Art Law

H&M’s Legal And Public Relations Dumpster Fire

Let’s see if H&M 'acts differently' the next time it is caught exploiting an artist’s work without consent.

Making A Point: Street Artists Prevail In VARA Dispute

This type of claim almost never sees trial, but it resulted in a $6.7 million verdict, all because one of the parties was a jerk.

This Federal Judge Knows It When He Sees It

An important and controversial decision, holding a developer liable for painting over graffiti on his own buildings.

Federal Judge Ruined The Internet Yesterday

It's a Copyright Act violation to embed a Tweet now. Ugh.

Non-Sequiturs: 05.26.17

Ed. note: Above the Law will not be publishing on Monday, May 29, in honor of Memorial Day. We'll see you on Tuesday, May 30 -- which is when we plan to issue our latest ATL Law School Rankings. * A Texas police chief is under investigation for allegedly calling a woman a "black bitch" after an altercation in a Walmart parking lot. The police chief was giving his 14-year-old daughter driving lessons at the time, and I'm comfortable drawing a straight line from the police/father's behavior to 53% of white women voting for Donald Trump. [The Root] * I think this link has something to do with art. Potentially, there's a lawsuit about somebody who copies art? I really don't know. Somebody at Above the Law sent me a link about art, told me to put it here, but didn't summarize the relevant art facts to me, and... well, I'm just not going to muster the focus to read a whole story about art. [Jezebel] * Joel Cohen, Judge Jed S. Rakoff, and Judge Richard Posner debate "alternative facts," because this is now an issue in our crumbling society. [Slate] * Long Island family awarded over $8 million because cops Tased disabled man four times. [New York Law Journal] * Preet Bharara says recently elected Montana Congressperson, Greg 'The Body-Slammer' Gianforte, would "face deportation" if he was an immigrant. [The Hill] * Most respectable publications are reporting on Trump's embarrassing performance in Europe. Do you think that has filtered all the way down to the white supremacist media that is in charge of the country? [Breitbart]

Morning Docket: 04.18.17

* Tyann Sorrell, the woman who accused the former dean of UC Berkeley Law of sexually harassing her, was none too pleased with the settlement that was recently announced by the school. She says the deal, which leaves Sujit Chaudry with tenure and benefits, "insults all who suffer harassment at the hands of those with power and privilege." [Law.com] * "I liked being a judge, but I loved being a lawyer." Judge Kevin Sharp of the Middle District of Tennessee has turned in his robes to become a partner at plaintiffs-side employment and civil rights firm Sanford Heisler, which will now be known as Sanford Heisler Sharp. He's expected to play a critical role in the firm's gender discrimination suit filed against Chadbourne & Parke. [New York Law Journal via ABA Journal] * "I have no problem calling people out in meetings. It’s so bizarre, the excuses people give me why there are not more women in the room, never mind diversity of gender, race or religion." PayPal's top lawyer will quickly find a way to never have to work with your firm ever again if it seems like those who are in charge haven't gotten the message that "a room full of white men" isn't going to get or retain her business. [Big Law Business] * If you're trying to find a way to differentiate your firm from all of the rest, then why not experiment with the fine art that's decorating your office walls? If you want your firm to be branded as home to rebellious lawyers without a cause -- of action? -- then some "naughty" restroom art is in order, like at Phipps Anderson Deacon. [Huffington Post] * Uh-oh! You've been accepted to law school but now it looks like you'll need to defer. This is a pretty useful guide on how to go about navigating a deferral of admission, and it even includes come fun facts, like the schools that won't grant deferrals except for extremely extenuating circumstances. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News]

No, The ‘Charging Bull’ Artist Can’t Force Anyone To Take Down ‘Fearless Girl’

Won't someone think of the white guys that this woman is hurting?

The Met Goes Public Domain With CC0, But It Shouldn’t Have To

The tragedy of modern copyright law is that they even had to do this.

Morning Docket: 04.20.16

* Puff, puff, pass the vote! In honor of today's nationwide holiday for cannabis aficionados, these are all of the states that have legalized marijuana, be it for either recreational or medical use. This year, at least 10 more states may legalize weed by ballot referendum for recreational use, and pot could be rescheduled by the Drug Enforcement Agency depending on the outcome of the upcoming election. [Refinery 29] * Members of student activist group Reclaim Harvard Law have demanded that the prestigious law school eliminate tuition completely. They propose that the school dip into its endowment to cover tuition, or cut costs like faculty salaries to make debt-free legal education a reality. This won't happen, but it's a nice thought. [Harvard Crimson] * The ABA is investigating Brigham Young Law's policy of expelling ex-Mormon students. Per ABA guidelines, law schools can't discriminate on the basis of religion, and yet the BYU honor code requires students to get annual endorsements from LDS Church members -- endorsements for which former Mormons aren't eligible. [WSJ Law Blog] * Pharma bro Martin Shkreli was dropped from a lawsuit related to his purchase of the only copy of the Wu-Tang Clan's latest album, "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin." It's likely plaintiff Jason Koza, who claims his art was used for the album without his approval, dumped Shkreli due to a purchase-agreement indemnity clause. [New York Post] * Because a judge reduced his manslaughter conviction to criminally negligent homicide at the last minute, former NYPD Officer Peter Liang will not serve jail time for the 2014 shooting death of Akai Gurley. Liang once faced up to 15 years in prison, but instead he was sentenced to five years of probation and 800 hours of community service. [CNN]

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Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.