FASHION WAR LAWSUITS

“Lulu lemon’s Vs. Calvin Klein”

Reviewing this case on copyrights Luluemon’s is suing Calvin Klein for copycatting its active wear  “Astro” Yoga Pants collection.  As we are aware, in today’s fashion industry it is hard to sue a company for patent or copyrights infringement. However today we have seen that numerous companies have taken the step to make this issue know that if done they are taken action.  I find that these cases are creating an evolving trend block. Think about it, if more companies start suing other fashion companies and designers then every season new and advance market trends will start to decline. The Fashion industry is one of the leading industry and with new ideas and creativity our market grows. If companies can’t keep up with change then all the wars and lawsuits over whom copycatting their lines will be unnecessary. However I can relate to Lululemon’s wanting to set a standard on what is right but this lawsuit will result in nothing, unless we as consumers have the government dictates what we wear.

“Navajo Nation Vs. Urban Outfitters clothing line”

“The Navajo Nation filed lawsuit against Urban Outfitters of the use of the Navajo name on clothing. This as we know is called trademark infringement in the use of the Navajo name and trademark of its popular clothing and fashion items. Some of the controversial items in the Navajo line included panties and a liquor flask”. After reviewing this case I can understand the Navajo concerns regarding Urban Outfitters line and how it has infringe on its name and culture. However I give urban outfitter credit for coming up which such great collection and its creativity and feel that both parties can come to some form of agreement. Yes, They did trademark infringe upon the name, but in this case it seem to me that its more about the culture and it concerns for usage of the Tribes name without permission. If Urban Outfitters gave the tribe some form of recognition with the collection I believe the lawsuit would be avoided. However there is a lot of money to be made from this collection and maybe wise for Urban Outfitter to put together a contract giving the tribe recognition and a percentage of it sales to one of its foundation. This is just my opinion.

“Will. I. Am Gets Sued for 2Million For Fashion Fall Out”

Black Eyed Peas star Will. I. AM, allegedly broke a contract with I. AM. Clothing. They are suing him for 2 million dollars.  The company claims that the performer had a contract with them until 2016; well the performer claims that the contract was over and done with. Well if the contract was signed in 2010 and expires in 2016 then the artist is liable and this is considered a breach of contract. I.AM.Clothing stated that the artist agreed to loan is name for Marketing and design purposes. Companies investing millions of dollars in endorsement deals with artists, found that many performers tend to back out of contracts that ultimately put the company in financial risks and hardship. I feel that Will. I. AM is responsible for backing out of this contract and should pay the 2 million if he signed on to the terms and agreements listed in the contract.

SOURCE:

http://www.ballerstatus.com/2012/04/12/clothing-company-sues-will-i-am-for-2-million/

http://business.financialpost.com/2012/09/05/why-the-entire-fashion-industry-is-watching-lululemons-lawsuit-against-calvin-klein/

http://www.elawsuit.com/2012/05/07/navajo-nation-files-lawsuit-over-urban-outfitters-clothing-line.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQTgvbMe6yM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2ZVSQz4ksQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2ZVSQz4ksQ

FAME ROCKS FASHION WEEK 2013 PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY 

FOR FEBRUARY 2013

 FASHION WEEK EVENT. 

When you hear the word “FAME” the first thing that comes to mind are celebrities, media, and high profile guests. Then combine that with “Rocks Fashion” you get music, talent, world-class entertainment, high-end fashion, and designers. The New York Fame presents FAME ROCKS FASHION WEEK  “ROAD TO FAME”.

FAME ROCKS FASHION WEEK Partners with charitable organization twice a year to enhance visibility and awareness of their cause. Fame Rocks Fashion Week provides a platform for emerging talent to showcase their line as well as merge fashion with other areas of art & Entertainment. Each season during New York Fashion Week, THE NEW YORK FAME becomes a high-end, full service property strategically executed to create an unprecedented amount of media buzz and daily traffic, located in the heart of Manhattan.

Since 2010, we have worked with the Twin Towers Orphan Fund & Music Unites Foundation. I have established this show with my years of experience working with clients such as Maurice Dubois, Diana Ross, Keith David, and Maria Snyder, which ultimately led me to the growing empire I manage today.

I have included a link to our sizzle reel highlights of our past shows.  http://youtu.be/7p7reXRYEgk

I have also included our Sponsorship Proposal and Exclusive Invite for your review. 

