The Briefing: Lemon Pound Cake and the First Amendment

What happens when a failed police raid turns into a music video about lemon poundcake and a $3.9 million lawsuit? In this episode of The Briefing, Scott Hervey and Richard Buckley, Jr. break down the Afroman defamation case, where surveillance footage, satire, and public officials collide under First Amendment law. In this episode, they cover: Why the deputies’ defamation claims failed under the “actual malice” standard How satire and parody shape what counts as a statement of fact Why the lack of an anti-SLAPP law in Ohio changed the entire case strategy Tune in for a clear look at where defamation law meets satire and the First Amendment.

What happens when two fantasy stories share the same DNA? In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin partners Scott Hervey and Matt Sugarman break down a major copyright decision involving the Crave series and what it means for substantial similarity in fiction. In this episode, they cover: – Why common genre tropes like love triangles, supernatural powers, and chosen one narratives are not protectable – How courts filter out unprotectable elements using the “more discerning ordinary observer” test – Why combining familiar elements is not enough to prove copyright infringement Tune in for a clear look at where copyright law draws the line between inspiration and infringement.

When does an AI voice become your voice? In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin partners Scott Hervey and Richard Buckley break down the lawsuit filed by longtime broadcaster David Greene against Google over its NotebookLM tool and its eerily familiar AI-generated voice. In this episode, they cover: What Greene must prove to win a Right of Publicity claim How Midler and Waits shape the legal standard for voice imitation Why Google’s training data and “knowing use” will be key to the case From forensic voice analysis to AI training practices, this case raises major questions about identity, ownership, and emerging technology. Tune in for a clear look at where the right of publicity meets artificial intelligence

What happens when artists agree to transfer rights to a musical composition but never put that transfer in writing? In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin partners Scott Hervey and Jessica R. Corpuz break down a federal court decision arising from a copyright dispute tied to Ye’s Donda album. The case turned on a simple but unforgiving rule of copyright law: without a written assignment, you do not own the copyright and you cannot enforce it. In this episode, they cover: Why Section 204(a) of the Copyright Act requires copyright transfers to be in writing The legal difference between composition copyrights and sound recording copyrights How the lack of a written assignment wiped out most of the plaintiff’s infringement claims Tune in for a clear reminder that in copyright law, if it is not in writing, it may as well not exist.

What happens when an artist terminates a decades-old copyright grant under U.S. law, but the work is still being exploited around the world? In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin Partners Scott Hervey and Matt Sugarman break down the Fifth Circuit’s decision in Vetter v. Resnik and what it means for worldwide copyright grants. In this episode, they discuss: Whether termination under 17 U.S.C. § 304(c) can recapture foreign exploitation rights Why the Fifth Circuit parted ways with California cases like Siegel v. Warner Bros. The difference between ownership disputes and extraterritorial infringement claims How this ruling impacts publishers, studios, catalog buyers, and global licensing strategies If termination can unwind a worldwide grant, the leverage shift for authors and heirs could be significant. Tune in for a clear look at how copyright termination.

Can an arbitration provider force someone into arbitration who never signed the contract? In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin partners Scott Hervey and Richard D. Buckley, Jr. break down the high-profile dispute involving Skechers, global influencer Khaby Lame, his management company KBL Services, and talent manager Barrett Wissman. At the center of the fight is a critical question of arbitration law: does the American Arbitration Association have jurisdiction over a non-signatory? In this episode, they discuss: When non-signatories can be compelled to arbitrate Alter ego and veil piercing theories Agency law and representative capacity Whether the AAA can administer arbitration against someone who never agreed to it Strategic litigation choices when challenging arbitrability If you handle contracts, endorsement agreements, arbitration clauses, or business disputes, this episode offers important insight into the limits of consent in arbitration.

When a jury says two works are not substantially similar, is that the end of the story? In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin partners Scott Hervey and Richard D. Buckley, Jr. break down the Ninth Circuit’s decision arising from the Kat Von D tattoo of an iconic Miles Davis photograph and why it may signal the beginning of the end for the intrinsic test in copyright law. In this episode, they cover: How the Ninth Circuit’s two-part substantial similarity test works Why the jury’s finding was nearly impossible to overturn on appeal The concurring opinions calling the intrinsic test legally incoherent How other circuits analyze substantial similarity differently What a reworked test could look like going forward Whether you are a creator, lawyer, or rights holder, this case highlights a potential turning point in how courts evaluate copyright infringement.

California privacy law has entered a new phase. In Part Two of this two-part episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin Partners Scott Hervey and Richard Buckley break down the CCPA’s new requirements for Risk Assessments and Cybersecurity Audits. In this episode, they cover: When Risk Assessments are required and what they must evaluate How businesses must weigh operational benefits against privacy risks Who must be involved in conducting Risk Assessments and when When Cybersecurity Audits are triggered and what they must include What businesses must submit to the California Privacy Protection Agency Tune in for part two on how a clear look at how California privacy law is turning AI compliance into an operational requirement.

California privacy law has entered a new phase. In Part 1 of this two-part episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin Partners Scott Hervey and Richard Buckley breaks down California’s new CCPA regulations governing Automated Decision making Technology, or ADMT. This episode explains how the amended rules go beyond data collection and sharing to regulate how businesses use algorithms, artificial intelligence, and automated tools to make decisions about people. In this episode, they cover: What qualifies as Automated Decision making Technology under the CCPA Which automated decisions are considered “significant decisions” When a business is subject to the ADMT rules New notice, opt-out, and access rights for consumers, including employees and job applicants Key compliance deadlines businesses need to prepare for now Tune in for a clear look at how California privacy law is reshaping automated decision making and AI governance.

We previously covered the trademark lawsuit filed by Lost International against Lady Gaga over her use of “Mayhem” in connection with her album, tour, and related merchandise. Now the court has ruled, denying Lost’s motion for a preliminary injunction. In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin partners Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler break down the court’s order and what it signals about the Rogers test after the Supreme Court’s Jack Daniel’s decision. In this episode, they cover: Why the court applied the Rogers test instead of the traditional Sleekcraft likelihood of confusion analysis How the court treated tour merchandise tied to an expressive work under Ninth Circuit precedent What “artistic relevance” means and why that prong was easily met here Why “use of the mark alone” was not enough to show the use was explicitly misleading How this ruling fits into the broader post Jack Daniel’s landscape, including recent Ninth Circuit developments Tune in for a clear look at where trademark law meets tour merchandising and First Amendment protections.