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How much money does Mariah Carey make from ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’? ‘It’s a lot,’ music expert says
Excerpted from the article: “Whatever it is, it’s a lot of money,” said Natasha Chee, a music, entertainment and intellectual property attorney at law firm Donahue Fitzgerald. The copyright for works published after Jan. 1, 1978, generally remains intact for the author’s lifetime, plus 70 years after the author’s death, according to Chee of Donahue Fitzgerald. In […]
Miley Cyrus Tests Copyright Transfer Rules in ‘Flowers’ Lawsuit
Excerpted from the article: “Cyrus’ position would transport the music industry back to the first version of the Copyright Act from 1909, when rights could be transferred only as a whole, not in shares. The sale of a copyright would be less valuable because you couldn’t sue on your share unless you had 100%,” he […]
Donahue Fitzgerald Ranked in Top Tier of 2025 Best Law Firms®
Firms included in the 2025 Best Law Firms® list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. To be eligible, a firm must have a lawyer listed in The Best Lawyers in America®, which recognizes the top 5 percent of private practicing attorneys in the U.S. achieving a tiered ranking […]
Do TV shows and movies lose rights to songs like video games do?
Excerpted from the article: “Movies are perceived to have a longer shelf life than video games, or at least they were in the past. Movie producers were more likely to get a license in perpetuity for that reason. Like in TV shows and movies, the video games that do get delisted for music licensing issues […]
Donahue Fitzgerald Attorneys Recognized in the Best Lawyers in America® 2025 Edition
Dawn Newton, Franchise Law Kristin A. Pace, Tax Law Merrill J. Schwartz, Real Estate Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers recognitions are compiled based on a comprehensive peer-review survey. The 31ˢᵗ edition reached a historic milestone with over 250,000 voters […]
Senior Counsel Corban J. Porter Joins Donahue Fitzgerald
Corban J. Porter is a Senior Counsel in the Litigation practice group. With over 14 years of litigation experience in state and federal courts, Corban maintains a diverse litigation practice, including bad faith and insurance coverage matters relating to property damage, health insurance and life insurance disputes. Corban has secured successful resolutions for clients at […]
Donahue Fitzgerald Attorneys Named 2024 Super Lawyers
Northern California Super Lawyers Denae H. Budde: Real Estate Natasha S. Chee: Entertainment & Sports Andrew S. MacKay: Intellectual Property Daniel B. Newbold: Estate Planning & Probate Kristin A. Pace: Estate Planning & Probate Lawrence K. Rockwell: Estate & Trust Litigation Mary M. Rudser: Estate Planning & Probate Michael M.K. Sebree: Business & Corporate David […]
Senior Counsel Natasha S. Chee Joins Donahue Fitzgerald
Natasha is a Senior Counsel in the Intellectual Property and Music and Entertainment practice group. She has a wide breadth of experience negotiating, drafting, and reviewing contracts for movie and music producers, authors, artists, actors, and musicians whose work appear in film, television, new media and beyond. Natasha has extensive experience with sophisticated agreements and […]
US Federal Trade Commission Bans “Non-Compete” Agreements Across The US
This new federal rule invalidates existing non-compete agreements, except those covering “senior executives,” defined as individuals earning over $151,164 annually who are in a “policy-making position.” This federal rule requires employers to give written notice to current and former workers/employees that their non-compete agreements are no longer in effect. The rule defines “noncompete clause” as […]
Senior Counsel Sophia Y. Cizmarik Joins Donahue Fitzgerald
Sophia joins Donahue Fitzgerald’s Trusts and Estates practice group and she provides customized plans that ensure each client’s estate planning goals are met. She gives strategic guidance on incapacity planning, probate avoidance, the role of the Trustee, tax minimization, and asset preservation for future generations. In addition to estate planning, Sophia has experience helping clients […]