I appreciate your time and consideration and look forward to speaking with you regarding your participation in the  “THE ROAD TO FAME” reality show  & FAME ROCKS FASHION WEEK Sponsorship opportunity for February 2013.

For more information please send your email to info@thenyfame.com

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK LIVE FROM THE RUNWAY!

Watch Mercedes Benz fashion show live on Youtube sponsored by Maybelline!

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is back once again and its bigger than ever. As we all know fashion week in New York City creates major buzz with new and emerging designers. This year fashion week Maybelline sponsors Mercedes Benz showcase todays top and emerging designers from around the world. Fashion Week is on YouTube, and once again, it’s LIVE! Live From the Runway, presented by Maybelline New York, is your front row seat to the hottest shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Tune in every day through September 14 to see live runway shows from your favorite designers streamed right to your computer or mobile phone.

Live From the Runway will help fashionistas, trendsetters, and consumers stay on top of todays trends and designers show schedule.  Learning new tips and tricks from backstage with Maybelline backstage beauty looks, interviews, latest trends, and how-to videos. Fashion and beauty lovers can join the conversation by tweeting #LiveRunway. Recaps and archived fashion shows will also be available between live streams, so check back daily. Welcome to the front row!

source:
http://www.youtube.com/liverunway

BY Melisa Brown

FAME ROCKS FASHION NIGHT OUT 2012

FAME ROCKS FASHION NIGHT OUT 2012

Each September New York City becomes the landmark for everything Fashion. Fashion Night Out will be taking place this September 6, 2012 in New York City. Every fashion designer, boutique, department store and Trendsetters will fill the streets of New York City looking for the latest trends, sales and Celebrity siting around the city and around the world. 

Fashion Night Out brings out the celebrities from around the world and brings them to one location New York.  During this event you will see performers, actors, designers, buyers, press and more fill the stores and streets of SOHO, Fashion District, Midtown Manhattan, Grand Central and many more locations. Fashion Night Out also benefits the New York City AIDS Foundation, so go out and support a great cause. 

This Fashion Night Out is not only in stores, you can experience fashion Night out online from designer website and department stores. If you have never experience New York City during Fashion Night Out, I promise you that you will enjoy every bit of it.  However one can’t forget about what comes after FNO, you said it FASHION WEEK, at FAME ROCKS FASHION WEEK and the multitudes of shows such as, Lincoln Center, Style 360 and many more. These shows showcase the latest fashion trends from today’s top designers. Get a sneak peak at what’s to come in our department stores and boutique before it hits the shelves. These show create excitement for two week in New York City, with celebrities in the front rows, buyers and press filling every room. Consumers are eager to see what models will be wearing on the runway. Join us and millions as we take the streets of New York City this Fashion Night Out.  Here’s a sneak peak of previous shows during Fashion Night Out and Fashion Week.  Enjoy!

Source:

http://www.examiner.com/article/get-ready-for-fashion-s-night-out-september-6-2012

By Melisa Brown

“What does it take to be a Boss in the Entertainment Industry”?

“What does it take to be a Boss in the Entertainment Industry”?

“I’m a Boss, You’re a Boss, and we are all Bosses”

In today's entertainment industry we are provided with book, podcast and more letting us know what we need to accomplish to become a Boss. Well we can read all the books and listen to all the podcast in the world at the end of the day if you work for a company where someone else hold the Boss title then he is the one who decides who becomes the next Boss.

Now the questions is how long will we stay in the background before we take that initiative to be the next Boss.  In today economy you find that the numbers for new entrepreneurs are growing, everyone wants to be the Boss of their own company, Label, or clothing line. But do you have what it takes to be a Boss. To be a Boss requires great leadership skills, organization, communication and last but not least patients. Without these things you are setting yourself up for failure.

Rick Ross said it in his song “I’m a Boss” know he can say that, for he as established his name, company and reputation as the Boss. Sean P. Diddy Combs is another great example of a true Boss. He as built his empire from the ground up, through the good, the bad and the most discouraging times in his life. Being an entrepreneur takes patients its not easy starting a company from scratch especially with little and no funds especially in today’s economy. It takes hard work, dedication, motivation and a mind to succeed. I have watch some of today's great men and woman who came from nothing to being an icon and role model for many in this entertainment industry. They have motivated us to fight for what we believe in and never give up on your dreams. My advice to all my entrepreneurs looking to make it in the entertainment industry is to network, research and learn the ins-and–outs of the industry your trying to get into. I found that Networking opens up doors to great and potential possibilities. You can’t imagine the people I had the opportunity to network with and how they have help guide me in the right direction. Find that person that can give you the guidance you need to make it in the industry, but never forget always protect yourself, your ideas and work. For as P.Diddy said in his song “Its all about the Benjamin’s” Its hard to find loyalty and honesty in this industry and if you are not careful you can lose it all within a wink of an eye. Can you be a Boss that when the finance is not there you would cut your own salary to pay your employee and keep your company afloat? That’s what it takes to be a good boss.

