“Boop Boop Be Do” Meets “Alright, Alright, Alright” ( Entertainment Law Update – Episode 187)
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In this episode of Entertainment Law Update, we unpack a wide-ranging set of copyright, trademark, and creator-economy developments—from the largest public-domain expansion in decades to high-stakes termination rights, celebrity voice trademarks, and courts drawing sharper lines around what copyright actually protects.
If you create, license, distribute, or monetize content, this one is packed with practical takeaways.
Episode Rundown
1. CLE Update: Trademarks in the Wild
Tamera Bennett and Jordyn Hendrix’s CLE has been rescheduled. The program explores how courts balance trademark rights against artistic expression across film, television, music, gaming, NFTs, and influencer content—drawing from cases like Rogers and Jack Daniel’s.
https://mylawcle.com
2. Public Domain Mega-Drop: Betty Boop, Pluto, and More
On January 1, 2026, one of the largest groups of works ever entered the U.S. public domain. We break down what creators can now freely use, including early appearances of Betty Boop and Pluto, classic novels, films, artwork, and musical compositions from 1930—while explaining why sound recordings follow a different timeline.
https://www.npr.org/2025/12/26/nx-s1-5649395/public-domain-2026-copyright-betty-boop-pluto
htttps://publicdomain.org
Sidebar: Mondrian Is in the Public Domain (Despite Estate Claims)
Why aggressive letters from estates don’t change U.S. copyright law—and how misinformation can chill lawful creative reuse.
https://copyrightlately.com/mondrian-public-domain-controversy/
3. Top Gun: Maverick Copyright Case Crashes (Quick Take)
The Ninth Circuit rejects a copyright challenge brought by the heirs of the journalist whose article inspired the original Top Gun, reinforcing that copyright protects expression—not facts, ideas, or genre conventions.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/paramount-defeats-writers-copyright-lawsuit-over-top-gun-maverick-2026-01-09/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2026/01/02/24-2897.pdf
4. Queen Anne’s Revenge Case Finally Scuttled (Quick Take)
The Fourth Circuit shuts down renewed attempts to litigate copyright claims against North Carolina, emphasizing procedural limits and the continuing force of state sovereign immunity.
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca4/24-1954/24-1954-2026-01-23.html
5. Vetter v. Resnik: Copyright Terminations Are Worldwide
A deep dive into the Fifth Circuit’s ruling that termination of copyright grants under U.S. law can reclaim worldwide exploitation rights when those rights originate from a U.S. grant—plus what the decision does not resolve.
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca5/25-30108/25-30108-2026-01-12.html
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2026/01/13/vetter-v-resnik-appeals-court-determination/
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wallace-e-j-collins-iii-9588873_decision-ugcPost-7416641598438133760-Xujp
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3523310
Related international conflict note (Duran Duran):
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38182418
6. Salt-N-Pepa v. UMG: “Push It” — But Get Pushed Back
Why termination rights failed here: the court finds the artists never owned the sound recording copyrights they sought to reclaim, underscoring how ownership at the outset determines everything decades later.
https://people.com/salt-n-pepa-lawsuit-against-universal-music-group-dismissed-by-federal-judge-11882031
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/salt-n-pepa-lawsuit-against-umg-over-ownership-of-master-recordings-dismissed/
7. Mariah Carey Copyright Suit Ends With Sanctions
After dismissing the infringement claim over All I Want for Christmas Is You, the court orders significant fee-shifting and sanctions—highlighting the risks of weak similarity theories and poor litigation conduct.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mariah-carey-awarded-in-all-i-want-for-christmas-lawsuit-1235490278/
8. Kat Von D Tattoo Case: Substantial Similarity on Trial
The Ninth Circuit affirms a jury verdict finding no infringement and includes notable concurrences questioning whether the “total concept and feel” test still makes sense in modern copyright law.
https://elupdate.slack.com/files/U1247NVC2/F0A6RLB3K9Q/message.pdf
https://copyrightlately.com/kat-von-d-tattoo-case-total-concept-and-feel/
https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2026/01/02/24-3367.pdf
9. Matthew McConaughey Trademarks His Voice to Fight AI Misuse
An innovative trademark strategy aimed at protecting celebrity voice and likeness from AI replication—while also enabling new, authorized AI-based ventures.
https://variety.com/2026/biz/news/matthew-mcconaughey-trademarks-alright-alright-alright-ai-misuse-1236631214/
https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=98325548&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp87z6vexl3o
https://kipcurriercopyright.blogspot.com/2026/01/matthew-mcconaughey-trademarks-alright.html
10. California Expands Right of Publicity to Digital Replicas (Quick Take)
California amends Civil Code § 3344 to explicitly cover digital replicas of a person’s image, likeness, or voice—and adds fast injunctive relief with significant First Amendment implications.
https://natlawreview-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/natlawreview.com/article/california-adds-injunctive-relief-its-right-publicity-statute-and-extends-liability?amp
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB683&showamends=false
11. VACRA: Visual Artists Copyright Reform Act of 2025
A proposed reform that would modernize copyright registration for photographers and visual artists, making enforcement more realistic in a high-volume digital world.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3517
https://www.welch.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/20251217-Visual-Artists-Copyright-Reform-Act-VACRA-of-2025-One-Pager.pdf
12. Copyright Office Webinar Plug
Lights, Camera, Action: Copyright Essentials for Filmmakers
February 4, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern (online)
https://www.copyright.gov/events/copyright-essentials-for-filmmakers/
About the Show
Entertainment Law Update covers the legal and business developments shaping film, television, music, digital media, and the creator economy—translated into plain English for working creators and media professionals.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.