tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53124982011-04-21T17:18:27.292-07:00Commentary, cases, other random things related to publishing and entertainment law in terms of the control and exploitation of content.Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comBlogger191100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-77983756110840482622009-02-02T23:13:00.000-08:002009-02-02T23:28:02.554-08:00

This morning, exiting the train off to Palo Alto's University Ave., I spotted a guy with a yuppie buzz cut and a Facebook bag. I'll admit I was a little revolted when I saw he was heading for the Facebook offices. He then convened at the corner with two others--all with that same bag. I had twenty minutes to spare as my ride to work was running late. So I played Studs Turkel and asked my

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-43245010193441061032008-11-14T11:45:00.000-08:002008-11-22T08:15:58.016-08:00

I attended the NewTeeVee event yesterday at the UCSF Mission Bay Campus, an event highlighting the future of video on the web and cable TV. A good part of the focus was on competing technologies and restrictions of the converging paths. Also there were lively debates on whether and how the web and tv would live out its inevitable collision. Some argued that simply accomodating web browsing on

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-22595906257577787602008-11-07T14:22:00.000-08:002008-11-07T14:39:36.435-08:00

The idea of a story within an industry cliche within a story followed by a "making of" mocumentary all stemming from a contest, is becoming its own genre, and one wonders when it will end. Still Jerry Rapp (the bearded one) does this so well, I wonder what this will seem like in fifty years. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSBU-xC9GR8 The supposed appearance feels very real to me, and if you

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-84789438544640488122008-11-05T08:43:00.000-08:002008-11-05T09:08:13.699-08:00

The future eBook landscape remains out of focus. Despite the advent of the clunky Amazon Kindle, it's still difficult for most readers, even publishing experts to see where the business is going to shift. However, certain publishing industry experts are now calling for the brand name publishers to narrow down their list of printed books and instead invest more money in their marketing efforts.

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-16026413550383118792008-09-26T09:57:00.000-07:002008-09-26T10:26:17.617-07:00

I launched the new website at http://www.preskilllaw.net/ . Feel free to let me know what you think. I am also developing a site involving several solo attorneys.This brings me to the following thought. The dependence of professionals on a large institutional law firm is waning. Many of the affiliations you see in a larger firm are tenuous--basically people sharing office space. Other large firm

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-27328908844278492552008-09-18T10:00:00.001-07:002008-09-26T10:28:27.128-07:00

I sat through that phone seminar I mentioned earlier which essentially shows authors and people who want to be authors how to develop a system for their content so that it is sold by internet monthly subscription, video, audio, eBook, book, and live seminar. I have to say this evolution is progressing the way I've imagined book promotion would, but is not quite there. I have a few proposals in

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-21146722027572535702008-09-18T10:00:00.000-07:002008-09-18T10:02:09.326-07:00

I'm "attending" a phone seminar that talks about turning your book into passive income stream. Will be back in touch soon with news of whether this is the answer to the problem or another scam.

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-52940629877920738722008-07-14T00:21:00.000-07:002008-07-14T00:24:09.660-07:00

I ran across this and thought the explanation was clear and relevant.

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-56082099687813192622008-06-11T12:30:00.000-07:002008-06-11T12:48:37.880-07:00

I observe as my five year old son does what he is destined to do. He charts his universe on the computer. It started innocently with a few children's sites a couple of years ago. He became proficient at using the mouse, placing the cursor, and eliciting a laugh or a song from Barney. Television and puzzles have consumed him off and on, but the computer is much more responsive to his needs.

