Welcome back to the Spotlight! Those of you who stopped by last week may recall my lamentations about writer’s block and musing whether I would be better off giving the reins to ChatGPT or some other artificial intelligence program. But this, my friends, is a different week – as I have been fortuitously gifted with a gem of a topic that practically writes itself. I am of course talking about the fact that BMG Rights Management, the copyright administrator for the Black Eyed Peas’ musical composition, “My Humps” filed a lawsuit against toy company, MGA Entertainment for its parodic song and music video entitled…(drumroll please)…”My Poops.”
Indeed, “My Poops,” which was used by MGA to market its Poopsie Slime Surprise product line of toy dancing unicorns that excrete sparkling slime, is alleged to be an unlicensed rip-off of “My Humps,” that is performed In a similar style. Never mind the unintentional humor that the ‘Peas are being pitted against the Poops (shoutout to my sons f that one), this case may create new precedent for copyright’s fair use doctrine depending on how far the parties (and nature) call to take it. Lord willing, this case will go through colorful (perhaps sparkling rainbow) depositions and oral arguments all the way to the Supreme Court and become a mainstay for law school textbooks. I mean, if ever there was a case to usher in the next generation of entertainment lawyers, it is this one. One thing is for sure: all that glitters is definitely not gold, but it still twinkles in the spotlight.
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Need more reason to be Pickle-bullish? The fastest growing sport is continuing its ascent as Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) strikes deals with ESPN and CBS for its matches to be televised. - American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the entity operating Major League Cricket (MLC), has raised more than $100 million, in hopes that the American audience and aspiring athletes stateside will take to the world’s second most watched sport. My self-assigned homework now includes studying the Cricket rule book.
- UK music investment firm Hipgnosis Songs acquires the rights to Justin Bieber’s entire music catalogue for an estimated $200 million. No disrespect to the Biebs, but Hipgnosis may have overpaid. Between you and me, my mail carrier gives me plenty of catalogues free of charge.
Endorsement Sponsorship and Investments
January 24, 2023 via New York Times - Education
One day last October, Bubba Cunningham, the athletic director at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, made the short walk from his office to the Dean E. Smith Center, where ...
Women in Sports 2022: Alex Morgan Most Endorsed Female Athlete of 2022
January 24, 2023 via onfocus
SponsorUnited’s inaugural Women In Sports 2022 report analyzes brand partnerships for both collegiate and professional sports across teams and individual athletes. The report found that 3,500 brands bought a total of 5,650 sponsorships or media across 14 professional women’s leagues and collegiate NIL athletes. It also revealed that 1,110 brands bought a total of 2,185 sponsorships or media across individual professional and college female athletes.
Celebrity endorsed luxury jewellery brand targets national growth
January 23, 2023 via Insider Media - North West
The owner of a luxury jewellery brand born in Liverpool, which has become a multimillion-pound business and is endorsed by celebrities, is targeting national growth. Say it with Diamonds, which was launched by Charlotte Donoghue in 2016, has celebrity fans including Lucy Mecklenburgh, Geordie Shore's Marnie Simpson, and Brooke Vincent ...
FDA cautions celebrities, media houses against promotion of unregulated products
January 19, 2023 via Citi Newsroom
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), has once again warned celebrities and media houses against the promotion of drugs and foods. The FDA years back cautioned celebrities and media houses from endorsing alcoholic beverages, a decision that was opposed by the celebrities. The Authority also admonished manufacturers and consumers alike ...
Sport
The New Mexico Lobos Are Back Home and Better Than Ever
January 25, 2023 via SI.com - Latest News
The state doesn’t have any professional sports, so the community rallies behind Richard Pitino and the Lobos basketball team, which is staging a comeback.
Adidas, MSG Sports Among Backers of Sapphire Sport’s Venture Fund
January 25, 2023 via Front Office Sports
Sapphire Sport has raised $181 million for a new venture capital fund.
The World’s Most Valuable Sports Empires 2023
January 24, 2023 via Forbes - Business
Sports moguls have deployed a variety of methods to bring in more money, boosting the value of their sprawling holdings and creating diversified international juggernauts that promise to pay off into the future. eam owners have hit the jackpot by leveraging and scaling their brands and intellectual property. And they’ve ..
