2010

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Copyright Office Issues Letter In Support of Broadcast Performance Royalty - Suggests that Economic Comeback for Radio Makes Royalty More Affordable

Broadcast Law Blog

According to a letter from the Copyright Office that has recently been made public, the economic troubles of broadcasters, which have been used to argue against the imposition of a performance royalty for the use of sound recordings by radio stations , are cyclical and are largely over. Thus, argues the letter, the improvement in the fortunes of radio stations merits a reexamination of whether the Performance Rights Act imposing such a royalty should be adopted.

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Finding Free Legal Forms Online - And Using Them Safely

The Paralegal Resource

IntroductionPeople who search the Internet for free legal forms often find the experience to be a bit frustrating. While there are some legal forms available, often the search engine results for a search for a "free legal form" lead to a site which sells forms. Even when a free or sample form is provided, it may not fit the needs of the person seeking the form, or may be written for the laws of a different state.

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A Guide to the Basics of Internet Streaming and Digital Media Legal Issues - David Oxenford Presentations to the Texas Association of Broadcasters

Broadcast Law Blog

So you want to start streaming your radio station on the Internet ? Or maybe you want to start a whole new Internet radio station. In a session at last week's Texas Association of Broadcasters Annual Convention in Austin, Dave Oxenford talked about the legal considerations starting an Internet radio station, while Chris Dusterhoff of Bryan Broadcasting in Bryan/College Station, Texas talked about some of the technical and business issues in doing so.

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A Guide to the Basics of Internet Streaming and Digital Media Legal Issues - David Oxenford Presentations to the Texas Association of Broadcasters

Broadcast Law Blog

So you want to start streaming your radio station on the Internet ? Or maybe you want to start a whole new Internet radio station. In a session at last week's Texas Association of Broadcasters Annual Convention in Austin, Dave Oxenford talked about the legal considerations starting an Internet radio station, while Chris Dusterhoff of Bryan Broadcasting in Bryan/College Station, Texas talked about some of the technical and business issues in doing so.

Legal 72
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6 Contract Data Analytics Tools To Boost Contract Oversight

Analyzing contract trends with manual contract management is like sifting through a pile of papers in a dimly lit room, trying to find clues manually. Advanced CLM software’s contract data analytics, on the other hand, is like having an AI-based, intelligent magnifying glass that not only highlights key clues but also connects the dots for you. With innovative, AI-powered contract data analytics, you can solve the mystery of trends faster and with greater accuracy, making informed decisions base

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Judge Orders ASCAP Fees for Radio to Drop - On an Interim Basis

Broadcast Law Blog

Last week, a US District Court Judge adopted a new interim rate to be paid by commercial radio broadcasters to ASCAP for the use of ASCAP-licensed music by over-the-air radio stations, reducing the fees paid by the industry by about $40 million dollars, or about 20% of the total that had been paid by the industry under the rate deal that expired at the end of 2009.

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More Trending

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$16,000 Fine For Recording Telephone Conversation for Broadcast Without Prior Permission - No Excuse Because Call Made By Independent Contractor, By Subsequent Approval, or By the First Amendment

Broadcast Law Blog

Two FCC cases were released last week fining broadcasters for violations of the FCC rule against broadcasting a telephone call (or recording a call for broadcast purposes) without first obtaining the permission of the person at the other end of the call. In one case, a licensee was fined $16,000 for phoning a woman, pretending to be a hospital calling with news that her husband had been in a motorcycle accident and had died, The FCC refused to reduce or eliminate the fine because the call was ma

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Warner Music Says No More Music for Streaming - What's It Mean for US Webcasters?

Broadcast Law Blog

According to British press reports , Warner Music's CEO Edger Bronfman Jr. stated that it will cease making its music available to advertising supported streaming music sites. This has prompted some questions about how this decision would affect services such as Pandora , Slacker, Accuradio and other Internet radio companies - would it deny them access to substantial amounts of music?

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Department of Commerce Seeks Comments on The Relationship of Protecting Copyrighted Content and Innovation in the Internet Economy

Broadcast Law Blog

Last week, the Department of Commerce's Internet Policy Task Force asked for comments on the relationship between the protection of copyrighted content on the Internet and the effect of such protections on technology innovation and the expectations of consumers. The purpose of the inquiry is to develop a report to be circulated among the various government departments that have power over the enforcement of copyrights and the development of rules and regulations that deal with copyrighted materi

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FCC National Broadband Plan - What It Suggests for TV Broadcasters Spectrum

Broadcast Law Blog

The FCC today released its National Broadband Plan to Congress, and in it spelled out its suggestions for the future of television. Facilitating the deployment of ubiquitous, dependable wireless broadband service is identified as a fundamental goal of the Commission’s proposals. The authors of the Commission’s report have viewed the problems experienced by some wireless broadband providers in major markets as indicative of a coming shortage in wireless capacity.

