Archives for: January 2009
By Richard Amada on Jan 30, 2009 | In Cinema, TV, Radio | Send feedback »
Just recently, I was watching a television program about comedy through the ages. Among the comedians featured on the retrospective show was the late George Carlin, who was known to spice up his act with some—shall we say—salty language. Among his most…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 28, 2009 | In Cinema, TV, Radio | Send feedback »
The House of Representatives put the kibosh on a proposed bit of legislation that would have delayed the transition to digital TV from the February 17th deadline to June 12th. That means the digital TV transition is on schedule to happen in just a few w…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 26, 2009 | In Performing Arts, Literary | Send feedback »
A question was asked about copyright as it relates to magicians and their illusions. The question was basically this:
A magician can publish a book that describes the method by which a magic trick is accomplished, and the words the magician uses in t…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 23, 2009 | In Visual Arts | Send feedback »
If you’ve been reading the blog, this should come as no shock to you…
From the people who brought you the Beanie Babies, now they’ve come out with two new dolls that resemble bronze skinned little girls and that just happen to be named Sasha and…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 22, 2009 | In Performing Arts, Literary | Send feedback »
The latest Dramatists Guild of America e-newsletter has a report about a community theater company that was of the opinion that it didn’t need to pay royalties for any play that’s not yet published.
Now where in the world did this theater company…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 20, 2009 | In Visual Arts | Send feedback »
A follow-up to yesterday's post...
Walking down Washington's Connecticut Avenue yesterday, I saw in the window of a shop yet another Obama T-shirt for sale. Nothing unusual about that these days. But this particular shirt contained a picture not onl…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 19, 2009 | In Visual Arts | Send feedback »
Traveling about the streets of Washington these days, one can’t help but notice the plethora of retailers selling all sorts of merchandise featuring the image of soon-to-be new President Barack Obama. Mr. Obama’s face is peering out from T-shirts, p…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 16, 2009 | In Visual Arts | Send feedback »
Famed American painter Andrew Wyeth has died at the age of 91. Both revered and reviled in the art world, he was a man who definitely left his mark. The quintessential Wyeth painting, "Christina's World," the image of a woman sprawled on the grass befo…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 14, 2009 | In Cinema, TV, Radio | Send feedback »
The Associated Press reports that the producers of the TV show, American Idol, are suing an Austin, Texas, strip club for trademark infringement. What's the beef? Well, it seems the strip club has a weekly topless dancing contest that it's been calling…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 13, 2009 | In Visual Arts | Send feedback »
Legal troubles seem to abound for one-time New York art gallery mogul Lawrence Salander. It's been a downward spiral since 2007, when various artists started making allegations that Salander was selling their art without their knowledge or permission.…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 12, 2009 | In Visual Arts | Send feedback »
An artist friend asks:
How much does an artist have to change a painting from a photo that is not his photo in order to paint it without possible legal troubles?
Well, first, anytime I get an arts-related question that starts with “How much…?
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By Richard Amada on Jan 9, 2009 | In Performing Arts | Send feedback »
My friend, Lars, asked some excellent questions as a follow-up to the previous blog post, “Can You Copyright ‘Enter Stage Left’?” That previous post concerned the still much debated issue over whether a director can legally claim a copyright on the stag…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 7, 2009 | In Visual Arts, Literary, Music | Send feedback »
Here’s a brain teaser…
Question: If an art collector donates a valuable painting to a museum or library, how much can that collector deduct from federal income taxes as a charitable contribution? Answer: The fair market value of the art – which, if…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 5, 2009 | In General, Performing Arts, Literary, Music, Cinema, TV, Radio | Send feedback »
So you’ve come up with a really great idea for a book, movie, TV show, play, song, what have you. And, like all people with a story worth telling, you logically conclude it’s a story worth selling. That is, unless you’re planning on self-publishing or…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 3, 2009 | In Performing Arts | Send feedback »
Like community theater revivals of The Odd Couple, this is an issue that just never seems to disappear. I’m talking about the debate over the question of whether directors of stage plays are legally entitled to copyright their stage directions.
This…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 2, 2009 | In Cinema, TV, Radio | Send feedback »
If you know anything at all about lawyers, you know they can find a way to argue about any topic under the sun. Case in point…a lighthearted little article in a recent edition of the American Bar Association’s ABA Journal. The topic of the article: Wo…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 1, 2009 | In Blog Rules: READ THIS FIRST | Send feedback »
Yeah, yeah...I know. It's the Internet, and rules take all the fun out of it. But, like any other well thought out venture, it's probably best to lay out a few ground rules at the start just so we all know what we can expect. Here then are the answers…
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By Richard Amada on Jan 1, 2009 | In General | Send feedback »
Welcome to The Artful Jurist. This blog is dedicated to news, issues, opinions, and musings about the law as it relates to the arts and entertainment fields. It’s hoped that the entries to follow will be informative, thought-provoking, or, at the very…
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