuffs Paramount’s Latest Buyout Offer Warner Bros. Discovery advised shareholders to reject a takeover bid from Paramount, concluding that the deal posed greater risk than its recently announced $83 billion agreement to sell much of the company to Netflix. The board said that Paramount’s proposal, backed in part by a personal equity guarantee from billionaire Larry Ellison, relied heavily on debt and outside financing and carried regulatory and execution risks. The company also warned that Paramount’s proposed restrictions could limit the company’s ...

Climate Change Blog 61

By Carl Howard posted 01-05-2026
Facts on the Ground In early November, high waves spawned by Typhoon Fung-wong engulfed Sinbanali, a seaside village near the Philippine’s capital of Manila, prompting the evacuation of 1.3 million people . Ivy Villamor, a local resident, said “The winds howled, and the rains were non-stop. Like it was the end of the world.” The typhoon was classed as a super typhoon when it came ashore on the main island of Luzon. 132 villages were flooded, with some parts of Aurora Province cut off due to landslides. 1,000 homes were damaged by the storm and two people were killed which. The Philippines’ government deployed almost a thousand search-and-rescue teams to combat ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 12-22-2025
By Giancarla Sambo Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Below, for your browsing convenience, the categories are divided into: Entertainment, Arts, Sports, Technology/Media, and General News: Entertainment Reiners’ Son Arrested and Charged in Deaths of His Parents Nick Reiner was arrested in connection to the deaths of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, and was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He is on suicide watch and being held in solitary confinement. https://ew.com/rob-reiner-son-nick-suicide-watch-solitary-confinement-after-murder-charges-11873992 President Trump Seizes on Rob Reiner’s ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 12-15-2025
By Lorena Guzmán-Díaz Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Below, for your browsing convenience, the categories are divided into: Entertainment, Arts, Sports, Technology/Media, and General News. Entertainment Paramount Makes Hostile Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery Paramount has launched a hostile takeover attempt for Warner Bros. Discovery, valuing its offer at 30 per share, which totals around $108 billion, including debt. This move comes just days after Warner Bros. finalized a deal with Netflix worth $83 billion, which included major studio assets and was approved by both companies' boards. Paramount's bid circumvents Warner's ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 12-08-2025
By Jessie Schuster Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Entertainment As Netflix Swallows Warner Bros., Hollywood Is In Full-Blown Panic Mode Netflix’s $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. has triggered widespread panic across Hollywood, as industry insiders, unions, and movie‑theater owners warn it could lead to job losses, reduced creative variety, and the erosion of the theatrical film model. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/netflix-warner-bros-hollywood-panic Jorja Smith’s Label FAMM Seeks Share of Royalties From Viral Track ‘I Run’ Amid AI Allegations, Calls for Industry ‘Guardrails’ to ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 12-01-2025
By Celine Kiara Agard Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Entertainment UMG, SONY, and Warner Strike Licensing Deals with New AI Music Platform Klay Los Angeles-based music technology company KLAY Vision Inc. has secured AI licensing agreements with major music companies, including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group, along with their publishing arms. These deals allow KLAY to develop its AI music platform, powered by its Large Music Model trained entirely on licensed music, to create immersive, interactive listening experiences while protecting the rights of artists and songwriters. The company ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 11-24-2025
By Christine Coleman Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Entertainment Lubbock Will Remove Buddy Holly-Themed Crosswalk After Federal Crackdown The Buddy Holly themed crosswalks at an intersection in Lubbock, Texas will be removed as a result of the Trump administration’s crackdown on artistic displays on the nations roadways. In July, Transportation secretary Sean Duffy sent a letter to governors urging them to keep roads “free of distractions” as part of a roadway safety initiative and Texas state officials warned that state funding could be withheld if municipalities refused to remove artwork on their streets. Lubbock’s interim ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 11-17-2025
By Seth Nguyen Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Below, for your browsing convenience, the categories are divided into: Entertainment, Arts, Sports, Technology/Media, and General News. Entertainment The No. 1 Country Song in America Is AI-Generated AI-created country artist Breaking Rust hit No. 1 on Billboard’s digital chart with "Walk My Walk," marking a first for AI music. Experts warn about AI floods on streaming platforms that are challenging human artists. Spotify is introducing measures to manage AI’s growing role in music. https://www.newsweek.com/breaking-rust-ai-music-country-digital-sales-11022040 ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 11-10-2025
By Giancarla Sambo Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Below, for your browsing convenience, the categories are divided into: Entertainment, Arts, Sports, Technology/Media, and General News: Entertainment Cox Again Fires Back Against Label Claims Ahead of High-Stakes Supreme Court Argument, Insists It ‘Has No Fondness for Copyright Infringement’ Now less than a month since an argument before the Supreme Court, Cox Communications is once again firing back against the major labels in their high-stakes copyright infringement showdown. https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/11/07/cox-v-sony-music-supreme-court-case/ ...