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The Tech-Savvy Paralegals Playbook: How To Leverage AI

Speaker: Allison Mears, Adela Wekselblatt, and George Socha

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the legal industry, and paralegals are at the forefront of this transformation. As AI becomes more integrated into legal workflows, paralegals can streamline their daily tasks, enhance efficiency, and add greater value to their firms and organizations. But what exactly does AI mean for paralegals today—and how can you leverage it to your advantage?

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Congress Passes CALM Act to Restrict Loud Commercials

Broadcast Law Blog

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the CALM Act, directing the Federal Communications Commission to adopt regulations controlling the volume of commercials on television broadcast stations, cable systems, satellite, and other multichannel video programming providers. This bill was passed by the Senate in September. Once signed by the President, the Federal Communications Commission will be required to adopt a rule to implement the legislation within one year, and the rule is to becom

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Copyright Royalty Board Reaches Determination on Royalty Rates for Webcasting for 2011-2015 - For Internet Radio Operators Not Covered by Webcaster Settlement Act Agreements

Broadcast Law Blog

The Copyright Royalty Board today released its Determination of Rates for noninteractive webcasting services for the period from 2011-2015. These rates will form the default rates for webcasters who have not opted into one of the many voluntary agreements negotiated last year under the Webcaster Settlement Act (see our summaries of the Pureplay webcaster deal here , the Broadcasters settlement here , the Small Webcasters or "microcaster" settlement here , the noncommercial webcasters s

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SoundExchange Sending Reminders to Broadcasters Who Are Not Paying Royalties for Streaming Music Sound Recordings

Broadcast Law Blog

In recent weeks, SoundExchange has begun to send letters to broadcasters who are streaming their signals on the Internet without paying their SoundExchange royalties. Despite all of the publicity about Internet radio royalties and the controversy about the rates for those royalties, there still seem to be webcasters unfamiliar with their obligations to SoundExchange.

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NAB Radio Board Adopts Proposal for Settlement of Performance Tax Issue - Where Do We Go From Here?

Broadcast Law Blog

The NAB Radio Board today voted to adopt a Terms Sheet to offer to the musicFirst Coalition which, if agreed to by musicFirst and adopted by Congress, will settle the contentious issue of whether to impose a sound recording performance royalty (the "performance tax") on over-the-air broadcasters. If adopted, that will mean that broadcasters in the United States, for the first time, will pay a royalty to artists and record labels, in addition to the royalties paid to ASCAP, BMI and SESA

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Excellence in Trial: A Strategic Guide for Modern Paralegals

Modern trial practice has evolved beyond basic organization. With technology reshaping courtrooms and attorneys expecting more than ever, paralegals need to elevate their capabilities while mastering the fundamentals of trial excellence. This comprehensive guide from Steno, built from author Joe Stephens' real-world experience as both a practicing attorney and law professor, provides a blueprint for delivering exceptional trial support in today's complex legal environment.

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Talk of A Settlement on the Terrestrial Radio Performance Royalty - What Would Broadcasters Get?

Broadcast Law Blog

The broadcast trade press has recently been full of talk of the possibility of reaching a settlement with the recording industry on the adoption of a Performance Royalty for broadcast stations -paying performers and record companies for the use of music by radio stations (on top of the fees already paid through ASCAP, BMI and SESAC to composers). The latest controversy was set off by comments made at the Conclave Radio Conference by Bonneville Radio's CEO Bruce Reese, who has also been prominent

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Talk of A Settlement on the Terrestrial Radio Performance Royalty - What Would Broadcasters Get?

Broadcast Law Blog

The broadcast trade press has recently been full of talk of the possibility of reaching a settlement with the recording industry on the adoption of a Performance Royalty for broadcast stations -paying performers and record companies for the use of music by radio stations (on top of the fees already paid through ASCAP, BMI and SESAC to composers). The latest controversy was set off by comments made at the Conclave Radio Conference by Bonneville Radio's CEO Bruce Reese, who has also been prominent

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Court of Appeals Strikes Down FCC Indecency Rules

Broadcast Law Blog

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit today struck down the FCC's indecency rules , finding that the rules were so vague as to not put broadcasters on notice of what programming was prohibited and what was permitted. Today's decision was reached following a remand of this case to the Second Circuit by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court's decision did not resolve all questions about the FCC's rules, instead only deciding that the lower court's prior decision voiding the rules was not j

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Congress Passes Libel Tourism Act - Protects On-Line Media From US Enforcement of Foreign Judgments

Broadcast Law Blog

Congress last week adopted a bill important to all US media companies that produce content that can be received overseas. This would include anyone with content on their website (including user generated content) that could potentially give rise to a legal judgment overseas. As explained in detail in Davis Wright Tremaine's memo on the act - the Securing the Protection of our Enduring and Established Constitutional Heritage Act (“SPEECH Act”) - companies and individuals were bringing

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Transform Your E-Learning: Download the Ultimate Localization Use Case!

