Author: ESLA

The unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic has made 2020 a year to forget for businesses and industries alike. One of the hardest hit by the pandemic seems to be the live sports and entertainment industry. Many professional sports leagues have been postponed or cancelled, and only those with healthy financial resources or lucrative TV broadcasting … Continue reading Players to Plaintiffs: CHL faces several ongoing class-action lawsuits through 2021 →

On March 13th, Osgoode Hall sent two teams (virtually) to the annual Hockey Arbitration Competition of Canada, hosted by the University of Toronto. This year’s Osgoode teams were executive members from the Osgoode Entertainment & Sports Law Association, Jordan Kazan Baigrie & Jeremy Wright along with Nolan Cattell & Vaughan Rawes. The “HACC” as it … Continue reading Osgoode teams crowned champions, reach semi-finals, among 26 teams across North America in National Sports Moot hosted by U of T →

ESLA is proud to present Canada's premier student conference for aspiring industry leaders in entertainment and sports law. Our 23rd annual conference will feature speakers from the legal and business side of film, television, music, and sport across three days from March 17th to 19th 2021. Visit esla.eventbrite.ca for more details and to register!

Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta. Photo by Daven Froberg on Unsplash For the first time in league history, the NHL has sold the naming rights to its four divisions to corporate sponsors. The league announced early January that its teams will play in the Scotia NHL North Division, Honda NHL West Division, Discover NHL Central Division … Continue reading NHL Sells Naming Rights to Corporate Sponsors →

Photo by Mateo Vrbnjak on Unsplash. Background Fortnite, released in 2017, has now become one of the world’s largest games with 350 million registered players.[1]  Fortnite exploded onto the gaming scene, surpassing renowned giants such as Minecraft.  Fortnite is a free battle royale game that combines classic battle gaming with the music industry, featuring in-game … Continue reading #FreeFortnite: Epic’s Antitrust Claims Play Chicken with Apple’s Alleged Anti-Competitive Restrictions →

Photo by Oleksii S on Unsplash. This article is part one of a two part series. From the basketball court to the Supreme Court, the NCAA is making headlines. On June 15, 2020, a class action lawsuit was filed in the California District Court against the NCAA and its Power Five conferences, accusing these billion-dollar … Continue reading NCAA: Money Madness – Part 1 →

Photo by Ana Grave on Unsplash. A six-year long legal battle involving one of the greatest rock bands in history, Led Zeppelin, came to a close on October 5, 2020, when the United States (US) Supreme Court declined leave to appeal from a US appeals court decision in favor of the defendant. This copyright infringement … Continue reading No ‘Stairway to Heaven’ for Copyright Infringement Defendants, US Court Rules →

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash. For many, a cherished holiday tradition involves sitting curled up on the couch with a warm hot chocolate, preparing to watch a movie marathon of Charlie Brown Christmas movies with friends and family.  However, this year’s holiday season might look a little bit different due to a deal made between … Continue reading A Not So Charlie Brown Christmas (Unless You Subscribe to Apple TV+) →

Photo by Anthony Roberts on Unsplash The ongoing history of sound recording rights provides a fascinating study in the United States’ copyright regime’s ability to contemplate and absorb new technologies into its framework. The evolution of these rights in America over the last 50 years charts alongside the country’s evolving music industry, crystallizing the importance, … Continue reading The Changing Nature of Sound Recording Rights →