SELSA Film and Television Update
1 view
Skip to first unread message
Sports Entertainment
Nov 10, 2010, 11:51:10 AM11/10/10
to cardoz...@googlegroups.com
Hello All,
My name is Peter Seltzer and I am the new chair of the Film and Television Committee. Let me start by introducing myself, then I will move into some current legal news in the industry.
I am a 2L, I went to NYU undergraduate, where I had a minor in cinema studies, and while there, I also started a club called the Washington Square Film Society. Throughout college I worked for a concert promoter, and my senior year I interned for a theatrical producer.
This past summer I served as a legal intern at Sloss Eckhouse Brennan LawCo., a boutique entertainment firm here in the city, with a specialty in independent film, although I had the opportunity to do some television and music work as well. In addition I also helped out with some of the legal issues at their sister companies, Cinetic Media and Cinetic Rights Management, which help films find financing and distribution deals. As a result these companies are on the cutting edge of all the emerging technologies and markets for film distribution, and I had the opportunity to encounter the myriad legal issues that went with them.
It also goes without saying I am an enormous film and television lover.
I will do my best to keep forwarding along major legal issues stories in the entertainment world as they pop up, even if it is just one at a time. I will also do my best to keep you apprised of any job listings or opportunities which I come across.
Since this is a googlegroup- anything you send to this email address will go to everyone in the group, so it can be a great way to stay in touch. In addition if you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me directly at seltze...@gmail.com.
Here are a few of the bigger legal issues which have popped up over the past week:
The Actors Reach Tentative New Three Year Labor Agreement:
Labor is one of the major areas of the law which figures heavily into entertainment, and this weekend the recently combined actors unions - SAG and AFTRA reached a tentative agreement for a new 3 year deal with very modest bumps. Given the nearly unmitigated disaster that was the Writer's Strike of 2 years ago, it is little surprise, these negotations seem to have gone much smoother. Here are two takes on the new deal from Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.
Variety: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118027042?refCatId=13
THR: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sagaftra-reach-deal-amptp-42667
Creator of Triplets of Belleville's new Film, The Illusionist, Cleared for Release:
If you've ever wondered whether it is legal for unaffiliated films with the same name to be released closely together, the answer, as always in the law is...it depends. In this case it appears that it is, as a Judge denied a temporary restraining order from the producers of the 2006 film The Illusionist with Edward Norton which attempted to block the release of a new film with the same title from the Oscar nominated director of the Triplets of Belleville. This is mainly a trademark claim, so if you have some interest in IP (which is huge in entertainment law), this is pretty interesting:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/thr-esq/judge-clears-release-oscar-contender-42860
Olbermann's Suspension
As I am sure most people heard, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann was suspended last week for making political contributions to three politicians without the network's approval. While at this point, it seems like it will be much ado about nothing when it is all said and done, since he has already been reinstated, his suspension seemed to bring up a lot of issues about the place of television journalists and the blurring lines in their job and personal lives.
Here is the NYTimes take: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/06/us/06olbermann.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha23
Here is a criticism from the Hollywood Reporter's Esquire site which is a great place to stay abreast of legal issues in the film and television world:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/keith-olbermanns-suspension-points-contribution-42700
My name is Peter Seltzer and I am the new chair of the Film and Television Committee. Let me start by introducing myself, then I will move into some current legal news in the industry.
I am a 2L, I went to NYU undergraduate, where I had a minor in cinema studies, and while there, I also started a club called the Washington Square Film Society. Throughout college I worked for a concert promoter, and my senior year I interned for a theatrical producer.
This past summer I served as a legal intern at Sloss Eckhouse Brennan LawCo., a boutique entertainment firm here in the city, with a specialty in independent film, although I had the opportunity to do some television and music work as well. In addition I also helped out with some of the legal issues at their sister companies, Cinetic Media and Cinetic Rights Management, which help films find financing and distribution deals. As a result these companies are on the cutting edge of all the emerging technologies and markets for film distribution, and I had the opportunity to encounter the myriad legal issues that went with them.
It also goes without saying I am an enormous film and television lover.
I will do my best to keep forwarding along major legal issues stories in the entertainment world as they pop up, even if it is just one at a time. I will also do my best to keep you apprised of any job listings or opportunities which I come across.
Since this is a googlegroup- anything you send to this email address will go to everyone in the group, so it can be a great way to stay in touch. In addition if you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me directly at seltze...@gmail.com.
Here are a few of the bigger legal issues which have popped up over the past week:
The Actors Reach Tentative New Three Year Labor Agreement:
Labor is one of the major areas of the law which figures heavily into entertainment, and this weekend the recently combined actors unions - SAG and AFTRA reached a tentative agreement for a new 3 year deal with very modest bumps. Given the nearly unmitigated disaster that was the Writer's Strike of 2 years ago, it is little surprise, these negotations seem to have gone much smoother. Here are two takes on the new deal from Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.
Variety: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118027042?refCatId=13
THR: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sagaftra-reach-deal-amptp-42667
Creator of Triplets of Belleville's new Film, The Illusionist, Cleared for Release:
If you've ever wondered whether it is legal for unaffiliated films with the same name to be released closely together, the answer, as always in the law is...it depends. In this case it appears that it is, as a Judge denied a temporary restraining order from the producers of the 2006 film The Illusionist with Edward Norton which attempted to block the release of a new film with the same title from the Oscar nominated director of the Triplets of Belleville. This is mainly a trademark claim, so if you have some interest in IP (which is huge in entertainment law), this is pretty interesting:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/thr-esq/judge-clears-release-oscar-contender-42860
Olbermann's Suspension
As I am sure most people heard, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann was suspended last week for making political contributions to three politicians without the network's approval. While at this point, it seems like it will be much ado about nothing when it is all said and done, since he has already been reinstated, his suspension seemed to bring up a lot of issues about the place of television journalists and the blurring lines in their job and personal lives.
Here is the NYTimes take: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/06/us/06olbermann.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha23
Here is a criticism from the Hollywood Reporter's Esquire site which is a great place to stay abreast of legal issues in the film and television world:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/keith-olbermanns-suspension-points-contribution-42700
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages