Entries in Entertainment Law (2)
Breaking: Super Bowl Air Traffic Delays Today?
A publicist at CBS who I deal with on my TVChatting TV review and news site says that the air traffic system is in a bottleneck because of everyone trying to get the hell out of Phoenix after the Super Bowl. It is impacting the Late Show with David Letterman’s ability to book guests today and for the next few days.
BTW, Senator Pantsuit, er, Hillary Clinton, is Dave’s guest tonight.
The map below from the FAA shows major delays at just about every major US airport today.
Technorati Tags: air traffic delays, air travel, Hillary Clinton, Dave Letterman, Late Show, CBS, Super Bowl, Phoenix
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Todd Epp
in 2008 Presidential Election, Breaking News, Entertainment Law
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NPR: High Five! Suing "Borat"
National Public Radio has several stories on the new movie "Borat," with several looking at threatened litigation by those who were duped by the phony Kazakhstan reporter.
"I like you! Sign my legal release for movie sexy time!"As someone who has written releases as a lawyer and had people sign them as a TV producer, most of the time they are very straight forward--and very broad in the grant of rights. Also, most of the time, there is no deception involved, i.e., do you want to give S.D. Public TV the right to use your image, voice, etc. in perpetuity for Program X and any derivative works?
What is different here is obviously if people knew they would look like a jackass (of their own making), they wouldn't likely sign. So, is there fraud or misrepresentation involved? I have not seen the releases, but I can't imagine that the movie studio didn't have a brace of contract lawyers review the agreements before they were sent packing with Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) and crew. If there is a provision for the sale or grant derivative rights to others for the interview, then unless there is hanky-panky in getting the person to sign, then it is probably enforceable.
The other calculation in this may be that the movie studio assumed it would have to settle some cases of people who felt duped and that cost is built into the movie's production costs.
Oh, how's the movie? My wife Donna and I saw it Saturday night. I thought it was extremely funny (and rude and cheeky) and, as Borat would say, give it a "High Five!" My wife absolutely hated it and said they only reason she stayed to the end was because she loved me. (I'm a lucky guy!) The audience Saturday night was mostly college-aged people and they laughed their butts off.
I can't wait for one of Cohen's other characters, Bruno, the gay Austrian fashionista, to star in the sequel.
Todd Epp
in Entertainment Law
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