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The new rules behind the headlines, and what they mean for your next deal.

Retro illustration of a gold record beside a brass seal and a certificate with a red wax seal, for a post on Taylor Swift's trademark filings

Word for Word

IP & Trademarks

Taylor Swift’s Trademark Playbook

Legal Kitty™

Meet Legal Kitty

Deals

Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine Buyback

Retro 1970s illustration of a darkroom with a photo enlarger casting light on a contact sheet and a film strip hanging to dry, for a post on AI-altered creator ads

AI & Likeness

AI Altered Your Ad Face? The Clause That Should Have Stopped It

Retro illustration of an open briefcase of cash, a folded parachute pack and a glass of whiskey on a private-jet seat at sunset, for a post on the golden parachute excise tax

Money & Residency

Who Pays for Zaslav’s Exit?

Retro illustration of a 1970s porch at golden hour, with a vintage microphone on a stand beside an empty wooden rocking chair holding a cowboy hat, for a post on sound mark trademarks

IP & Trademarks

Alright, Alright, Trademarked

Retro illustration of a 1970s teenager's desk, with a gold piggy bank, a stack of coins, a rotary phone and a vintage TV showing a burst of confetti, for a post on MrBeast's Step acquisition and the FDIC ad rule

Deals

MrBeast Meets the FDIC

Retro illustration of a desert highway at dusk, a convertible packed with suitcases beside a blank road sign

Money & Residency

The Date That Already Passed

Retro illustration of stacks of poker chips, a glowing ring light and a smartphone on a tripod amid gold confetti on a studio desk, for a post on FTC endorsement rules and influencer ad disclosure

Deals

Polymarket and the Missing #Ad

Retro illustration of a bright pink dressing room with a gold Hollywood vanity mirror ringed with bulbs, an empty velvet chair and a script on marble, for a post on the SAG-AFTRA 2026 contract's AI terms

Unions & Contracts

SAG-AFTRA’s New AI Rules

Retro illustration of a varsity jacket, a ribbon-tied stack of papers, a whistle and a football on a locker-room table at golden hour, for a post on NIL Go's valid business purpose test

Deals

The $582M NIL Test

Off the clock

Watch Legal Kitty

Retro illustration of an empty ballpark at dusk, a baseball on a dugout rail beside a gate locked with a chain and brass padlock, for a post on the MLB lockout and player endorsements

Unions & Contracts

The Lockout Clock and Sponsors

Retro illustration of an empty 1970s movie palace, with a stack of gilded film canisters and an open ledger on a red velvet seat under a spotlight, for a post on the Michael Jackson estate tax likeness valuation

Money & Residency

Pricing Michael Jackson’s Likeness

Retro illustration of two matching gold hand mirrors and pink peonies on a marble vanity by a sunny Paris window, for a post on the EU AI Act deepfake disclosure rule

AI & Likeness

The EU’s Deepfake Label

AI & Likeness

Licensing Your AI Twin

Retro illustration of a gilded mirror reflecting a film reel above a dressing table, for a post on digital replica contracts

AI & Likeness

Your Digital Replica Contract

Retro illustration of a single cream jar and gold coins in a velvet-lined display case, for a post on the Rhode earnout clause

Deals

rhode’s Earnout, Year One

Retro illustration of a 1970s darkroom glowing red, with a brass loupe on a strip of film negatives, a slide projector and blank prints on a clothesline, for a post on the California AI Transparency Act and AI detection tools

AI & Likeness

California’s AI Detector Rule

Retro illustration of a glowing vintage switchboard with patch cords and a gold record resting on a velvet stool, for a post on the .TAYLORSWIFT domain and the UDRP

IP & Trademarks

What .TAYLORSWIFT Means for You

Retro illustration of a Hollywood hillside estate at dusk behind wrought-iron gates and palms, with a brass key on a burgundy velvet cushion in the foreground, for a post on the Measure ULA mansion tax

Money & Residency

The City’s Cut of a Mansion

Retro illustration of a leather ledger, a gold pen and a whisky glass on a desk at golden hour, for a post on rollover equity in the BÉIS sale

Deals

BÉIS and the Rollover

Retro illustration of a 1970s voting booth with a red velvet curtain half drawn, blank ballot cards, a pen and a brass balance scale on the desk, for a post on the California Prop 42 retroactive tax and its clash with Props 41 and 40

Money & Residency

The Prop 40 Kill Switch?

Retro illustration of a turntable, a stack of leather-bound books, a brass desk lamp and a reel-to-reel tape machine on a wooden desk at night, for a post on AI training and fair use

IP & Trademarks

The AI Fair-Use Loss

Retro illustration of a gold trophy and a basketball on an arena court under a spotlight beside an empty chair draped with a warm-up jacket, for a post on the WNBA CBA's sponsor and endorsement clause

Unions & Contracts

The Clause Above Every Deal

Retro illustration of a 1970s campaign office at night, with blank campaign buttons across a desk, a vintage TV showing colourful static and a microphone beneath striped bunting, for a post on California AI political ad disclosure rules

AI & Likeness

The ’Obviously a Cartoon’ Rule

Retro illustration of a 1970s Las Vegas dressing room, with a bulb-lit vanity mirror, a feathered showgirl headdress, a sequined fan and a stack of records, for a post on the Taylor Swift Life of a Showgirl trademark lawsuit

IP & Trademarks

Trademarking an Album Title

Retro illustration of a 1970s recording studio at night, with a vintage ribbon microphone, a reel-to-reel tape machine and a gold theater mask on a velvet stool under a spotlight, for a post on the NO FAKES Act 2026 and federal preemption

AI & Likeness

NO FAKES, One Objection

Retro illustration of an empty concert hall stage under warm spotlights, with rows of chairs and music stands, a conductor's podium and red velvet seats, for a post on the Cleveland Orchestra strike and NLRA notice rules

Unions & Contracts

The Strike Clock, Explained

AI & Likeness

Whose Face Is Neytiri?