Uncover the secret to breaking language barriers and expanding your e-learning reach! This powerful use case reveals how Cesco Linguistic Services transformed 19 training modules for the Colorado Department of Early Childhood into culturally relevant courses in Arabic and Spanish—delivered on time and exceeding expectations. Learn how to localize your content seamlessly, avoid costly pitfalls, and connect with diverse audiences like never before.

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Proposed Broadcast Performance Royalty Back in the News - Where is It Going?

Broadcast Law Blog

In one more indication that the Broadcast Performance Royalty (or " performance tax " as opponents of the legislation call it) is not dead yet is an article in yesterday's New York Times reviewing the issues at stake in the proceeding. What was perhaps most interesting about that article was the fact that it appeared only one page away from an article about Internet Radio service Pandora , and a discussion of how that hugely popular service was almost driven out of business by music ro

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Remember "Super Bowl", the "Olympics" and "March Madness" Are Trademarked Terms - Don't Use Them In Advertising Without Permission

Broadcast Law Blog

With the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics less than 2 weeks away, and March Madness not far behind, we once again need to remind our readers that all three are trademarked terms, meaning that their use, particularly for commercial purposes, is limited. We've wrote here last year about the use of the term "Super Bowl" in commercials, and about the use of "Olympics" two years ago ( here ).

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Congress to Rewrite the Communications Act - What Could It Mean For Broadcasters?

Broadcast Law Blog

In a very cryptic announcement , the Chairs of the House and Senate commerce committees, and the Chairs of the subcommittees dealing specifically with communications matters, have announced that they are beginning the process of rewriting the Communications Act of 1934 , the Act which governs regulation of broadcasters as well as telecommunications, satellite and mobile communications entities.

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Copyright Office Asks if Federal Protection Should be Extended to Pre-1972 Sound Recordings - What's the Impact on Internet Radio?

Broadcast Law Blog

The Copyright Office has just released a Notice of Inquiry asking whether Federal protection should be extended to sound recordings recorded prior to 1972. A sound recording is a song as recorded by a particular artist. Sound recordings were first protected under Federal law in 1972. Prior to that, unauthorized recordings or reproductions of an artist's recoding were policed under various state criminal and civil law.

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Uncovering The Hidden Connections: A Patent Family Survival Guide

Speaker: Andrew Klein

Are there mysteries lurking in your family tree? 🕵 No, not a long-lost half-brother - I'm talking about a patent family tree! IP paralegals need fast and easy ways to verify and report on essential data about foreign equivalents of US assets. Join us to master the global scope of key assets to support prosecution, portfolio management, litigation, licensing, competitive monitoring and more!

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Congress Passes Libel Tourism Act - Protects On-Line Media From US Enforcement of Foreign Judgments

Broadcast Law Blog

Congress last week adopted a bill important to all US media companies that produce content that can be received overseas. This would include anyone with content on their website (including user generated content) that could potentially give rise to a legal judgment overseas. As explained in detail in Davis Wright Tremaine's memo on the act - the Securing the Protection of our Enduring and Established Constitutional Heritage Act (“SPEECH Act”) - companies and individuals were bringing

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New.co Top Level Domain to be Made Available

Broadcast Law Blog

The.co top level domain (TLD) is being opened to the general public, and one can envision a run on registrations similar to that experienced for.com. It is easy to see why the Colombia country code, formerly available in that country only, may become very popular in the US and elsewhere. For one thing,co is the standard abbreviation for "company.

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FCC Commissioner Copps Calls For Stricter Broadcast Station License Renewal Standards - Could It Happen?

Broadcast Law Blog

In a speech given last week, FCC Commissioner Michael Copps called for a new regime to review the public interest performance of broadcasters - suggesting that license renewal become a more rigorous exercise for radio and television operators. In his address called " Getting Media Right, A Call to Action ", given to the Columbia University School of Journalism, Copps specifically suggested a "Public Value Test" for broadcasters when they file their license renewals.

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FCC Announces Filing Window and Minimum Bids for Next Auction for 144 New FM Stations - And a Freeze on FM Minor Change Applications

Broadcast Law Blog

Applications to participate in the auction of 144 new FM channels are to be filed at the FCC between January 31 and February 10, 2011. The FCC today released a Public Notice setting out the dates and procedures to be used in the auction. Upfront payments of the minimum bids for channels in the auction will be due on March 21. The auction itself will begin on April 27 - a postponement of about a month from the dates originally proposed as the initially scheduled dates could have resulted in the a

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AI for Paralegals: Everything You Need to Know (and How to Use It Safely)

Speaker: Joe Stephens, J.D., Attorney and Law Professor

Ready to cut through the AI hype and learn exactly how to use these tools in your legal work? Join this webinar to get practical guidance from attorney and AI legal expert, Joe Stephens, who understands what really matters for legal professionals! What You'll Learn: Evaluate AI Tools Like a Pro 🔍 Learn which tools are worth your time and how to spot potential security and ethics risks before they become problems.