Jake Wunsch
Yonay did not break new ground; it faithfully applied settled copyright law. But in doing so, the decision revealed a structural mismatch between § 203’s policy ambition (sharing in the fruits of commercial success) and the copyright framework’s limits
Toothless Termination: What Yonay v. Paramount Pictures Reveals About the Limits of § 203 Termination for Nonfiction Source Material
Yonay did not break new ground; it faithfully applied settled copyright law. But in doing so, the decision revealed a structural mismatch between § 203’s policy ambition (sharing in the fruits of commercial success) and the copyright framework’s limits
Ten Questions to a Media Lawyer
New York lawyer on her start in the business, the relationship between sports and law, British mysteries and more.
Oklahoma Supreme Court Issues Landmark Decision Requiring Public Access to Jail Altercation Video that Led to Inmate’s Death
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma, in two decisions issued in November 2025 and March 2026, held that public trusts operating detention centers do not qualify as law enforcement agencies under the Oklahoma Open Records Act, and therefore are not entitled to more limited disclosure requirements.
When Celebrity Doctors Aren’t Celebrities: The Public Figure Question in Colker v. Callis
A federal judge in Connecticut has ruled that a defamation action brought by a celebrity doctor associated with WWE founder Vince McMahon may proceed.
Court Dismisses “January 6” Participant’s Defamation Claims Based on Fair Report Privilege, Substantial Truth, and Failure to Identify “John Doe” Reporters
A Tennessee federal court recently dismissed a defamation action against Tegna and its Knoxville affiliate, holding that the challenged news reporting was protected by the fair report privilege and, in any event, was substantially true.
Arizona Trial Court Denies Motions to Dismiss The Intercept’s Suit Seeking Government Surveillance Records
The suit could have significant implications for the press and the public’s ability to access public records stored with entities performing a governmental function.
The Tribulations and Trial of Afroman
An Adams County, Ohio jury recently returned a verdict in favor of Joseph Foreman, aka "Afroman" in a defamation trial filed by several police employed by Adams County.
Ohio Supreme Court Won’t Let Trial Judge Dim the Lights on Courtroom Coverage
The case arose from the media's coverage of high-profile trials of former FirstEnergy Corp. executives Charles Jones and Mike Dowling, who were charged for their alleged roles in a 2019 Ohio House Bill 6 bribery scandal.
North Carolina Federal Court Upholds State Ban on Ballot Selfies
In Hogarth v. Bell, the court narrowed the case to the plaintiff’s in-booth conduct, treated the polling place as a nonpublic forum, and upheld the challenged statutes as reasonable, viewpoint-neutral restrictions.
SLAPPs as a Tool to Silence the Press: How Brazil Is Responding to a Growing Threat
Raising public awareness about SLAPPs – and about the threat they pose to democratic debate – is a crucial first step. Only by acknowledging the problem can Brazil move toward a more robust legal framework capable of safeguarding the right to inform, and to be informed, on matters of public interest.