Retro illustration of a reel-to-reel tape deck, a ribbon-tied leather folder, a fountain pen and an empty picture frame on a mahogany desk, for a post on post-mortem right of publicity and domicile

Money & Residency

Robert Palmer’s Likeness Deal

Retro illustration of a sunlit pink and cream studio with a white reel-to-reel deck, pink headphones and a small gold padlock on a marble table, for a post on the Suno lawsuit 2026 and its anti-hacking claim

IP & Trademarks

Suno’s Anti-Hacking Problem

Retro illustration of a 1970s seaside mansion porch at dusk, with two empty wicker chairs, a wall calendar, a bundle of mail and a lighthouse in the distance, for a post on the Rhode Island Taylor Swift tax and the 183-day rule

Money & Residency

The 183-Day Second-Home Tax

Retro illustration of a 1970s disco at closing time, with a mirror ball over an empty dance floor, two records on a turntable console and a single high heel left behind, for a post on the Sam Smith Dancing With a Stranger lawsuit

IP & Trademarks

Striking Similarity, No Access

Retro illustration of a 1970s shop counter with a display card of gold stars, a magnifying glass and a vintage brass cash register, for a post on the FTC Consumer Review Rule

Deals

Celebrity Reviews, FTC Rules

Retro illustration of a 1970s arena tunnel, with a garment rack holding a plaid suit and a fur-collared coat, platform boots and a hockey stick against the wall, for a post on the NHL CBA's contract length and dress code rules

Unions & Contracts

Shorter Deals, Freer Fits

Retro illustration of an empty 1970s TV commercial set, with a vintage studio camera facing a spotlit stage, a velvet stool, a perfume bottle on a podium and a blank monitor, for a post on synthetic performer disclosure in ads

AI & Likeness

Label the AI Actor

Retro illustration of a 1970s ballpark dugout at dusk, with a leather glove, a baseball and a short stack of plain poker chips under stadium lights, for a post on MLB player sportsbook endorsements

Deals

Can a Player Sell a Sportsbook?

Retro illustration of a 1970s soccer pitch at golden hour, with a ball on the penalty spot, an empty goal and a vintage arcade cabinet at the edge of the field, for a post on the USL CBA's 12-month contracts and group licensing

Unions & Contracts

A Cut of Their Game Faces

Retro illustration of a cozy 1970s home studio at night, with a glowing animation light table holding sketches of a dragon's wing beside a window on a quiet street, for a post on DreamWorks remote animators' first union contract

Unions & Contracts

LA Pay, No LA Move

Retro illustration of a typewriter, tied scripts and a rotary phone on a writers' room table at night, for a post on the WGA 2026 MBA's AI training notice

Unions & Contracts

Notice, Not a Check

Retro illustration of a 1970s boutique window at night, with a gold owl figurine on a velvet cushion, a brass key on a ribbon and a plain shopping bag, for a post on OVO's IP sale to Authentic Brands and Vince

Deals

Drake’s $3 Store Sale

Retro illustration of a quiet 1970s rehearsal room, with a music stand holding a closed score, a baton, and a violin case on a velvet chair, for a post on the Boston Symphony Orchestra's 2026 contract

Unions & Contracts

A Vote on the Next Maestro

Retro illustration of an empty stadium owner's box at dusk, with a ribbon-tied stack of sealed envelopes and a flip calendar on the desk, for a post on deferred compensation and state tax

Money & Residency

Who Taxes the Dodgers’ Deferrals?

Retro illustration of a sunlit cream porch with a white rocking chair, a blush throw, an acoustic guitar and a pink notebook on a gold side table, for a post on AI music copyright and human authorship

IP & Trademarks

Who Owns an AI Hit?

Retro illustration of a 1970s office desk at night with a rotary phone, a blank flip calendar, a desk lamp, a wall clock and a padlocked filing cabinet, for a post on the TAKE IT DOWN Act's 48-hour removal rule

AI & Likeness

48 Hours to Take It Down

Retro illustration of a 1970s living room set up for filming, with a ring light, a camera on a tripod, an orange sofa, toy blocks and a piggy bank in a toy vault, for a post on Colorado's child influencer law

Money & Residency

The Kids’ Cut Goes in Trust

Retro illustration of a vintage microphone, an empty glass soda bottle on a wooden stool and a glowing VU meter in a recording studio, for a post on Tennessee's ELVIS Act and sound-alike ads

AI & Likeness

Sound-Alikes and the ELVIS Act

Retro illustration of a 1970s TV studio set at night, with a glass tip jar of coins and folded bills beside a vintage microphone and a glowing studio light, for a post on no tax on tips: content creators and which tips qualify

Money & Residency

Which Creator Tips Count

Retro illustration of a 1970s soundstage, with an empty director's chair holding a film reel beside a vintage camera on a dolly and a glowing monitor, for a post on the DGA 2026 contract's AI terms

Unions & Contracts

AI Is Not a Person

Retro illustration of a sunlit pink boardroom with two cream folios and gold pens on a marble table, champagne on ice and a film reel, for a post on the Disney OpenAI deal

Deals

Disney and OpenAI’s $1B Off-Ramp

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