Media and News

Overview

Our news and media clients appreciate our experience, quick turnaround, and practical perspective on a variety of prepublication and pre-broadcast review issues, including privacy, defamation, and copyright. Our in-depth experience helps us provide quick answers with an appreciation for keeping the story intact. We have counseled local and national newspapers, broadcast channels, and news aggregators in these issues and in media and intellectual property litigation around the country.

Our attorneys have represented major newspapers, television stations, public relations firms, and news aggregators in litigation and in day-to-day clearance work. We counsel clients on:

Copyright and fair use,
False Advertisement,
Defamation / libel and related privileges,
First Amendment Rights,
Invasion of privacy and false light, and
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and sunshine law requests.

Pre-Publication

Additionally, our attorneys provide pre-publication review which includes analysis and advice, often on a fixed-fee basis, to both experienced and first-time publishers, authors, and self-publishers to assist in preparing a book for publication. Available services include analysis of content for infringement or defamation concerns, preparation of licenses for content, copyright registration of the manuscript and corporation formation.

Experience

Outside media and intellectual property counsel to Bankrate
Amanda Hyland represents Bankrate, a publisher, aggregator, and distributor of personal finance content on the Internet that provides aggregated financial data and consumer financial news and editorial content to more than 500 national publications. She provides day-to-day outside counsel on matters of media, advertising, and intellectual property to Bankrate and its affiliates, which include creditcards.com, Wallaby, Interest.com, Bankaholic.com ...
Successfully represented publishing company in contractual dispute
Achieved prompt and full dismissal of all claims against publishing company relating to a contractual dispute with advertiser. Following the filing of our motion to dismiss, the plaintiff dismissed the action in the Northern District of Georgia.
Achieved dismissal of defamation claims against local broadcast news reporter
Achieved voluntary dismissal with prejudice of libel case against FOX 5 reporter by persuading plaintiff that sanctions and attorney's fees would be mandated under Georgia's anti-SLAPP statute.
Successfully resolved copyright infringement claims brought by photographer against book publishing client
Defended, and successfully settled, copyright infringement lawsuit brought against book publisher client that had used plaintiff’s photograph in book.
Succeeding in obtaining voluntary dismissal of defamation action against FOX 5
Upon receipt of an anti-SLAPP notice, Plaintiff voluntarily dismissed its defamation complaint, which sought damages relating to FOX 5's investigative reporting regarding health conditions occurring at the Plaintiff's eyebrow-waxing business.