The JBIPL Blog offers a forum for our Editors and Staff to expand our coverage of developments in both business and IP law. The Blog will provide short entries analyzing current cases, trends and issues in business and IP law. The Blog has won the The Expert Institute's 2015 and 2016 Best Legal Blog Contest for Education and Law School Blogs.
Posted: November 22nd, 2021
By: Ben Suslavich
In 2015, DeepMind, owned by Alphabet, developed Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) AlphaGo to beat the reigning three-time European Champion, Fan Hui, in the board game “Go.” This victory marked a milestone in the development of AI because of the complexity of the game. Continue reading »
Posted: November 15th, 2021
By: Jacob Parrott
The world of college athletics changed forever on July 1, 2021. That day, new rules went into effect allowing college athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness (“NIL”). Many would agree this change was long overdue. Continue reading »
Posted: October 11th, 2021
By: Seth Elizondo
As the 2020 Tokyo Olympics concluded for the summer, a new copyright issue came to the forefront of entertainment law. Félix “xQc” Lengyel, one of the most popular content creators on the livestreaming platform Twitch, received a copyright strike under the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”). Continue reading »
Posted: July 20th, 2021
By: Hannah Norem
After a year-long delay, the 2020—now 2021—Tokyo Olympic Games will begin July 23. However, these Games are incredibly unpopular in Japan, the host nation, and raise public health questions around the world. COVID-19 is still ravaging many parts of the world, and some are concerned about the safety of bringing thousands of athletes together and then sending them back to their home countries.
Posted: July 13th, 2021
By: Michaela Cappucci
The commercial use of personal data—accumulated via digital streams, online searches and applications that capture an individual’s musical tastes and listening habits—drives the way music is commoditized, consumed and promoted. This data is used by (1) record labels to determine which artists to sign and which to drop, (2) music streaming services to deliver content to listeners, and (3) concert promoters to route artists’ concert tours.
Posted: August 19th, 2020
By: Gabe Marx
The sports world has gone head-to-head with the NCAA for over a decade, arguing that college athletes should be allowed to benefit fully for their on-field success in the form of compensation for their name, image, and likeness (“NIL”). Despite consistent pushback, both legal and societal, the battle for NIL compensation has been slow developing as the NCAA’s amateurism rules have long prevented athletes from receiving such compensation. In the past month, however, the five largest and most impactful NCAA athletic conferences known as “the Power 5” (Big 10, SEC, Big 12, Pac 12, and ACC) joined forces to produce a new piece of legislation entitled the “Student-Athlete Equity Act of 2020,” once again spurring the debate about the NIL rights of student-athletes.
Posted: March 29th, 2020
By: Hannah Weiss
TikTok.com
US officials are conducting a national security review of TikTok, a popular app that allows users to share short videos and video clips. This is part of a growing trend of high-profile transactions being reviewed for national security conflicts as foreign companies seeking to invest in the United States are facing increasing scrutiny. Evincing this, in 2018, President Trump signed off on the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA). Continue reading »
Posted: February 26th, 2020
By: Nathaniel Reiff
The “eternal conflict” of athletic departments fostering a for-profit business model while adhering to the nonprofit educational mission of the NCAA and its umbrella of public universities has captured the interest of both federal and state lawmakers.
Up to 30 states are considering proposals that would lay the foundation for student-athlete compensation. This initiative comes after California passed a law in 2019 that would allow NCAA players in the state to make endorsements or bid merchandise without jeopardizing their scholarships or eligibility.
Posted: February 25th, 2020
By: Olivia Bane
Michael Grace Jr. will moderate the Athletes as Employees: Analyzing the Business Implications of the “Pay-for-Play” Model panel at the Wake Forest Journal of Business & Intellectual Property Law’s Spring 2020 symposium. Michael’s practice focuses on business and finance, securities, and mergers and acquisitions. He is a first-year associate in Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton’s Winston-Salem office. Prior to joining Kilpatrick Townsend, Michael spent several years as legal counsel at the Supreme Court of North Carolina, where he provided legal support to the Honorable Chief Justice Mark Martin in his role as head of the North Carolina Judicial Branch. Previously, Mr. Grace served as a Judicial Law Clerk for Chief Justice Martin.
Posted: February 24th, 2020
By: Brian Lewis
Mason P. Ashe wears many hats. An experienced sports and entertainment attorney, talent manager, brand strategist, and educator, Mr. Ashe brings over 25 years of experience in the legal and business arenas to best serve his clients, community, and students. As Founder and CEO of Ashe Sports & Entertainment Consulting, Inc., Ashe has structured and negotiated deals related to athlete and entertainer engagement, executive compensation, digital content licensing, and many other agreements associated with the scouting, marketing, management, employment, and commercialization of talent in the sports and entertainment industries globally. Ashe earned a BA degree in Psychology from Hamilton College, and a Juris Doctor degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School.
