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When disputes cannot be resolved through negotiation, our lawyers are able and aggressive advocates before administrative agencies and in the courtroom. Our cases frequently involve novel legal issues presented by the intersection of new media and intellectual property law and involve coordination with economists, linguists, and experts in fields such as consumer surveys, Internet and digital technologies and business marketing. The firm is also prepared to use all available legal tools to combat cyberattacks involving the theft of intellectual property.
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REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

  • Representing religious television producers and syndicators before the Copyright Royalty Board of the Library of Congress in proceedings to determine the allocation of hundreds of millions of dollars in annual cable and satellite royalties.

  • Representing The Ellen G. White Estate in litigation in Maryland and coordinating with local counsel in litigation in Australia against an Australian citizen who hacked into the secure database of the Estate and stole previously-unpublished and copyrighted works of Ms. White (1827-1915), a co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

  • Representing Crystal Cathedral Ministries in a copyright infringement claim in federal bankruptcy court by its founder, Reverend Robert Schuller, over ownership of the “Hour of Power” television series. The litigation resulted in a ruling that Reverend Schuller created the works as an employee of the Ministries and, that, therefore, the Ministries is their rightful owner.

  • Defending Kardwell International, a family-owned entertainment company, against allegations that Kardwell sold casino gaming layouts which infringed the copyright and trademark rights of mega-corporation Shuffle Master International.

  • Representing 88 LLC, a D.C. area multi-media production company, in a copyright and breach of contract suit against the Army contractor which had engaged it to create video modules to educate soldiers, their families and medics about traumatic brain injuries.

  • Representing a satellite resale carrier in landmark litigation that established the cable industry’s right to deliver superstation programming to millions of cable subscribers.

  • Litigating in federal court on behalf of plaintiffs, including:

  • Legendary soul singer Sam Moore alleging that the 2008 film Soul Men infringed his trademarks, persona and publicity rights.

  • Los Angeles screenwriter Yolanda Buggs against Dreamworks Animation and Paramount Pictures alleging copyright infringement of a screenplay she wrote as a graduate student at the American Film Institute.

  • The creators of the award-winning STOMP ROCKET® toy against the manufacturers/importers and distributors of a knock-off, and also against national retailer Toys “R” Us, Inc. following that chain’s sale of a similar air rocket toy under an allegedly infringing name.


  • Defending a client’s contextual marketing program using “pop-up” ads from claims of trademark and copyright infringement.

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  • Filing numerous amici briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Courts of Appeal on behalf of national library and educational associations concerning provisions of copyright law that govern copyright term and the rights of freelance authors, photographers and publishers to control the electronic republication of works and on behalf of economics professors in a peer-to-peer file-sharing case.

  • Defending a software company’s sale and distribution of innovative DVD backup and restoration software and the public’s fair use rights.

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  • Guiding litigation in Europe establishing the precedent of moral rights protection for American filmmakers.

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  • Representing Music Makers Holdings LLC in a trademark infringement dispute with the operator of a New York music school over the ownership and use of the mark BACH TO ROCK for music education services, including managing trademark filings and domain name acquisitions for the company and the acquisition of pre-existing rights to the mark.

  • Successfully concluding the qcopyright infringement and false advertising claim of Mary Buck, a jewelry designer whose work was improperly exploited in print advertising and online by Vera Wang’s company.

  • Successfully resolving a suit by Rudy K, a prominent Washington, D.C. photographer, against The Washington Blade, a leading newspaper for the gay and lesbian community for qcopyright infringement and breach of contract claims involving multiple unauthorized reproductions of his photographs in print and online.

  • Securing cancellation of the trademark registration for FUTURE on behalf of online gaming company Future Ads.

      • MORE REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS