Firm Updates

For many decades, courts have bemoaned the frequency at which they are presented with ill-conceived copyright infringement claims predicated “upon that obsessive conviction, so frequent among authors and composers, that all similarities between their works and any others which appear later must inevitably be ascribed to plagiarism.”[1] This problem has been compounded by the digital revolution’s near-complete removal of barriers to publication for the vast majority of the internet-connected public. Historically, information only moved as quickly as the analog printing press allowed for, making it relatively straightforward to determine whether one had a “reasonable opportunity” to view and copy another’s work. How does that inquiry operate when the world is at everyone’s fingertips?

The manazine's profile highlights Johnson & Johnson's work on behalf of Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, and APM Music, along with its ongoing pursuit of fair compensation for recording artists in the era of digital streaming.

Johnson & Johnson LLP has released a statement regarding Nigel Lythgoe's answer to Paula Abdul's lawsuit against him, in which Mr. Lythgoe "cherry-picks" a small number of e-mails between himself and Ms. Abdul to engage in in "classic victim shaming" that ignores both the broader context of the parties' relationship and the far more representative messages Mr. Lythgoe sent Ms. Abdul during the operative time period.

The complaint, filed on March 5, 2024, in Los Angeles Superior Court, asserts claims for sexual assault and battery, gender violence, sexual harassment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress stemming from Mr. Lythgoe's sexual assault of a longtime professional colleague at his home in Bel-Air during a business meeting.

As noted by THR staff writer Winston Cho, this marks the fourth accuser to bring claims against Lythgoe for alleged sexual impropriety since Johnson & Johnson's original lawsuit on behalf of Paula Abdul.

The complaint, filed on February 17, 2024, in Los Angeles Superior Court, asserts claims for sexual assault and battery, gender violence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress stemming from Mr. Lythgoe’s sexual assault of a woman he met at a Beverly Hills hotel while she was there to have dinner with friends and family.

Johnson & Johnson LLP is proud to announce that Senior Partner Neville L. Johnson, Managing Partner Douglas L. Johnson, and Junior Partner Daniel B. Lifschitz have all been recognized by Super Lawyers in its recently-unveiled 2024 rankings.

Johnson & Johnson LLP has filed a four-count complaint under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act (AB 2777) on behalf of world-famous artist Paula Abdul against British media mogul Nigel Lythgoe.

Johnson & Johnson partners Douglas L. Johnson and Daniel B. Lifschitz have been published in The Daily Journal with an article discussing the important (if controversial) role non-disparagement clauses play in facilitating dispute resolution across various matters and how best to navigate their complexities.

Lifschitz, who joined the firm as an associate in 2018, will become a partner effective January 1, 2024 and is the first attorney to be promoted to partner since the founding of the firm in 2007.

Johnson & Johnson partners Douglas L. Johnson and Daniel B. Lifschitz have been published in The Daily Journal with an article surveying the notable decisions issued in 2023 by the California Courts of Appeal concerning anti-SLAPP litigation, many of which grapple with the most fundamental question posed in anti-SLAPP litigation: when does a plaintiff's claim turn on a defendant's unprotected action rather than protected speech?

Johnson & Johnson LLP are proud to have been selected as a Top Boutique of 2023 by The Daily Journal Top Boutiques in the categories of Entertainment Litigation and Copyright Litigation. Founding partners Neville L. Johnson and Douglas L. Johnson sat down with the Journal to discuss their law practice and the successes that brought them to this designation.

Johnson & Johnson partners Douglas L. Johnson and Daniel B. Lifschitz have been published in The Daily Journal with an article discussing generative artificial intelligence tools and the role that the right of publicity may play in determining whether these tools violate artists’ rights.

The New York State Bar Association's Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal have published an article by Johnson & Johnson's attorneys discussing recent problematic case law concerning how copyright's statute of limitations is applied to certain types of digital infringement.

Counsel for former Beach Boys guitarist David Marks have petitioned the Ninth Circuit to revive a proposed class action alleging Universal Music Group's subsidiary secretly pocketed an unfair cut of legacy artists' foreign streaming royalties.

Johnson & Johnson partners Douglas L. Johnson and Daniel B. Lifschitz have been published in The Daily Journal with an article discussing the Supreme Court's decision in Warhol v. Goldsmith and the ramifications it has for the fair use economy.

Obtained on behalf of a class led by the late SAG president and legendary actor Ed Asner, the settlement provides relief to senior members of the guild who lost their coverage due to earnings requirement changes made in 2020

Billboard notes that while Johnson & Johnson's roster includes Janet Jackson, guitarist Andy McKee and rising musical group Between Friends, founding partner Johnson highlights the firm's work on behalf of musicians without star billing.

The Eleventh Circuit's decision in Nealy v. Warner Chappel;l Music, which favored California instead of New York’s approach to damages for delayed discovery of copyright infringement, increases the likelihood that the Supreme Court will eventually have to step in and resolve the confusion.

Mr. Lifschitz highlights the important role delayed discovery plays in copyright litigation and how the Eleventh Circuit avoided an analytical pitfall by siding with the Ninth Circuit over the Second Circuit.

Johnson & Johnson is representing Associated Production Music in a lawsuit over the widespread use of unlicensed background music by Major League Soccer and its constituent teams in social media videos.

Neville Johnson has been selected as one of the top 100 lawyers in Southern California, Doug Johnson as a Super Lawyer, and Daniel Lifschitz as a Rising Star.

The New York State Bar Association's Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal have published an article by Johnson & Johnson's attorneys discussing the pronounced circuit split on delayed discovery in copyright litigation created by the Second and Ninth Circuit's conflicting case law.

The New York State Bar Association's Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal have published an article by Johnson & Johnson's attorneys discussing recent developments in the law of substantial similarity, fair use, and compulsory licensing.

Two members of the 1970s pop rock band Orleans have accused Warner Music of intentionally miscalculating royalty rates for digital streaming of recordings and shorting musicians of their proper compensation, according to a proposed class action in Nashville federal court.