Annual Conference Information

Panel Topics

1. Hollywood and the Supreme Court

   The Supreme Court has received massive media coverage recently due to pending cases involving civil rights, the Court’s potential role in impeachment proceedings, and questions about the politicization of the Court itself. But there have also been several cases before the Supreme Court that could have a significant impact on the entertainment industry.

   In this marquee session, we will explore a number of recent and upcoming cases that could affect the production and distribution of entertainment content, including Allen v. Cooper (whether state governments have sovereign immunity to copyright claims), Comcast Corp. v. Nat’l Assn. of African American-Owned Media (racial discrimination claim against Comcast over channel selection), Iancu v. Brunetti (prohibition on federal registration of immoral or scandalous trademarks), and more.

   Moderator: Professor RonNell Andersen Jones, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law

   • J. Mira Hashmall, Miller Barondess LLP, counsel for the National Association of African American-Owned Media in Comcast v. NAAAOM
   • Max Rosen, Munger Tolles & Olsen LLP, counsel for the RIAA in Allen v Cooper
   • John R. Sommer, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, Stussy Inc., counsel for Erik Brunetti in Iancu v. Brunetti
   • Jessica Stebbins Bina, Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for former government officials and staff in Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc
2. Life Rights in the U.S. and Abroad

   Are clearances from the subject of biopics and docudramas legally required, or a matter of practicality? Do non-disclosure agreements and arbitration clauses executed by relevant parties affect production, and how do those affect a filmmaker’s own free speech rights?  How do these considerations change when dealing with foreign citizens or international distribution? This session will discuss recent cases involving these questions and provide practical guidance on navigating life rights.

   Moderator: Jean-Paul Jassy, Jassy Vick Carolan LLP

   • Pat Duncan, SVP, Legal Affairs, West Coast Programming, Home Box Office
   • Lisa Kohn, Senior Counsel, Content & Production Risk, NBCUniversal
   • Aaron J. Moss, Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP, counsel for Univision in Jenni Rivera Enterprises v. Univision Communications
   • Natalie Rodriguez, VP & Associate General Counsel, Warner Bros. Pictures
   • Mark Roesler, CEO, CMG Worldwide, expert in celebrity marketing, licensing, and clearances
3. Social Media in Crisis

   Online platforms are a powerful tool for studios and creatives to share and promote their work, and to connect with their audiences and one another. But social media companies are facing greater public and governmental pressure than ever before, whipsawed between those who argue that their free speech rights are being violated by biased or capricious moderation systems and those who are concerned about platforms’ apparent inability to shut down hate and incitement to violence on their sites.

   How would modification of key laws like Section 230 affect the utility of social media for the entertainment industry? What side, if any, is the industry taking in this battle? How do the eagerness of the California government to regulate online activity, the special contours of California free speech law, and the Ninth  Circuit’s unique role in judging internet-related disputes affect these issues?

   Moderator:  Jeffrey P. Hermes, Deputy Director, Media Law Resource Center

   • Rick Lane, CEO of IGGY Ventures LLC , formerly SVP of Government Affairs, 21st Century Fox
   • Gloria Franke Shaw, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, counsel for entertainment clients in litigation over IP on digital platforms
   • Rochelle L. Wilcox, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, counsel for DoubleVerify in FilmOn.com v. DoubleVerify
   • Brian M. Willen, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, counsel for Google in Prager University v. Google LLC
4. Shifting Media Landscape

   In recent years we have seen massive structural changes in how content is developed and distributed, with the proliferation of streaming services (and the concomitant division of content into a multitude of branded silos), significant media consolidation deals (including Viacom/CBS, Gannett/Gatehouse, AT&T/ Time Warner, and more), and the fracturing of long-standing norms and relationships (such as the eruption of lawsuits between the Writers Guild of America and the major talent agencies). This session will sort out the major developments and discuss the intellectual property, contractual, and other legal issues affecting those attempting to keep their footing on shifting ground.

