Entertainment Law, Media Law and Telecoms Law

Retro, a friends-only photo-sharing app built by former Instagram teammates Nathan Sharp and Ryan Olson, is challenging today's algorithm-driven social media landscape with a private, ad-free alternative. The app functions as a weekly photo journal designed to reconnect users with close friends and family, eschewing public feeds, follower counts, and AI-generated content in favor of intimate, subscription-based social spaces.

A Delaware Court of Chancery decision clarifies that public benefit corporation directors are not bound by traditional Revlon duties to maximize shareholder value in change-of-control transactions. This landmark ruling provides important guidance for founders, investors, and directors navigating the intersection of profit-driven objectives and mission-driven outcomes in the startup ecosystem.

California has enacted the nation's strongest legislation regulating AI chatbots and social media for minors, imposing mandatory safety audits, crisis protocols, and prohibitions on addictive features. Companies operating companion chatbots, social media platforms, or online services used by children face significant compliance obligations and civil penalties up to $1 million per child for negligent harm.

Highway Contract Route carriers and brokers operating in the USPS surface transportation network face critical legal developments in 2026, including the Supreme Court's Montgomery v. Caribe decision eliminating federal preemption for negligent-selection claims and the ongoing nuclear verdict crisis with jury awards exceeding $10 million. These developments demand heightened attention to compliance, documentation, and risk management strategies to protect against significant liability exposure in today's tru

The Department of Justice’s new National Fraud Enforcement Division (“NFED”) has told the market exactly where it intends to focus: (1) public trust and financial integrity, (2) health care, (3) internal revenue, (4) global trade and commerce, and (5) corporate misconduct. NFED plans to target these five priorities in parallel under one roof with a shared data infrastructure, compounding the risk to companies that operate at the intersection of multiple priorities and raising the stakes for any company considering a voluntary self-disclosure of potential misconduct.

When a legal research startup trained its AI on lawyer memos derived from Westlaw's editorial summaries, it sparked a landmark copyright case that exposes how artificial intelligence extracts not just content, but the accumulated judgment and authority publishers spent decades building. As Google referral traffic plummets and AI-generated content farms proliferate, the question shifts from "was a copy made?" to "was the expert ever hired?"

The Federal Communications Commission has eliminated the National Television Audience Reach Cap, which previously prevented entities from owning broadcast TV stations reaching more than 39% of U.S. households. The agency will now conduct case-by-case public interest reviews of transactions that would have exceeded this threshold, fundamentally changing how broadcast television consolidation is evaluated.

FEMA and the FCC will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System on November 17, 2026, requiring participation from all radio and television stations, cable systems, and satellite services. EAS Participants must file three separate forms through the EAS Test Reporting System, with specific deadlines ranging from October 30, 2026, through January 2027. Certain translator and repeater stations are exempt from the registration and filing requirements.

As entertainment lawyers, we are often asked a deceptively simple question by creatives, producers, and studios: “Can we use this trademark in our project?”

The author announces the early arrival of his daughter Sapphire Jane Troutman while simultaneously launching ticket sales for the fifth annual Law Conference of Champions (LCOC V), scheduled for July 19-21, 2027 in Southern California. Tickets start at $199 but increase by $10 daily, eventually reaching $3,099, making early purchase essential for attendees interested in the premier legal marketing and advertising conference.

A federal jury's $9.25 million verdict against The New York Times for falsely placing a college basketball player at a murder scene reveals how inadequate verification of anonymous sources, ignored editorial safeguards, and dismissal of credible denials can establish actual malice. The historic decision—the first defamation verdict against the Times in over 50 years—demonstrates that involvement in a newsworthy event does not automatically make someone a public figure, and that a publisher's pos

As digital influencers increasingly incorporate copyrighted music, video clips, and images into their content, the legal boundaries of fair use have become critically important. This analysis examines the four-factor fair use test and reveals common misconceptions that put content creators at risk of copyright infringement. Understanding these legal principles is essential for influencers who monetize their content through ads, sponsorships, and affiliate links.