Blog Posts
Celebrities, the Super Bowl, and Cryptocurrency
Mar. 2, 2022—By Tyler Murry In February, millions worldwide gathered for, what seems like a yearly holiday, the Super Bowl. Many more also tuned in to see Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and more perform during the halftime show. However, viewers likely could not have expected cryptocurrency to steal the television advertisement spotlight.[1] Celebrities such as Larry...
Antitrust Review of Recent Gaming Industry M&A Activity
Feb. 15, 2022—By Hank Strohm The video-game industry is facing a rapid wave of M&A activity as major competitors attempt to consolidate with smaller players and vertically integrate within the industry.[1] Since the start of 2022 the industry has already seen the largest acquisition in video-game history with Microsoft’s planned $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, as...
Checkmate? Chess World Champion Nona Gaprindashvili Takes on Her Biggest Opponent Yet
Feb. 15, 2022—By Lauren Bitter Released in October of 2020, The Queen’s Gambit shattered Netflix records when it became the most-watched scripted limited series on the streaming platform, with approximately sixty-two million members watching in the first twenty-eight days following its release [1]. Adapted from the 1983 fiction novel by Walter Tevis, the Netflix limited series follows...
Are Apple’s New AirTags More Problematic Than They Are Helpful?
Feb. 15, 2022—By Kristen Smith The AirTag was released as Apple’s newest product in April 2021. The purpose of the device is to act as a key finder that helps people find personal objects—such as car keys, wallets, and luggage. The AirTag technology works by sending out a Bluetooth signal, which shows the location of the AirTag,...
It’s My Tractor and I Need It Now: State of Current Right to Repair Legislation
Feb. 15, 2022—By Brandon Calderón Advocates for right to repair legislation argue for one simple principle: if you own something, you should be able to repair that device yourself or choose whichever repair technician of your choice, rather than be forced to purchase an entirely new device.[1] Practically speaking, many Americans are without the means to service...
Emily Ratajkowski v. The Paparazzi: A Look at Requirements for Originality
Feb. 15, 2022—By Emmy Jewell With the recent attention on the Free Britney movement, the detrimental impact pervasive paparazzi attention on celebrities has gained attention and criticism. The paparazzi takes photos of celebrities doing mundane tasks just so they can be sold to the highest bidders – all in pursuit of selling magazines and news articles. However,...
Dodging a Bullet: Where does Legal Liability Lie with the “Rust” Shooting?
Feb. 15, 2022—By Alex Bernard In October of last year, Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun, a task not unusual to action film stars. What followed, however, was entirely out of the ordinary—the gun, which an assistant director announced was “cold,” actually fired and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchens and wounded director Joel Souza. The incident has spurred controversy...
Show Me the Money?: No Liability for Major Talent Agency After Live Music Covid Cancellations
Feb. 15, 2022—By Harrison Halberg When the pandemic turned the world upside down, no industry was hit as hard as the live music industry. All shows were cancelled, and the industry is only now starting to slowly recover. In consideration of the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, it was unclear who would bear the burden of these...
Who is Liable for the Astroworld Tragedy?
Feb. 15, 2022—By Dean DiBello Rapper Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival left eight fans dead and dozens severely injured after the crowd surged toward the stage during Scott’s performance. While Astroworld undoubtedly ended in tragedy, it was not an entirely surprising result given Scott’s history of inciting crowds. This fact, among others, might inform the ultimate civil and...
Can the EU’s Digital Services Act Provide a Roadmap to Modifying Section 230?
Feb. 15, 2022—By Tifenn Drouaud As the “primary statute governing hosting of user-generated content online,”[1] Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act of 1996[2] has shaped the Internet as we know it. In response to a 1995 New York state court decision ruling that platforms who policed their users were legally liable for harmful content found on...