Southwestern Law School Los Angeles, CA
 

Angels and Demons: Navigating Tricky Entertainment and Media Issues to Reach Legal Nirvana

Angels and Demons: Navigating Tricky Entertainment and Media Issues to Reach Legal NirvanaThursday, January 19, 2012

2:15 - 7:00 p.m.
Reception to follow

Renaissance Hollywood Hotel
1755 North Highland Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90028

Presented by Southwestern's Biederman Institute and the Media Law Resource Center


Conference Details | Conference Schedule
Printable Brochure (PDF)

Co-Sponsored by
 
 
Doyle & Miller, LLP

 

 Loeb & Loeb LLP


Conference Planning Committee

  • Sandra S. Baron, Executive Director, Media Law Resource Center, Inc.
  • David Cohen, Vice President, Legal, ABC
  • Maherin Gangat, Staff Attorney, Media Law Resource Center, Inc.
  • Steven Krone, Director and Tamara Moore, Associate Director, Southwestern's Biederman Institute
  • Brad Miller, Partner, Doyle & Miller, LLP
  • Lisa Rafferty, Vice President, Legal Affairs, Fox Television Stations, Inc.
  • Jeffrey Schneider, Executive Vice President, Business Affairs, NBCUniversal
  • Ben Sheffner, Content Protection Counsel, Motion Picture Association of America, Inc.


Registration Fees

$100 before January 6
$125 after January 6 or at door
$25 for Students
  
No refunds will be given for cancellations after January 12, 2012.  

 

CLE Credit

This conference offers 4 hours of CLE credit. Southwestern is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider.

Location

This conference will be held at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, 1755 North Highland Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028

Questions?

Contact the Biederman Institute.


Schedule

1:00 - 2:15 p.m. Registration
   
2:15 - 2:30 p.m. Welcome and Introductions
   

2:30 - 3:50 p.m.

 Exorcising Rights: Releasing the Demons in Reality Programming
 

The premise of most reality and mockumentary programming is simple: ubiquitous cameras capture eager participants engaged in"real" life activities, competitions, and romantic adventures. The reality of producing such programming, however, is not simple at all. Releases are the lifeblood of reality television and film, but have they gone too far or can they ever go far enough to cover this expanding genre? This panel will discuss:

  • Provisions in reality programming releases that could make the devil blush.
  • Common challenges to the enforceability of reality programming releases.
  • Controversial provisions that have withstood judicial scrutiny.
  • A hypothetical scenario reflecting the complexity of the reality/mockumentary genre.
Moderator:

 Jean-Paul Jassy (Bostwick & Jassy LLP)
Panelists:
 John Farrell (Endemol USA)
  Glen Kulik (Kulik, Gottesman, Mouton & Siegel, LLP)
  Louis P. Petrich (Leopold, Petrich & Smith)
 
3:50 - 4:05 p.m. Break
   
4:05 - 5:25 p.m.
 Social Media - Savior or Satan?
 

Social media has enabled news and entertainment companies to engage and communicate with their audiences in a variety of ways. But, with that interaction comes risk. This panel will examine the impact of both official and unofficial use of social media on the entertainment and news industries and how they are grappling with the legal issues that arise. Topics will include:

  • How to manage employees' use of social media to mitigate risk of defamation, spoilers, and FTC endorsement regulation violations.
  • How to manage data-security and privacy issues and protect your company's brand.
  • How do the different terms of service for each social media website dictate what use your company can make of that platform.
Moderator:
 Dan Cooper (Paramount Pictures)
Panelists:
 Karlene Goller (Los Angeles Times)
  Paul Koenig (Paramount Pictures)
  Jennifer Mardosz (Fox Entertainment Group)
   
5:25 - 5:40 p.m. Break
   

5:40 - 7:00 p.m.

 Sympathy for the Devil in Music
 

Media lawyers are generally well-versed in the day-to-day "clearance" issues that can arise. However, the dirty little secret is that most will have only a cursory knowledge when it comes to issues of music law. This panel gathers day-to-day experts and practitioners in the music law arena and will discuss some of the common issues that arise in the creation of music-centric media content, including:

  • Putting together a "special" music-intensive episode of a show that otherwise does not usually contain musical performances.
  • Capitalizing on ancillary revenue streams and how the deals work for such products (such as downloads, soundtracks, etc.).
  • Music in the context of routine media content where music issues arise unexpectedly, such as in news broadcasts, interviews, and impromptu music performances.
Moderator: Jeffrey Schneider (NBCUniversal)
Panelists:
 Doug Frank (Attorney at Law)
  Jonathan Haft (Hollywood Records)
  Keith Zajic (Attorney at Law)
   
7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Reception