AI, Fair Use, and Representing Comic Book Creators and Publishers

SKU: IPR007 Back to Course Listings

About This Course

This CLE course dives deep into the comic book industry, unveiling the past year of explosive growth and seismic legal changes. We’ll give you a understanding of the pros and cons of AI-generated artwork and suggested approaches for contract drafting to avoid critical IP-pitfalls; discuss the impact of fair use in visual arts following the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith decision; and give you a “chef’s tour” of representing the comic book client today.

In this CLE class, we will cover:

The building blocks of comic book publishing legal practice
An overview of the business and legal landscape of the comic book publishing and related industries
The impact of AI on comic book creators and publishers with a deep dive into the conflict between AI and copyright law
Changes in fair use of visual art after Warhol v. Goldsmith
New legal developments and transactional approaches

Lecturers for this Course

Thomas A. Crowell, Esq. Jeff Trexler, Esq. Gamal Hennesy, Esq. Jason Yarn, Esq. Marc D. Ostrow, Esq.

Lecturer Bios

Thomas A. Crowell, Esq.

Thomas A. Crowell, Esq. is a partner in the law firm of Lane Sash and Larrabee, LLP, in the firm's New York office. He is also the Director from Practice, emeritus, of The Indie Film Clinic at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Mr. Crowell counsels clients on a wide range of entertainment law and intellectual property rights issues, in practice areas that range from film and television to comic book publishing, music, and the graphic arts. He is the series editor of the Focal Press "Pocket Lawyer for...." series of legal guide books and author of both "The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers" (Focal Press, 2ed. 2011) and the first dedicated legal guide for the comic book industry: "The Pocket Lawyer for Comic Book Creators" (Focal Press 2014). Mr. Crowell received his JD from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he graduated cum Laude, Order of the Coif. He is admitted to the bars of New York, New Jersey, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

www.thomascrowell.com
tcrowell@lanesash.com
@lawcrow

Jeff Trexler, Esq.

Jeff Trexler, Esq. (JD, Yale; PhD, Duke) is an attorney and Associate Director of the Fashion Law Institute. Jeff has worked with media and fashion clients from around the world on issues ranging from start-up formation and tax strategy to corporate ethics and intellectual property.

jeff.trexler@gmail.com
@jefftrexler

Gamal Hennesy, Esq.

A former international contracts manager with Marvel Enterprises, Gamal Hennessy is an experienced commercial contracts attorney with expertise in drafting and negotiating comic book publishing and IP licensing. During his career, he’s represented major corporate clients including Amazon Publishing, Marvel Comics, After Shock, Mad Cave Studios as well as independent artists and writers.

Jason Yarn, Esq.

Jason Yarn, Esq. has been an agent for ten years and an attorney for six, working in the literary department and business affairs at Paradigm Talent Agency before going out on his own. His agency represents award winning and #1 New York Times bestselling authors of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children, in addition to handling film and television rights.

https://www.jasonyarnliteraryagency.com
@kalyarn

Marc D. Ostrow, Esq.

Marc is a copyright and entertainment attorney and chair of the firm’s music industry practice. He represents songwriters, recording artists, labels, music publishers, authors and other creatives as well as businesses that produce or license intellectual property. He has been recognized by his peers as a 2022 New York Super Lawyer for entertainment and sports law and has been rated “AV-Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell.

With more than thirty years’ experience as an executive and attorney, both in-house and in private practice, Marc has worked in private equity, corporate and start-up environments. He uses his varied experience to counsel his clients as to both the legalities and the practicalities of matters, including those involving strategic planning, employment, negotiation strategy, asset sales and acquisitions and dispute resolution.

Before returning to private practice, Marc ran the New York office of London-based classical music publisher, Boosey & Hawkes, representing many of the greatest composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including several Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award winners. He increased profitability, streamlined operations and hired key staff. Marc was also responsible for the office’s legal, licensing, copyright and contractual matters. Prior to Boosey, Marc was a Senior Attorney with BMI, where he prosecuted copyright infringement actions throughout the country, defended the company in lawsuits and advised management on legislation affecting songwriters. He began his legal career as a litigator with large and mid-size firms.

Since 2017, Marc has served as Adjunct Professor of Law at Cardozo Law School, which has been rated by Billboard Magazine as the top law school for music law. He has been interviewed on live television regarding his views on high profile copyright infringement cases on NewsNation, Fox, Scripps TV and CourtTV. Marc is also a speaker at various industry and educational organizations and recently served on the panel about copyright and book publishing at the 2023 New York Law School Intellectual Property Symposium. His Introduction to Music Law video presentation is available for CLE credit through Lawline.

Marc is a former Trustee of the Copyright Society of the USA and has served on the boards of the New York Chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers and the Music Publishers Association. He has been quoted in Time, Washington Examiner and the Law360 blog. As a pianist, Marc’s favorite composers include Chopin, Bach, Gershwin and Thelonious Monk although he still plays the Elton John and Billy Joel songs he grew up with. He also writes and performs his own songs and compositions.

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AI, Fair Use, and Representing Comic Book Creators and Publishers

About This Course

In this CLE class, we will cover:

Lecturers for this Course

Spend less and get more

Dedicated CLE Manager

Riveting Content & an Exceptional Library

Free Customized CLE Tracker

Online, Audio CD, DVD, iOS/Android App, USB Stick

Want Different Options?

Subscribe for Course Updates and News

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