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Wednesday, May 22, 2013
New sports law scholarship -- Pt. 1 I'm finally getting caught up with recently published scholarship, and since it's been a while since I've posted these updates, I'm breaking up the list into parts over the next few days: Tara M. Allport, Comment, This is hardcore: why the court should have granted a writ of mandamus compelling mandatory condom use to decrease transmission of HIV and STDs in the adult film industry, 19 VILLANOVA SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT LAW JOURNAL 655 (2012) Phoebe A. Amberg, Comment, Protecting kids’ melons: potential liability and enforcement issues with youth concussion laws, 23 MARQUETTE SPORTS LAW REVIEW171 (2012) Brenda L. Ambrosius, Note, Title IX: creating unequal equality through application of the proportionality standard in collegiate athletics, 46 VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW 557 (2012) Trisha Ananiades, Penalty on the field: creating a NCAA sexual assault policy, 19 VILLANOVA SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT LAW JOURNAL 463 (2012) Paul M. Anderson, Title IX at Forty: an introduction and historical review of forty legal developments that shaped gender equity law, 22 MARQUETTE SPORTS LAW REVIEW 325 (2012) Hart v. Electronic Arts: First Amendment Does Not Trump the Right of Publicity In adopting and applying the transformative use test for balancing the First Amendment against the right of publicity, yesterday the Third Circuit ruled in Hart v. Electronic Arts that the First Amendment does NOT trump the players' right of publicity in the context of video game use of their likenesses. The court's 62-page opinion is here and it is a fascinating read for those of you who, like me, have an interest in right of publicity law. Courts that have rejected professional athletes' right of publicity claims in various contexts (such as fantasy league use and parody trading card use) have sometimes highlighted the fact that "they are already handsomely compensated." While in my view this has no relevance in evaluating a professional athlete's right of publicity claim, the Third Circuit in a footnote (pg. 23 of the opinion) points out that it is obviously inapplicable to right of publicity cases involving amateur athletes: "If anything, the policy considerations in this case weigh in favor of [the athletes]. As we have already noted, intercollegiate athletes are forbidden from capitalizing on their fame while in school." The right of publicity claim in the O'Bannon/Keller consolidated case is pending appeal on the opposite side of the country in the Ninth Circuit. The district court in that case has already ruled that the First Amendment does not trump the players' right of publicity in the context of video game use. It would surprise me if the Ninth Circuit does not ultimately uphold the district court's ruling. But even if the Ninth Circuit were to reverse the district court, it would result in a split of circuits on this question. The bottom line, therefore, is that this is a highly significant and ground-breaking decision by the Third Circuit in favor of college players. Monday, May 20, 2013
Warren Zola article in Boston Globe Magazine Warren Zola has an outstanding and provocative piece in this past Sunday's Boston Globe Magazine arguing that college athletes should be paid. Be sure to check it out. Saturday, May 18, 2013
"Pros or Cons" Thoughts For The Modern "Sports Attorney" - Part V Sports Law Blog is publishing a 5-part series on the practice of sports law. The series is co-authored by Peter Jarvis, a legal ethics and professional responsibility attorney with Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP in Portland, Oregon and Jason Davis, a California attorney currently residing in Seattle, Washington. These posts will appear on Saturdays. These posts appear on Saturdays. First post can be read at this link, the second at this link, the third at this link, and the fourth at this link. Here is the fifth: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Pros or Cons" Thoughts For The Modern "Sports
Attorney"
Authored by Jason A. Davis, Esq. and Peter R. Jarvis, Esq. (all rights
reserved)
(ARTICLE #5)
Know Your Role
On occasion, an
oversized lineman may find the football bouncing into his arms on a fortunate
bounce from a fumble to which he may then lumber anywhere from a few to more
than he thought he was able, yards into the end zone for an awe-inspiring
score. However, this is not his expertise and far from the position assigned
which he has spent in years of training, practice and preparation.
So what happens
when you find yourself with the "perfect client" but the client needs
work in a field in which you lack essential experience? Do you run with it and
hope for the best? In the alternative, do you take a look at the clock, use
your last time out and confer with the coach?
The prior
installments should suggest the answer. Although a lawyer need not have
sufficient competence to handle a matter before taking it on, the lawyer must
either be prepared to acquire the competence on a timely basis or to bring in
someone who already has the competence. And just as quarterbacks do not
necessarily make the best tackles, so too a lawyer-client team may be best
served if each player fills the role, and only the role, for which that player
has the greatest expertise. An attorney's job is to put the client's goals
first and foremost. And even from the attorney's selfish point of view, time
spent by an attorney to learn what other lawyers already know may be time that
the lawyer simply cannot bill to the client. In other words, both Al and Mega
may be best served if Al is, and remains, quarterback rather than trying to
play eleven positions at once.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Sports Illustrated: The 15 Most Influential Sports Agents For Sports Illustrated, I write and discuss who I consider to be the 15 Most Influential Sports Agents. Here's my entry for Scott Boras, #2: 2. Scott Boras
Boras Corporation President
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