A panel of attorneys discussed the ever-evolving galaxy of space law, including disabusing the notion that space law is “unregulated,” during a panel session at South By Southwest. Franceska Schroeder, a principal in Fish Richardson, provided an overview of the laws governing space and space exploration including the Commercial Space Launch Act, or CSLA; the … Continue Reading
Myth No. 1 of music licensing: Just because you are not making money on a project, does not mean you can use music for free. Austin lawyer Amy E. Mitchell, of Amy E. Mitchell PLLC, and Roanna Gillespie, a music supervisor at WOW Sounds, educated the South By Southwest audience during a panel titled “Music … Continue Reading
Changes in patent law over the past five years have created some relief in the number of cases filed but big problems remain. Colleen Chien, a law professor at Santa Clara University School of Law; Evan Engstrom, executive director of Engine; U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, a member of the House Judiciary Committee and chairman of … Continue Reading
The amount of initial coin offerings, or ICOs, has increased with the success of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies over the past two years. A lack of a government regulatory structure has created a playing field ripe for scammers.… Continue Reading
It seems everyday there is a new report about bitcoin and the amount of value it continues to generate on the market. The tremendous amount of wealth being driven into initial coin offerings, or ICOs, is creating a new generation of barons similar to the financial influence exerted by John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and … Continue Reading
With the growing presence of artificial intelligence in daily life—self-driving cars, facial recognition, personalized Amazon search results, and smart personal assistants like Alexa and Echo—there are questions forming about what rules should be followed.… Continue Reading
Don’t think for a second that South by Southwest doesn’t have anything to do with the legal world. SXSW has been offering continuing legal education and other law-related programming since 1998—and this year proves to be just as informative, with sessions on everything from government policy and augmented reality to startups and blockchain.… Continue Reading
Attorneys had the opportunity to learn about new trends and topics in the law at many sessions at South by Southwest March 10-19. Here we provide a recap of some of the panels. Read some of our past coverage about others involving crowdsourcing for access to justice, privacy and the Fourth Amendment in an evolving … Continue Reading
From recounting infamous music copyright cases to predicting what the future of policy in Washington, D.C., holds, several sessions at South by Southwest tackled hot-button issues in the industry. Copyright infringement “This is about deep-pocket defendants,” entertainment attorney Stan Soocher said as he opened the March 17 panel “Copyright Infringement: Get a Hit, Get a … Continue Reading
With wide interest in closing the access to justice gap, lawyers at South by Southwest’s “Crowdsourcing Justice” panel on March 13 discussed creative ways to use technology to meet the rising demand for legal assistance. The panel focused on how lawyers have used several new crowdsourcing projects—which consist of gathering information from a large number … Continue Reading
The first of several panels about technology surveillance at South By Southwest this year kicked off Friday with a piece of the U.S. Constitution. Moderator Scott Shackford, an associate editor at Reason.com, opened “Get a Warrant: The 4th Amendment and Digital Data,” by reciting the Fourth Amendment: “The right of the people to be secure … Continue Reading
With Elon Musk’s SpaceX unveiling plans for manned missions to Mars and NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, the concept interplanetary inhabitation isn’t as far-fetched as it once was. “A new physical frontier is also a new legal frontier,” said Berin Szoka, an attorney and president of policy think tank TechFreedom and panelist for the session Making … Continue Reading
Austin’s most anticipated yearly event is back and lawyers have many opportunities to learn about legal trends and the future of the profession while taking part in the festivities. South by Southwest has been offering continuing legal education and other law-related programming since 1998, and this year it features panels on everything from cybersecurity and … Continue Reading
Professionals from the film industry filled the room to get tips on avoiding copyright infringement from the “legal Obi Wan Kenobi” as part of the South by Southwest Film session “FairUse-Docs & Fiction Films-Everybody Is Welcome!” Fair use is an exception that allows artists to legally reproduce or use copyrighted material under certain conditions without … Continue Reading
As to be expected for an event at the tech-focused South by Southwest Interactive Festival, a panel of artificial intelligence entrepreneurs voiced fearless optimism for the future job market, even though some studies predict that 47 percent of workers could be replaced by computerization. Much of the insight from the panelists of “Finding a Job … Continue Reading
Thousands of actors, producers, and filmmakers assembled for this year’s South by Southwest Film Conference & Festival to attend screenings, keynotes, and workshops. At the Austin Convention Center, attorney Dan Satorius was on hand to offer advice to independent filmmakers hoping to raise money in support of their projects. During his panel “Other People’s Money: … Continue Reading
Music streaming platforms and the legal issues that come with them were the focus of two CLE panels during SXSW 2015. Leading attorneys from across the nation took the stage to address both fellow lawyers and industry professionals about the current situations. During “Unhappy Together,” panelists Bob Donnelly, Steve Gordon, and Henry Gradstein delved into … Continue Reading
During the SXSW panel “Litigation: The Cases We Need to Know,” D’Lesli Davis, a partner in the Dallas office of Norton Rose Fulbright, and Stan Soocher, associate professor of music and entertainment industry studies at the University of Colorado Denver, offered an overview of some legal situations currently impacting entertainment law. In their allotted hour, … Continue Reading
If you’re a filmmaker wondering if you will be sued, ask yourself: “Have I created a very popular film?” That message came off loud and clear during the “Intellectual Property in Film and Interactive Media” CLE at SXSW. During the panel, Akin Gump attorneys Kellie Marie Johnson and Charles Everingham discussed trademark and copyright issues, … Continue Reading
Two films with vastly different themes highlighted legal matters during the South by Southwest Film tract this year. In A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story,audiences were introduced to Lizzie, a 25-year-old Texan with a rare syndrome that prevents her from gaining weight. Lizzie’s appearance made her a victim of bullying throughout school and the … Continue Reading