   Moderator:  David Aronoff, Fox Rothschild LLP

   • Ken Basin, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Affairs, Paramount Television
   • Bill Bromiley, President, Saban Films
   • Jonathan L. Handel, TroyGould, Contributing editor for The Hollywood Reporter
   • Peter Martin Nelson, Nelson Davis LLP, transactional attorney for celebrity clients

   • Lisa Schwartz, VP, Distribution and Music Counsel, A+E Networks

1. Speakers

   David Aronoff Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP	Ken Basin Executive Vice President & Head of Business Affairs, Paramount Television
   Bill Bromiley President, Saban Films	Pat Duncan SVP, Legal Affairs, West Coast Programming, Home Box Office
   Jonathan L. Handel Attorney, TroyGould Contributing editor, The Hollywood Reporter	J. Mira Hashmall Partner, Miller Barondess LLP
   Jeffrey P. Hermes   Deputy Director, Media Law Resource Center	Jean-Paul Jassy Partner, Jassy Vick Carolan LLP
   RonNell Andersen Jones Professor, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law	Lisa Kohn Senior Counsel, Content & Production Risk, NBCUniversal
   Rick Lane CEO, IGGY Ventures LLC  Former SVP of Government Affairs, 21st Century Fox	Aaron J. Moss Partner, Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP
   Peter Martin Nelson  Nelson Davis LLP	Natalie Rodriguez  VP & Associate General Counsel, Warner Bros. Pictures
   Mark Roesler  CEO, CMG Worldwide	Max Rosen Associate, Munger Tolles & Olsen LLP
   Lisa Schwartz VP, Distribution and Music Counsel, A+E Networks	Gloria Franke Shaw Partner, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
   John R. Sommer  Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, Stussy, Inc.	Jessica Stebbins Bina Partner, Latham & Watkins LLP
   Rochelle L. Wilcox Partner, Vice-Chair, Appellate Litigation Practice Davis Wright Tremaine LLP	Brian M. Willen Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

2. Schedule

   1:00 - 1:45 p.m.   Check-In

   1:45 - 1:55 p.m.   Welcome and Introductions

   1:55 - 3:15 p.m.   Hollywood and the Supreme Court

   3:15 - 3:30 p.m.   Break

   3:30 - 4:30 p.m.   Life Rights in the U.S. and Abroad

   4:30 - 4:45 p.m.   Break

   4:45 - 5:45 p.m.   Social Media in Crisis

   5:45 - 6:00 p.m.   Break

   6:00 - 7:00 p.m.   Making Sense of a Shifting Media Landscape

   7:00 - 8:00 p.m.   Catered Reception

3. Materials

    

   Hollywood and the Supreme Court

   • Iancu v. Brunetti
     1. Petitioner’s Brief
     2. Respondent’s Brief
     3. Amicus Brief of Simon Tam
     4. Petitioner’s Reply
     5. Transcript of Oral Argument
     6. Opinion
     7. Eriq Gardner, Will It Soon Be Legal to Say Curse Words on Broadcast Television? (Apr. 15, 2019), Hollywood Reporter
   • Comcast v. Nat’l Assn. of African-American Owned Media
     1. Petitioner’s Brief
     2. Respondent’s Brief
     3. Petitioner’s Reply
     4. Transcript of Oral Argument
     5. Eriq Gardner, Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Cable TV Bias Dispute (June 10, 2019), Hollywood Reporter
   • Allen v. Cooper
     1. Petitioner’s Brief
     2. Amicus Brief of Recording Industry Association of America
     3. Respondent’s Brief
     4. Petitioner’s Reply
     5. Transcript of Oral Argument
     6. Eriq Gardner, Supreme Court Agrees to Review Filmmaker's Copyright Lawsuit Against North Carolina (June 3, 2019), Hollywood Reporter
   • Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org
     1. Petitioner’s Brief
     2. Respondent’s Brief
     3. Amicus Brief of Current and Former Government Officials
     4. Amicus Brief of Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
     5. Petitioner’s Reply
     6. Transcript of Oral Argument
     7. Mark Walsh, Open Access: SCOTUS will consider whether publishers can copyright annotated state codes (Nov. 27, 2019), ABA Journal

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   Life Rights in the U.S. and Abroad