EASL Blog

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 11-03-2025
The Week In Review is available at https://communities.nysba.org/blogs/elissa-hecker/2025/11/03/week-in-review

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 11-03-2025
By Lorena Guzmán-Díaz Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Below, for your browsing convenience, the categories are divided into: Entertainment, Arts, Sports, Technology/Media, and General News. Entertainment UMG and Udio Settle Lawsuit and Enter Licensing Agreement Universal Music Group (UMG) announced that it had settled its AI copyright infringement lawsuit against Udio. In addition to the compensatory legal settlement, the parties entered into license agreements for UMG’s recorded music and publishing catalogues. They will work on launching a new subscription service in 2026 for a generative AI technology trained on fully authorized ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 10-27-2025
By Jessie Schuster Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Entertainment Lizzo Sued for Alleged Copyright Violation in Unreleased Song Snippet Referencing Sydney Sweeny Jeans Ad The owner of the 1970s song “Win or Lose (We Tried)” by Sam Dees is suing Lizzo after her release of a 13 second snippet of a new song, alleging that the snippet included an unauthorized sample of the Dees song. The suit seeks an injunction to prevent further distribution. https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/lizzo-sued-for-alleged-copyright-violation-in-unreleased-song-snippet-referencing-sydney-sweeney-jeans-ad/ Sean Combs Will Appeal His Conviction ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 10-20-2025
By Celine Agard Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Entertainment Broadway Actors Reach Deal, but Musicians Still Threaten Strike Broadway’s Actors’ Equity Association reached a tentative three-year agreement with the Broadway League, securing health fund protections and progress on issues like scheduling and physical therapy access, though union members must still vote on ratification. The deal comes after the previous contract expired on Sept. 28 and negotiations had raised the threat of a strike. While actors and stage managers may now avoid labor disruption, the American Federation of Musicians Local 802 has yet ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 10-13-2025
By Christine Coleman Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Entertainment Judge Dismisses Drake’s Lawsuit Over Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Drake’s court battle with his own record label for releasing a diss track by Kendrick Lamar that accused him of pedophilia has met a premature end. Federal judge Jeannette A. Vargas in New York dismissed the defamation and harassment lawsuit brought by Drake, calling “Not Like Us” the “metaphorical killing blow” in “perhaps the most infamous rap battle in the genre’s history,” while ruling that its lyrics constituted “nonactionable opinion,” meaning that it could not be found as defamatory. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/arts/music/drake-kendrick-lamar-not-like-us-lawsuit-dismissed.html?searchResultPosition=1 ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 10-05-2025
By Seth Nguyen Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Below, for your browsing convenience, the categories are divided into: Entertainment, Arts, Sports, Technology/Media, and General News. Entertainment U.S. government set to side with Cox in court to overturn billion dollar damages judgement Not only is the government backing Cox Communications as it tries to overturn the billion dollar ruling in its long-running copyright battle with the major labels, but Solicitor General D. John Sauer now wants ten minutes to tell Supreme Court judges directly why they should side with the ISP. https://completemusicupdate.com/us-government-set-to-side-with-cox-in-court-to-overturn-billion-dollar-damages-judgement/ ...

Week In Review

By Elissa D. Hecker posted 09-29-2025
By Giancarla Sambo Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Below, for your browsing convenience, the categories are divided into: Entertainment, Arts, Sports, Technology/Media, and General News: Entertainment Disney Sued After Enforcing Rights to Mickey Mouse in the Public Domain The lawsuit seeks clarity around whether companies can exploit the earliest depiction of Mickey Mouse from a 1928 animated short. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/disney-sued-enforcing-rights-mickey-mouse-public-domain-1236378997/ Martin Shkreli Can Be Sued for Copying Unique Wu-Tang Clan Album, Judge Rules 'Pharma Bro' ...