I have provided some resources to help you get to the Boss level, if you find that you have what it takes to be the Boss then its time to take that step. I hope that you find this very resourceful and good luck.

Resources:

Ø  How to Be a Good Boss:

http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Good-Boss

Ø  The 5 Qualities of Remarkable Bosses

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-5-qualities-of-remarkable-bosses.html

Ø  When is the last time you saw such a CEO

http://youtu.be/Qj7ZHrYL28M

By Melisa Brown

How to make it in the Reality TV World?

How to make it in the Reality TV World?

In todays entertainment industry reality show ideas that get produced, are often revolve around a specific issue or event that everybody can relate to, and out of that is built a game. They are in essence, game shows. But even more importantly, they are big fun, and often-dramatic social experiments.  When we look at these reality show we must remember that some things are fun to play, and some things are fun to watch. To truly connect with an audience and have entertainment value in a show, you need both.

The quality of a reality-based show can span from awful to inspiring. But the reason viewers tune in is because we have an insatiable appetite for witnessing and being entertained by the human experience.

What one should know about putting a reality show together is to follow the following guidelines:

Ø  Be Specific in your concept, and try several approaches.

Ø  Choose concepts and subjects that are highly marketable

Ø  Think of movie

Ø  Identify Unique Professions or Lifestyles

When creating a reality show you need to give a production company executives the inside scoop that they would love to find a show that places contestants in some sort of "fish-out-of-water scenario" and would like it to involve a family. What a production company look for is for you to be able to deliver an approach to that concept that is totally unique and something they never would have thought of. When thinking of a Title this stage is very important, they should roll off the tongue easily, provoke conversations, and simply tell you exactly what you’re going to be watching. For example: "The Bachelor", "The Apprentice", "The Biggest Loser", "America's Got Talent", “Real House wife’s of Atlanta” are all good examples. Word play is always a good way to grab attention and create curiosity. “Meet the Parents”, "Wife Swap", and "Blind Date" are all specific to what their show is about, but use known phrases to create new titles that peak curiosity. 

The Story is a critical element to define when developing a reality-based project. When you look at movies, look at the core concept and story elements of the film, and a reality show just might be staring you smack in the face. Lastly identify a unique profession or lifestyle is one of the simplest and most successful sub-genre of reality show is the documentary style series covering unique professions or lifestyles. These stories serve the insatiable curiosity viewers have to gain insight into other peoples lives and jobs. Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County" is a guilty-pleasure glimpse into the spoiled and faux-glamorous lives of a certain group of women in Orange County, California.

Once you have completed these steps then you are ready to pitch your reality show, but before you contact a network, you need to get that WGA registration number, which is your way of registering your original idea in order to protect it. The easiest way to obtain this number is to go to the WGA registry page at http://www.wgawregistry.org/webrss/. For $20 you can register your pitch online. Once you have acquired your WGA number the big question is whom should you submit to? The Networks? An agent? Reality TV, Production Company? Most networks won't give you the time of day unless you're already attached to a successful project, but they are three that will Comedy Central, Discovery and MTV.

To Be Continued…

Source:

http://voices.yahoo.com/how-pitch-reality-show-networks-agents-716087.html?cat=3.

www.marinerblue.com

www.wga.org

www.soyouwanna.com

www.hcdonline.com

www.everything2.com

By Melisa Brown 

Industry Expert Blog "Read Before You Sign That!"

v An Entertainment Law Podcast For The Starving, (and not so Starving) artist!

By Jonathan Arnold & James Harrell

Episode: Don’t Sign That!