   1. Jenni Rivera's Life Story At Issue In Lawsuit (May 31, 2019), Forbes
   2. Jenni Rivera Enterprises, LLC v. Latin World Entertainment Holdings, Inc., 36 Cal. App. 5th 766 (2019)
   3. Eriq Gardner, Netflix Finally Beats Journalist's Copyright Suit Over 'Narcos' (Nov. 8, 2019), Hollywood Reporter
   4. Order on Motion to Dismiss, Vallejo v. Narcos Productions, No. 1:18-cv-23462 (S.D. Fla. May 24, 2019)
   5. Order Granting Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment, Vallejo v. Narcos Productions, No. 1:18-cv-23462 (S.D. Fla. Nov. 8, 2019)
   6. Ashley Cullins, FX Wins Appellate Court 'Feud' With Olivia de Havilland (Mar. 26, 2018), Hollywood Reporter
   7. De Havilland v. FX Networks, LLC, 21 Cal. App. 5th 845 (2018)
   8. Scott Alan Burroughs, Injunction’s Gone: Lynyrd Skynyrd Film Gets Second Circuit Greenlight Despite Blood Oath (Oct. 17, 2018), Above The Law
   9. Ronnie Van Zant, Inc. v. Cleopatra Records, Inc., 906 F.3d 253 (2nd Cir. 2018)
   10. Nathan Solis, Judge Overturns $128 Million Award in ‘Bones’herme Dispute (May 3, 2019), Courthouse News Service
   11. Jacob Shamsian, Netflix is paying for the rights to fake heiress Anna Delvey's life story (Apr. 16, 2019), Insider
   12. Mark Litwak, Purchasing Life Story Rights, Entertainment Law Resources
   13. Diane Krausz, Whose Life is it Anyway? Clearance of Life Story Rights in Film (Sep. 8, 2010), The Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Blog
   14. Richard B. Jefferson, Do Documentary Producers Need To Acquire Life Story Rights? (Aug. 13, 2019), Lawyers Rock
   15. Eric Goldman, The True Story About Life Story Rights, UpCounsel Blog
   16. Melissa Fish, Life Story Rights in the United Kingdom (Sep. 9, 2013), Fieldfisher
   17. Eduardo Soares, Brazil: Federal Supreme Court Authorizes Unauthorized Biographies (June 17, 2015), Library of Congress
   18. Brazil overturns 'ban' on unauthorised biographies (June 11, 2015), BBC News

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   Social Media in Crisis

   1. Ted Johnson, MPAA Chairman Charles Rivkin: Internet Platforms ‘Must Bear Responsibility’ (Aug. 20, 2018), Variety
   2. Comments of the Motion Picture Association of America, In re International Internet Policy Priorities, Docket No. 180124068-8068-01 (July 17, 2018), National Telecommunications and Information Administration
   3. Ted Johnson, 21st Century Fox Backs Sex Trafficking Bill Opposed by Major Internet Firms (Sept. 13, 2017), Variety
   4. Letter from Richard M. Bates, SVP Government Relations, Walt Disney Company, to Senators Rob Portman and Richard Blumenthal in Support of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017 (Sept. 18, 2017)
   5. Joe Mullin, How FOSTA Could Give Hollywood the Filters It's Long Wanted (Mar. 16, 2018), Electronic Frontier Foundation
   6. Prager University v. Google LLC, No. 17-CV-06064 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 26, 2018)
   7. Video Recording of Oral Argument, Prager University v. Google LLC, 18-15712 (9th Cir. Aug. 27, 2019)
   8. Eriq Gardner, PragerU Headed to New Legal Defeat Over "Censorship" of Conservatives on YouTube (Oct. 25, 2019), Hollywood Reporter
   9. Prager University v. Google LLC, No. 19-cv-340667 (Cal. Super. Oct. 25, 2019)
   10. Jeff Hermes, Platforms as Public Forums (Sept. 2018), Media Law Resource Center
   11. Jeff Hermes, Supreme Court Holds Public Access Channel Operator Not a State Actor (June 2019), MLRC MediaLawLetter
   12. Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck, 139 S.Ct. 1921 (2019)
   13. Jeff Hermes, Let’s Get Metaphysical: Second Circuit Defines Public Fora in Digital Space (July 2019), MLRC MediaLawLetter
   14. Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University v. Trump, 928 F.3d 226 (2nd Cir. 2019)
   15. John Samples, Why the Government Should Not Regulate Content Moderation of Social Media (Apr. 9, 2019), Cato Institute
   16. Jameel Jaffer, Facebook and Free Speech Are Different Things (Oct. 24, 2019), Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University
   17. David L. Hudson, Jr., Free speech or censorship? Social media litigation is a hot legal battleground (Apr. 1, 2019), ABA Journal
   18. FilmOn.com Inc. v. DoubleVerify Inc., No. S244157 (Cal. 2019)
   19. FilmOn.com v. DoubleVerify, Inc., 13 Cal. App. 5th 707 (2017)
   20. Sara Fischer, Digital ad industry commits to major overhaul (June 18, 2019), Axios
   21. Suzanne Vranica, ‘Shooting,’ ‘Bomb,’ ‘Trump’: Advertisers Blacklist News Stories Online (Aug. 15, 2019)
   22. Megan Graham, Facebook launches new safety tools for advertisers as criticism continues over false political ads (Nov. 20, 2019), CNBC
   23. Greg Starling, Survey: 90% of consumers tell brands to stay away from extreme, offensive content (Aug. 13, 2019), Marketing Land
   24. Jessica Goodfellow, Twitter calls for 'collective effort' to tackle brand safety (June 4, 2019), Campaign
   25. Ashley Cullins, Has This Man Sued You? A "Copyright Troll" Takes on Hollywood (Apr. 6, 2018), Hollywood Reporter
   26. Justin Peters, Why Every Media Company Fears Richard Liebowitz (May 24, 2018), Slate
   27. Eric Goldman, “Copyright Troll” Lawyer Gets Sanctioned (Again) (Oct. 2, 2019), Technology & Marketing Law Blog
   28. Thomas R. Burke, Kelli L. Sager, Rochelle L. Wilcox, and Nicolette Vairo, California Supreme Court Limits Anti-SLAPP Protection for Speech in a Commercial Setting; Courts Must Consider a Challenged Statement’s Context Under Section 425.16, subdivision (e)(4) (May 8, 2019), Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
   29. Thomas R. Burke, Rochelle L. Wilcox, and Ambika Kumar Doran, California Supreme Court Affirms Broad Section 230 Immunity (Jul. 3, 2018), Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
   30. K.C. Halm, Ambika Kumar Doran, Jonathan Segal, and Caesar Kalinowski IV, Two New California Laws Tackle Deepfake Videos in Politics and Porn (Oct. 14, 2019), Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
   31. Enigma Software Group USA, LLC v. Malwarebytes, Inc. Amicus Brief of Internet Association
   32. Enigma Software Group USA v. Malwarebytes, No. 17-17351 (9^th Cir. Dec. 31, 2019)
   33. Prager University v. Google LLC Order After Hearing
   34. Gregory Mango v. Democracy Now! Productions, Inc. 
   35. Shoshana Roberts v. Rob Bliss, Rob Bliss Creative, LLC, and TGI Friday's Inc., Order & Opinion