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-6073281978948883502008-01-09T00:27:00.001-08:002008-01-09T00:28:16.447-08:00

I am getting a headache with all these ways of promoting my site, but here goes. Be back with more blog soon.Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: Powered by FeedBurner

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-72917586340967469462008-01-04T21:43:00.000-08:002008-01-04T22:08:26.622-08:00

This Day Was Darker.There was a power outage in my area today. I was aware of this because my father who is visiting from the midwest called me from his dark seventh floor hotel room a block from my office to ask how long did this kind of thing typically go on in California.Knowing I would likely be in the dark, I left for work at The Corporate Law Group with a battery lantern and planned to see

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-7281980614486474572007-12-05T15:04:00.000-08:002007-12-05T15:09:54.034-08:00

Facebook: What's A Friend For? I'll tell you what I'm reading because, after all, you're my friend. (Denis Johnson's new one and a Stock Purchase Agreement). See my Dylan Poster and the clever nod to Cate Blanchet I wrote? Now, what did I tell you? You knew there was a reason we were friends, Huh?By the way, you old virally-reunited friend, where do you live? I haven't seen you since Mrs.

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-67291963464045138152007-10-29T11:58:00.000-07:002007-10-29T17:39:02.808-07:00

EMAIL TO TED WEINSTEIN AND THE REST OF THE BAY AREA AGENTSNOTE TO SELF: "DANDELION SEEDS" A MORE APT COMPARISON THAN "SPAGHETTI ON WALL?"Ted, Something for the agents... An interesting letter from Author Cory Doctorow endorsing creative commons. Creative commons (a bay area sensation founded by Larry Lessig that has spread to the corners of the internet) acts like a looser version of the

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-6860985031061139932007-10-26T09:24:00.000-07:002007-10-26T09:26:19.564-07:00

LORD OF THE 1-CLICKA New Zealand actor who had bit parts in “The Lord of the Rings” is challenging the protectability of Amazon.com’s one-click. Peter Calveley is causing the USPTO to reexamine the process of 1-click, and in a preliminary ruling has prevailed. The patent will be effective pending future rulings on the matter. The 1-Click process makes it faster for consumers to purchase items

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-13463395346496945672007-10-26T09:18:00.000-07:002007-10-26T09:23:34.469-07:00

Several libraries are pushing back against the Google Print initiative, seeking non-profit alternatives. In 2005, Google began partnering with research libraries to scan their collections, making them searchable online. Searches generate results that will give the viewer only a few pages of the given book at a time. Google attempts to use the fair use doctrine of the Copyright act to circumvent

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-64611240221448295342007-04-08T07:10:00.000-07:002007-04-08T07:13:34.760-07:00

Google's marked change in their settlement policy appears to imply a change of heart or a change of leadership, however it also falls in line with a trend of new media companies who look at litigation as an entre toward a settlement of definite terms. AFP-Google settlement leaves open questions While the two companies avoided going to trial, they also avoided tackling some thorny legal issues

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-25747046187204063182007-03-03T14:31:00.000-08:002007-03-03T15:04:14.620-08:00

Today I was drafting a contract reserving rights to film a movie based on someone's life and I came across a concise article in Slate (Mar. 1, 2007, http://www.slate.com/id/2081488/ ) that reported that NBC is making a movie on the life of Pfc. Jessica Lynch without her consent. It correctly distinguished life rights from literary rights (rights to make a movie based on someone's writing--usually

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-1136567003292542232006-01-06T07:38:00.000-08:002006-01-06T09:03:23.330-08:00

Topic: Google Print - Another RantENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS LAWYER magazine published by the American Bar Association (ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries) ran an article I wrote (with Charles McCarthy) about the Google Print initiative and the backlash that followed. Summer 2005, Volume 23, Number 2, The backlash came specifically against Google's libraries program which distorts

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312498.post-1088026072910804172004-06-23T14:23:00.000-07:002004-06-23T14:27:52.910-07:00

Many have seen this letter. I would be interested in pros and cons regarding this reduction in percentage. Is the publishing world getting ready for a new format or just covering all bases? From: Authors Guild [mailto:staff@authorsguild.org] Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2004 8:35 AM To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Subject: Advisory: E-Book Royalties Random House recently advised literary agents

Robert Preskillnoreply@blogger.com