Dominic Gentile

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H.R. 1695 Introduces Major Reforms to the U.S. Copyright Office

By Dominic Gentile on Posted in Copyright
A bill was formally introduced in Congress on March 23, 2017, that would, in effect, remove the Copyright Office from the oversight of the Librarian of Congress. Introduced by House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia and Ranking Member John Conyers of Michigan, H.R. 1695 seeks to amend 17 U.S.C. § 701 and change the … Continue Reading

Blockchain Goes Mainstream

By Dominic Gentile on Posted in Bitcoin
By now, few would argue that blockchain, the technology behind bitcoin, has not broken new ground. In fact, the success of blockchain has extended to an array of other fields as companies adapt its use in ways that best suit their individual needs. Whether interfacing with bitcoin or using blockchain technology in the Internet of … Continue Reading

“And if You Listen Very Hard” . . . Zeppelin Going to [Trial in] California

Photo of Tatiana MarkelBy Dominic Gentile and Tatiana Markel on Posted in Copyright, Copyright Infringement
Central District of California Judge Gary Klausner ruled the founders of rock band Led Zeppelin – and more particularly, front men Jimmy Page and Robert Plant – must face a jury trial to determine whether the band’s most famous song, “Stairway to Heaven,” infringed a copyright belonging to the band Spirit. In 2014, the trustee … Continue Reading

Paul McCartney Refuses to Let It Be and Launches Effort to Reclaim Copyrights to Songs

Photo of Tatiana MarkelBy Tatiana Markel and Dominic Gentile on Posted in Copyright, Royalties
Legendary songwriter Paul McCartney has begun the process of acquiring the rights to songs he co-wrote with John Lennon while both were members of the Beatles. Although McCartney and Lennon authored most of the band’s hits, they signed over their copyrights at the start of their career on the advice of manager Brian Epstein. By … Continue Reading

Are You Serious

By Dominic Gentile on Posted in Emerging Companies
Last night Baker Hostetler, in partnership with The Hatchery and SourcePad, co-hosted the first “Are You Serious” pitch event of 2016. “Are You Serious” is a fast-paced, New York-style pitch event focused on emerging tech companies. Select entrepreneurs are given the opportunity to pitch their companies to a panel of venture capital investors who provide … Continue Reading

Sex, Lies, and the First Amendment (but No Copyright): Hulk Hogan’s Leg Drop on Gawker

By Dominic Gentile on Posted in First Amendment, Privacy
On Friday night, a Florida jury delivered a stunning verdict in Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker Media LLC and its sundry entities, awarding the former wrestler and movie and television personality $115 million on claims that Gawker invaded Hogan’s privacy rights, and caused emotional distress. Although Hogan demanded only $100 million in damages, the jurors … Continue Reading

The Hatchery and BakerHostetler to host round table discussion: “The Future of Content and Publishing”

By Dominic Gentile on Posted in Events
BakerHostetler, in partnership with The Hatchery, is co-hosting the second in a series of roundtable events on February 25, 2016.  The “Future of Content and Publishing” will bring together leaders from the publishing, marketing and media fields to discuss the future of content and its impact on advertising and monetization.  Executives from The Daily Beast, … Continue Reading

Author’s Family Gets an Early Christmas Gift and Wins Back Rights to Song

By Dominic Gentile on Posted in Copyright
Back in October, the Second Circuit reversed a district court’s ruling that the heirs of John Frederick Coots, the author of the song “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” could not terminate the copyright assignment currently held by music publisher EMI.  (Baldwin v. EMI Feist Catalog, Inc.)  In doing so, it held that EMI’s copyright … Continue Reading

“Are You Serious”

By Dominic Gentile on Posted in Emerging Companies, Events, Technology
On November 19, at its Rockefeller Center offices, BakerHostetler co-sponsored the pitch event “Are You Serious” along with tech company incubators, The Hatchery and SourcePad. The event was designed to teach entrepreneurs from emerging tech companies how to improve their presentation skills through pitches to a panel of venture capital investors. The evening included presentations … Continue Reading

“Are You Serious”

By Dominic Gentile on Posted in Uncategorized
On November 19, at its Rockefeller Center offices, BakerHostetler co-sponsored the pitch event “Are You Serious” along with tech company incubators, The Hatchery and SourcePad. The event was designed to teach entrepreneurs from emerging tech companies how to improve their presentation skills through pitches to a panel of venture capital investors. The evening included presentations … Continue Reading
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