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Month: July, 2021
Devin McRae Speaks to IndieWire, TheWrap and Yahoo! Finance About Scarlett Johansson’s Groundbreaking Lawsuit Against Disney
Category: Press | Thursday, July 29th, 2021 | Comments Off on Devin McRae Speaks to IndieWire, TheWrap and Yahoo! Finance About Scarlett Johansson’s Groundbreaking Lawsuit Against Disney
In the latest example of how COVID-19 has dramatically altered the landscape of the entertainment industry, actress Scarlett Johansson has filed suit against Disney, alleging that the studio broke its contract with her (and drastically reduced her earnings potential) by releasing the Marvel Cinematic Universe film “Black Widow” on the Disney+ streaming platform the same day as it premiered in theaters.
Devin McRae spoke to several prominent media outlets about the lawsuit, shedding light on why Johansson’s case may have real merit and why it’s likely not going to be the only such suit of its kind. “It appears that she’s got a strong case of liability and the only kind of issue really appears to be her ability to prove damages,” Devin told TheWrap and IndieWire. Upon examining the details of the suit, including the existence of correspondence between Marvel and Johansson promising that the film would be widely theatrically released, Devin commented to Yahoo! Finance that the circumstances make Marvel look “pretty bad.”
“I think that we will see an immediate change in new deals,” remarked Devin. He continued to explain that moving forward, talent and producer contracts may be renegotiated to reflect hybrid release plans and to “work in protections for decisions like this.”
For more of Devin’s insight on the bombshell suit, read the articles below.
TheWrap (Subscribers only)
Devin McRae Named to Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2021 “Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys” List
Category: Awards | Monday, July 12th, 2021 | Comments Off on Devin McRae Named to Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2021 “Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys” List
Name partner Devin McRae has been named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s list of “Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Lawyers” for 2021. Devin was recognized for his recent successful matters, including the representation of Shannen Doherty in her bad faith action against State Farm, set for trial in July 2021. Additionally, the LABJ highlighted Devin’s representation of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) attorney and screenwriter Nick May in his lawsuit alleging that “Ozark” co-creator Mark Williams wrongfully claimed a writing credit on the upcoming film “Blacklight.”
Bryan Sullivan’s Article “Donald Trump Sues Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, CEOs In Latest Social Media Battle” Published in Forbes
Category: News, Press | Thursday, July 8th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan’s Article “Donald Trump Sues Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, CEOs In Latest Social Media Battle” Published in Forbes
Bryan Sullivan’s article on former president Donald Trump’s class-action lawsuits against Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, and their CEOs, Jack Dorsey, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sundar Pichai, was published to Forbes on July 8, 2021. In the article, Bryan examines the details of Trump’s lawsuit targeting the tech and media companies, their protections under Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, and their subsequent ability to operate their businesses on their own terms. Bryan also highlights the potential outcomes of the case and what this could mean for Big Tech companies in the future.
The full article can be found below.
Donald Trump Sues Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, CEOs In Latest Social Media Battle.
Bryan Sullivan’s Article “Amazon, Netflix, And Major Hollywood Studios File Massive Suit Against Rogue Copyright Infringer Jason Tusa” Published In Forbes
Category: News, Press | Thursday, July 8th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan’s Article “Amazon, Netflix, And Major Hollywood Studios File Massive Suit Against Rogue Copyright Infringer Jason Tusa” Published In Forbes
In an article published by Forbes on July 8, 2021, Bryan Sullivan examines a new copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Amazon, Netflix, and studios including Warner Brothers, Universal, Sony, Columbia, Disney, and Paramount against serial copyright infringer Jason Tusa. In the article, Bryan details the complaint against Tusa, who, after the shutdown of illegal streaming platform Area 51, has allegedly rebranded three additional illegal streaming platforms despite prior litigation and agreements to cease infringing. In addition, Bryan highlights several other major copyright infringement lawsuits and discusses the possible outcomes of this most recent suit based on Tusa’s history and the demands of the plaintiffs.
The full article can be found below.
Deadline Covers Early Sullivan Client Enderby Entertainment’s Premiere of New Film on NFT Platform
Category: News, Press | Wednesday, July 7th, 2021 | Comments Off on Deadline Covers Early Sullivan Client Enderby Entertainment’s Premiere of New Film on NFT Platform
Bryan Sullivan recently represented Enderby Entertainment in a deal to premiere the film “No Contact,” starring Anthony Hopkins, on the new NFT (non-fungible token) platform Vuele this summer. The deal is being reported as possibly the first time a full-length feature film has been offered for sale as an NFT.
Vuele is a partnership between fintech firm CurrencyWorks and Enderby Entertainment. Vuele users can watch, trade or sell content using cryptocurrency or traditional credit cards, giving the platform an opportunity to usher in new and cutting-edge revenue streams for the film industry. “No Contact” will be available via several “drops” over the summer, each of which will feature additional exclusive content and vary in price point.
Read the full article here.
Devin McRae Quoted in Yahoo! Finance on the Future of Bill Cosby’s Sitcom Empire
Category: News, Press | Thursday, July 1st, 2021 | Comments Off on Devin McRae Quoted in Yahoo! Finance on the Future of Bill Cosby’s Sitcom Empire
Devin McRae spoke with Yahoo! Finance about the future of Bill Cosby’s television sitcom empire now that Pennsylvania’s highest court has overturned the comedian’s sexual assault conviction. In the article, entitled “Overturned Cosby conviction ‘far from an exoneration’ with $400M empire at stake,” Devin explains that Cosby’s contract likely makes him still eligible to receive royalty payments from his hit sitcoms should they be sold or broadcast.
“You typically wouldn’t have a forfeiture like that based on any morals clause,” says Devin. “If [the studio] wants to prevent him from profiting, they would simply not sell the show and just shelve it.”
Read the full article.