Dear Members of the Sports & Entertainment Law Section,
It is a joy and a pleasure to have been given the privilege to serve as the chair of the section for the 2023-24 bar year.
After three years of work-from-home and virtual events, I think we’ve reached that moment when so many of us are ready to meet each other in person again.
The legal industry is one that relies on relationships. As sports and entertainment professionals, that is amplified for us. We work, or are interested, in a field that seeks to motivate the general public to get out of their homes and into the theater or stadium or complex where our work or the work of our clients is being showcased. Even video games can have an in-person component. Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned day at the arcade? Our clients are often global travelers going from one state or country to the next to play their games or shoot their next film or project or perform their latest album.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00SportsandEntertainmenthttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngSportsandEntertainment2023-09-13 10:11:162023-09-13 10:11:16Welcome to the 2023-24 Bar Year: A Message from the Chair
Throughout the year, the Sports & Entertainment Law Section will be conducting interview spotlights of its members to showcase the careers of the section members. This month, the section is spotlighting Ryan Fairchild of Odin Law and Media. Fairchild is Chair of the Sports & Entertainment Law Section.
College football season is upon us, and The Ohio State University is in the hunt for the playoffs. As good as they have been on the field, the school’s first win came before the season started. In June, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted Ohio State an unusual trademark: the word “The.”
For those unfamiliar with Ohio State, the attempt to claim ownership of a definite article may seem absurd, but the word “The” holds a special place in the heart of Buckeyes everywhere. While it has been a part of the school’s name since 1878, the university made a push in the 1980s to emphasize the word “The” as part of the college’s brand and to distinguish it from other OSU colleges such as Oregon State University and Oklahoma State University. Since then, the word has appeared on Ohio State merchandise, promotional materials, and is emphasized in the pre-game introductions of Buckeyes competing in professional sports. The school’s first application for the trademark was denied, since the USPTO was skeptical that the word was being used as an indication of source, but their second attempt was approved after demonstrating the sheer amount of marketing and advertising they had poured into creating a link between the word and the Ohio State brand.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00SportsandEntertainmenthttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngSportsandEntertainment2022-11-01 09:19:392023-01-09 17:00:47“The” Ohio State University and the Trademark Protection of Cultural Identity
Dear Members of the Sports & Entertainment Law Section:
I am so honored to have the privilege to serve as chair of the section this bar year.
For those who don’t know me: I am a lawyer in Wilmington with a practice focused on esports and content creators. I started my career by clerking for James C. Fox here in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina before joining Brooks Pierce, where I litigated a variety of matters and built my current practice. Last September, I joined former section chair Brandon Huffman and the crew at Odin Law and Media. I also spent the better part of the last year doing business operations for a video game startup.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00SportsandEntertainmenthttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngSportsandEntertainment2022-07-27 10:40:512022-07-27 10:40:51Welcome to a New (Bar) Year
In this CLE, Tim Browne and Melinda Zanoni discuss how COVID-19 has affected the practice of entertainment law, including challenges as content pivots to digital platforms, legal triage for counseling clients on how to operate in a lockdown, and COVID-defying solutions to pandemic problems faced by entertainment clients. Find out how to limit coronavirus liability at venues and discuss revisiting entertainment contract force majeure clauses in the era of COVID.
**Each month, the NCBA releases one-hour, on-demand CLEs, which are free of charge as the costs are included as part of your annual NCBA dues.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00SportsandEntertainmenthttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngSportsandEntertainment2021-04-12 16:23:312021-04-12 17:05:06April Expert Series CLE: 'Entertainment Law and Coronavirus'
On February 19 at 6 p.m., Elon Law’s Sports and Entertainment Law Society will host a panel about legal careers in college sports featuring Jeffrey Poulard, Compliance Officer at Rutgers. Poulard has a J.D. from William & Mary School of Law. His career includes work with the University of Maryland, the NCAA and the NFL.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00SportsandEntertainmenthttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngSportsandEntertainment2021-02-18 10:31:492021-02-18 10:31:49Elon Law SELS Presents "Legal Careers in College Sports"
Join Clara Cottrell (Senior Counsel, BASF Corporation) and Clark Brewer (retired real estate and transactional attorney) to discuss the movie “My Cousin Vinny.” This movie has so many issues that it is used widely in presentations and law school classes! Clark will look at the procedural issues and trial tactics (e.g., efficient cross-examination to the role of expert witnesses) and Clara will focus on courtroom decorum and professionalism (e.g., when is all leather a good choice for your court appearance). If you would like a refresh of the movie, it is available on Amazon Prime for a small fee.
Also, Clark, as a huge movie fan, will provide his list of “Top 10 Legal Movies” of all time for your entertainment! (Spoiler, “My Cousin Vinny” is on the list!)
On February 11 at 12:30 p.m. via Zoom, Elon Law’s Sports and Entertainment Law Society will host a panel with Jeffrey T. Jones and Danielle Hardy.
Jones is an Entertainment Lawyer with 25 years of experience and a former NFL Agent. He practices in Greensboro, North Carolina. Danielle Hardy is an Elon Law Alum and Counsel at Universal Music Group. Hardy’s career includes work with Spotify and Viacom. She is the founder of Pursuing the Esquire, a mentoring program for law students and pre-law students.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00SportsandEntertainmenthttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngSportsandEntertainment2021-02-03 10:38:352021-02-03 10:38:35Elon Law SELS Presents 'Legal Careers in Music'
Members of the Sports & Entertainment Law Section (“SEL”) found the following recent third-party articles to be of potential interest to Section members. Feel free to reach out to the SEL Communications Co-chairs, Kelly Ryan and Jourdan Williams, if you would like to submit either personally written pieces or other third-party articles that would be of interest to SEL members.
Members of the Sports & Entertainment Law Section (“SEL”) found the following recent third-party articles to be of potential interest to Section members. Feel free to reach out to the Communications Co-chairs (Kelly Ryan and Jourdan Williams) if you would like to submit either personally written pieces or other third-party articles that would be of interest to SEL members.
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