I love the film community that is steadily growing in Mississippi. Thanks to the work by the Mississippi Film Office, there is a continuous stream of films (with a budget and well-known actors!) being filmed in and around the Magnolia state. This growth also leads to more opportunities for up and coming filmmakers, like my … Continue reading
Filed under Television …
NFL Parody or Copyright Infringement?
I am all about sharing ideas, borrowing from other concepts to create something new or winking at something inspirational to your own work. All of that is okay and is actually encouraged by the Copyright Act under the fair use defense, the idea of derivative works and the idea of transformative works. However, copying of copyrightable … Continue reading
Truth in Alcohol Advertising
A really fun part of my day job is I get the opportunity to review copy related to underwriting spots and promotional material. Broadcasting rules and regulations, like any area of the law, are forever evolving. As you can imagine, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission, for my non-broadcast readers) can be blamed for regulating a … Continue reading
How to Find & Hire an Intellectual Property Attorney
Each year the National Association of Broadcasters selects a small group of people to take part in their year-long Broadcast Leadership Training program. Participants travel to Washington D.C. one weekend a month for a year to learn the ins and outs of media management and ownership. Topics include everything from engineering to valuing properties to … Continue reading
Copyright Ideas Keep on Turning
The House of Saucier loves Saturday Night Live! We wait in anticipation about who is going to be the hosts, musical guests and the announcement of the new cast members each season. Even when the sketches are bad and miss the mark, they have an inherent goodness about them that allows society to laugh. But that … Continue reading
Top 5 Copyright & Trademark Stories of 2014 … So Far
Isn’t Fall such a reflective time? Mississippi is just barely starting to get a glimpse with sometimes cooler temperatures earlier in the morning. As we approach a new season, let’s revisit what has been the biggest copyright and trademark stories of 2014 … so far and according to what you all most read on Statute of RyAnne. … Continue reading
Case Study: Ad Agencies and Spec Spots
I love it when my readers write in with questions and blog ideas! Keep. Them. Coming. Today’s post centers around the world of marketing and ad agencies. Here is the scenario: Directors of Production and Motion Graphics people are all told when their reel is thin to do spec spots for various clients. So, a potential … Continue reading
Clothing Saved by the Copyright Bell
I’m going to admit it. I watched the The Unauthorized Saved by The Bell Story made-for-TV movie on Lifetime this past Sunday. [Raises hand] “Hi, I’m Ryanne, and I oftentimes will watch horrible mind-numbing television.” Don’t judge. We all have our guilty pleasures. Several hours before the premiere of the movie, the Hollywood Reporter released … Continue reading
Broadcasters can Breathe – A Victory Against Aereo
To perform or not perform – that was the question the Supreme Court hung its hat on in this week’s decision against technology startup Aereo. In a 6-3 decision on Wednesday, the United States Supreme Court concluded that Aereo did publicly perform. The majority of the opinion relied on the fact that the Court first … Continue reading
Words & Spelling Count in Copyright
Sometimes you read something so spot on that it must be shared. If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say they wanted to “trademark” their song or get a “copyright” on their business name or that they do not need to license a photograph because it is “fair use,” I would be … Continue reading
All I Am Saying is Give Girls a Chance
The screens were big. The stars were glamorous. The stories were outrageous. My childhood was a place where frogs could talk and sing, pixie dust could solve most any problem (including gravity) and if I could dream it, then I could do it. Before it was hip to instill self-esteem, my parents were leading the … Continue reading
The Beauty and the Beast of Copyright Law
If you have taken time to read my ABOUT section, then you know one of my favorite hobbies is watching Saturday Night Live. Some casts are better than others, some skits are more memorable than others and some characters are funnier than others. Regardless of the year, the American history and social norms it seems … Continue reading