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   Shifting Media Landscape

   1. Ken Basin, The Business of Television – Excerpts (Intro, Chapter 1, Conclusion) (Routledge 2018)
   2. Rani Molla and Peter Kafka, Here’s who owns everything in Big Media today (June 18, 2019), Vox
   3. Jon Lafayette, Streaming War Joined as Disney+ Officially Launches (Nov. 12, 2019), Broadcasting & Cable
   4. Lucas Shaw, What the Streaming Wars Mean for the Future of TV (Dec. 2, 2019), Washington Post
   5. Jonathan Handel, Streaming TV's Ratings "Black Box" Could Lead to Hollywood Guild War (Nov. 13, 2019), Hollywood Reporter
   6. David Sims, Trump’s Justice Department Wants to Change the Movie Industry (Nov. 20, 2019), The Atlantic
   7. Complaint, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC v. Writers Guild of America, West, Inc., No. 2:19-cv-5465 (C.D. Cal. Jun. 24, 2019)
   8. Answer and Counterclaims, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC v. Writers Guild of America, West, Inc., No. 2:19-cv-5465 (C.D. Cal. Aug. 19, 2019)
   9. Complaint, United Talent Agency, LLC v. Writers Guild of America, West, Inc., No. 2:19-cv-5585 (C.D. Cal. Jun. 27, 2019)
   10. Answer and Counterclaims, United Talent Agency, LLC v. Writers Guild of America, West, Inc., No. 2:19-cv-5585 (C.D. Cal. Aug. 19, 2019)
   11. Complaint, Creative Artists Agency, LLC v. Writers Guild of America, West, Inc., No. 2:19-cv-5701 (C.D. Cal. Jul. 1, 2019)
   12. Answer and Counterclaims, Creative Artists Agency, LLC v. Writers Guild of America, West, Inc., No. 2:19-cv-5701 (C.D. Cal. Aug. 19, 2019)
   13. Jonathan Handel, Where the Writers Guild Stands in Its Legal War With Agencies (Oct. 30, 2019), Hollywood Reporter
   14. Eriq Gardner, Trump's DOJ Picks Side in Hollywood's Writers-Agents War (Nov. 26, 2019), Hollywood Reporter
   15. Jon Lafayette, CBS-Viacom Merger Set to Close Dec. 4 (Nov. 25, 2019), Broadcasting & Cable
   16. Jon Lafayette, Launch Streamers or ‘Sell Arms’? ViacomCBS Answer Is: Do Both (Nov. 25, 2019), Broadcasting & Cable