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The Entertainment Industry And Media Law

Media companies go to great lengths to keep copyright infringement from lowering their profits. The Internet has made it possible for consumers to downloaded copyrighted material, but the legal teams of these companies are helping to change media laws and prosecute them for their crimes.

Military Law Cases, Codes and Penalties

Members of the armed forces are trained to defend and protect the United States. Military law is used to reprimand soldiers that have misused their authority or violated the rules and regulations of their infantries.

The Scope Of Mesothelioma Cases

There is no cure for Mesothelioma, a disease that is only developed after being exposed to asbestos for a long period of time. Employers that do not take adequate safety precautions can be sued in civil court or even prosecuted if their employees come down with the disease.

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The Entertainment Industry And Media Law

Television stations, news outlets, production companies, newspapers and other various businesses in the entertainment industry use media law to prevent unauthorized parties from accessing their works. Any time licensed content is used to benefit an unauthorized party a media lawyer will be retained. Some media companies have hired entire legal teams in order to monitor, sue and prosecute suspected offenders. This includes employees that attempt to leak licensed materials to be public before the scheduled release date and individuals that sell unlicensed copies of movies and CDs for a profit.

Those that infringe on the copyrights of media companies are also subject to prosecution under federal law. Licensed materials such as movies and CDs frequently come with warning labels that tell the purchaser what is and is not allowed under the law. Any other type of physical or digital product that bears the trademark of a company or individual also falls under media law. Counterfeiting involves the production of a product that is virtually identical to that of an officially trademarked item in the attempt to defraud both consumers and the manufacturer. Some brands are heavily counterfeited and individuals that are convicted of this type of crime are usually a part of a larger criminal ring.

Intellectual property and the Internet is a heavily debated topic. Because users accessing the web come from all over the world and international Internet laws have been enacted some companies spend billions of dollars to do their own policing. Fore instance, there are no trademark laws in Taiwan, which means that any individual can legally copy, distribute or sell a product that is licensed in the US or other countries. If the purchasers reside in countries that have copyright laws then can still be prosecuted.

Entertainers that are not represented by a media company may retain media lawyers if they feel that their copyrighted materials have been stolen or misused. These types of cases are usually heard in civil court. Singers, actors and producers have also been known to sue other members of the entertainment industry if their images have been damaged. This can include libel and slander. Judges frequent issue what is known as a 'gag order,' which is when both parties are restricted from making statements to the press that have anything to do with the pending cases. Production companies may also sue entertainers in cases that involve breach of contract or misrepresentation.

02.12.2009. 14:12


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