Retrieved From: ITunes

Ø  Summary:

In this podcast Jonathan Arnold talks about how Copyright affects a comedian’s career and dose it really protect the comedian. Arnold stated that Copyright protects the comedian’s expression but not there idea. For example, when a stand up comedian does an imitation of someone else the imitation is not an infringement, because the comedian’s whole act is protected. Copyright doesn’t cover the imitation of another comedian because the completed developed package of this type of performance is covered under Copyright. For example as long as the jokes are not the same as the other comedians jokes, but the ideas are similar then the comedian is not at risk of Copyright infringement. Basically it’s how the joke is express that is protected, the comedian’s hand movements, and gestures are considered the comedian’s signature. The comedian’s signature is what needs to be protected especially in the comedy industry. The more a comedian develops their act, the stronger protection there copyright will be. It will make them a better comedian, and advance their career. Persona & delivery is another part of a comedian’s copyright, including the way they dress, their hair and jokes. Just like in the first example these things are similar to the whole package and can be copyrighted. But if another artist steals the comedian’s jokes or ideas and performs it better than them does this mean they can sue the other artist? No!

What can be Copyright is your entire sketch, joke, routine, the entire develop show, which becomes protected. The entire show is protected the sheer performance can be Copyright and registered with the Copyright office. It’s an added bonus to record the show to prevent the risk of any legal issues. Having original joke and having a lot of joke like 50-100 that can be edited and revamp in a number of ways. Developed and expanding will help in the development and packaging of your show that you want Copyright.  Work on your persona of the joke, the setup, the delivery, this is the key to having your act Copyright. Once you have your complete package talk to a lawyer and register your materials with the U.S. Copyright Office.

As it relates to our company we have to take steps in copyrighting our videos, photographs, and scripts from our show. Our materials are what make us unique and we have to take those steps to protect our work from others trying to use our materials for monetary and publicity gains. I have learned something new for I would have never know that one can Copyright his or her show. This is big! For we produce shows twice a year and yes we have ownership of the footage, but I never took the steps of copyright our video with the U.S Copyright Office. What we would normally do is add our watermark to our video, photographs, etc.  This was very informative.

v Business, Entertainment, Sport & Technology (B.E.S.T.) Law Blog

Podcast: Trademark Basics

Released Jun 03, 2012

By ARC Law Group & Traci Holian

Retrieved From: ITunes

Ø  Summary:

Ashley Murphy from Neat Method a company that specializes in organizing your living space for the everyday working class man and woman who can’t maintain that organized lifestyle home. During the podcast Ashley mention the methods and some of our everyday tool they use to organize your personal items, from a plastic jar or bin, to paper label, and cords. These items make up their unique service they provide, not only is it their Trademark it is also what’s separates them from other organized services.  Mark Pierson partner of ARC Law Group then talks about the purpose of Trademark that gives you the origin of the goods and services. He advises us that one should come up with a name that is distinctive, that when consumers hear the name it describes what you do. Like Neat Methods, just by hearing that name you start to think of the services they offer. Distinctive words such as “Neat” meaning a very clean organize space. “Method” how do you go about making this space Neat clutter frees what is the method this service uses. This is what Trademark means it separates your goods and services from others. Mark then advise us of the two steps we should take to Trademarking our words, phrase, logos and images. First come up with a name that is distinctive, (2) Research your mark, (3) Register with the U.S Trademark and Patent law office, and finally the application. Once these steps are made we are on our way to providing consumers with our goods and services.

v Podcast: Copyright Ownership vs. Right of Publicity

Released Jun 30,2012

By ARC Law Group & Traci Holian

Retrieved From: ITunes

Ø  Summary;

Mark Pierson talks about Rights of Publicity. When we think about a photo shoot for a promotional campaign such as something I do for my company fashion week events. We hire the photographer and models to bring our creative ideas to life. Well the first thing we have to do is make sure that the models all sign Release Forms, giving us the right to use the photos in our marketing and advertising campaign. As Mark mentioned in the podcast, yes we have Copyright ownership of the photos taken but without the release form from the models in those photos we have no right. Because that model can then turn around and sue my company for the photo used without their permission. This is very important Photographers or Producers overlook this step a lot of time. It is important to take these step to protect yourself and company.

Source:

v An Entertainment Law Podcast For The Starving, (and not so Starving) artist!

By Jonathan Arnold & James Harrell

Episode: Don’t Sign That!

Retrieved From: ITunes

v Podcast: Copyright Ownership vs. Right of Publicity

Released Jun 30,2012

By ARC Law Group & Traci Holian

Retrieved From: ITunes

v Business, Entertainment, Sport & Technology (B.E.S.T.) Law Blog

Podcast: Trademark Basics

Released Jun 03, 2012

By ARC Law Group & Traci Holian

Retrieved From: ITunes