Music Biz
January 25, 2023 via Greenwich Time.com
Thania Garcia provided by has signed Atlanta-based songwriter and producer Zaytoven , whose catalog includes work for Future, Travis Scott, and Migos, to a co-publishing deal that will focus on the development of new music. The deal will additionally aim to strengthen his ongoing collaborations with the company in Los ...
The Legal Beat: Megan Thee Stallion's Deposition Dispute – Plus Journey, Flo Rida & More
January 24, 2023 via Billboard
This is The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro, offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings, and all the fun stuff in between. This week: A judge says Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez must sit for a deposition in Megan ...
Justin Bieber Closes Sale to Hipgnosis for $200M — Company's Biggest Deal to Date
January 24, 2023 via Billboard
Justin Bieber Justice Billboard originally reported in December that a Bieber deal valued at over $200 million was in the works amid founder and chief executive Merck Mercuriadis ‘ efforts to “close about $500 million in deals” between mid-November and mid-December. Although Mercuriadis did not say what the deals were ...
Warner Music Acquires Yes Catalog From Atlantic Records
January 23, 2023 via Billboard
WMG has acquired the recorded music rights and income streams to a raft of classic albums by the prog-rock pioneers. Yes WMG announced today (Jan. 23) that it has acquired the recorded music rights and income streams to a raft of albums, from 1969's Yes through the band's final studio ...
Film & TV
LaLiga Launches Event Series 'El Partidazo' to Further Connect to Fans in U.S.
January 25, 2023 via Markets Insider - Top Stories
The series of multi-city activations around Spain's biggest clubs and matches continues to bring LaLiga closer to fans throughout the country as soccer's popularity grows. NEW YORK Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LaLiga North America, the joint venture between LaLiga and Relevent Sports Group, today announced the launch of El ...
Witness: Fox won FIFA media rights with inside info
January 22, 2023 via Sports Business Journal - All Sections (sportsbusinessjournal.com)
A U.S. government witness last week in federal court testified that Fox "used inside information obtained from a powerful FIFA official" in order to score U.S. broadcast rights for both the 2022 and 2026 World Cup tournaments. Alejandro Burzaco , a former sports marketing exec from Argentina, said that an ...
January 18, 2023 via Deadline - Hollywood Breaking News
On-location filming in Los Angeles fell by 2.4% in 2022 compared to the prior year, with feature film and television shoot days down 9.6%, TV pilots plummeting 71.9% and commercial shoot days falling 22.6%, according to the latest report from FilmLA, the city and county film permit office. Last year ...
Emerging Sports
ACE Raises $100 Million Plus for New U.S. Cricket League
January 25, 2023 via John Wall Street
While much has been written about the American money being invested in Indian cricket, there has been an influx of capital flowing into American cricket too. American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the entity operating Major League Cricket (MLC), has raised more than $100 million.
Power Slap Has Competitors Slap Each Other as Hard as Possible. Yes, It Has Critics
January 24, 2023 via TIME Arts
During the opening scene of Power Slap: Road to the Title, the TBS show debuting last week that features the emergent sport of slap fighting, striker Chris Thomas steps into a square and calls “right three.” He’s indicating to the official that on a count of three, he will wind ...
Sports networks will invest in just about anything before women’s sports — including pickleball
January 24, 2023 via Deadspin
ESPN and the likes often take a flier on young sports leagues — as long as they are men’s leagues In a sign that ESPN and other networks can choose to devote broadcast hours to new and emerging sports, the American sports cable channel announced that it was adding pickleball ...
Pickleball Picks Up Two New TV Deals From CBS and ESPN
January 23, 2023 via Front Office Sports
The Association of Pickleball Professionals announced two broadcast deals.
PrincipalHe represents a wide array of entrepreneurs, investors, entertainers, athletes, producers, writers, media production and distribution companies and emerging and established CPG brands and businesses on intellectual ...
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The Sports, Arts & Entertainment group at Foster Garvey provides full service legal representation on sports, entertainment and business matters, including handling transactions related to brand management, licensing, joint ventures, venture capital, private equity, technology, the Internet and new media.
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