Heitner Legal
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has ruled that cheerleader uniforms are eligible for federal copyright protection. Varsity Brands, Inc., Varsity Spirit Corporation, Varsity Spirit Fashions & Supplies, Inc. sued Star Athletica, LLC alleging five counts of copyright infringement in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee […]
Wilson Sporting Goods Co. has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. in the Northern District of Illinois. Wilson holds two patents, United States Patent No. 8,460,135 which was issued for game ball cover with improved stripes and/or logos & United States Patent No. 8,905,876 which was issued for a game […]
Russell Okung, All-Pro left tackle, made news by announcing that he had fired his agent and would be negotiating his next contract without agent representation. Okung is set to become a free agent next offseason and figures to have a long list of suitors including his current team, the Seattle Seahawks. Okung says, “I know my worth. […]
ESports, also known as competitive gaming, has gone from an industry mostly featuring amateurs to an industry with professional players and now even includes the creation and maintenance of professional teams. Professional gamers on teams may receive a salary, tournament prizes and team sponsors sometimes cover travel expenses as well as gaming hardware. On top of […]
Unmanned aerial vehicles, better known as drones, have been a hot topic in the news in recent years. More businesses are finding ways to utilize drones to become more efficient and to lower costs while also providing new angles to view the world. No doubt, the sports industry and the broadcasting industry know the benefits […]
Academic misconduct has been become a major issue for the NCAA and it is considering tougher academic integrity policies in light of recent investigations and scandals. In January 2015, the NCAA announced that it was conducting an investigation on 20 schools, 18 of which being Division I, for academic misconduct. The academic misconduct scandal at the […]
One of the most publicized legal issues in Sports Law today deals with athletes’ right to publicity, and the infringement on these rights by companies seeking to capitalize on player names, images, and likenesses. The elements of a Right of Publicity claim vary from state to state, but there is a good deal of overlap […]
While American law is less than 250 years old, some of the expressions used in the U.S. legal system come from a time much older. Latin phrases, such as per stirpes, malum in se, malum prohibitum, and de facto are all still used in American law today. Another such phrase, pari passu, is used as […]
With the NFL Draft just passing and the NBA Draft looming, one thing to pay attention to is how many athletes start their own nonprofit organizations after they sign their first professional contracts. A nonprofit organization is a charitable organization that does not exist to create a profit. There are a number of reasons why […]
A Manhattan, New York federal jury cleared HBO of defamation charges on May 8th that had been brought by Mitre Sports International, a British sportswear and equipment supplier. HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” aired a segment in 2008, “Children of Industry” that accused Mitre Sports of exploiting child labor as part of its soccer […]