Attorney Steve® Blog

Vondran Sports & Entertainment Law.   What is a NIL Collective? By Attorney Steve® | Vondran Legal® The Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) revolution has changed college athletics forever. Today, many college athletes earn six figures—or even millions of dollars—through endorsement deals, sponsors...

Vondran Legal® California Music Lawyer.  Tips to show off your musical skills without getting sued.  Cover Songs & the Law.  By Attorney Steve® | Vondran Legal® | Music Law • Copyright Law • Entertainment Law "Everybody's posting cover songs. Does that mean it's legal?" Not necessarily. Every...

Vondran Legal® Music Law insights, departing band members and copyrights. A Music Copyright Lawyer Explains By Attorney Steve® | Vondran Legal® | Music Law • Copyright Law • Entertainment Law "The band broke up. Now one former member says you can't perform your biggest songs anymore. Are they r...

Vondran Music Law - IP & Entertainment Law Firm California By Attorney Steve® | Vondran Legal® | California & Arizona Copyright Lawyer "Every successful band starts with great music. The smart ones also start with great legal planning." Bands usually don't break up because of the music. They ...

Vondran Legal® AI Music Copyright Law Firm - How Bands, Songwriters, Lyricists, Producers, and Artists Can Protect Themselves Before Success Arrives By Attorney Steve® | Vondran Legal® | Copyright & Entertainment Lawyer "The best time to decide who owns the music is before anyone knows your nam...

Nelly Copyright Lawsuit: Seven Important Copyright Lessons from the Second Circuit's Sanctions Decision By Attorney Steve® | Vondran Legal® | California & Arizona Copyright Lawyer The music industry has long been filled with disputes over songwriting credit, ownership rights, royalty payments, ...

Trade dress and design patents are two of the most powerful forms of intellectual property protection for product designs. This article explains the key differences between these legal rights, when each applies, and how businesses can use them to protect against copycat products and so called "dupes."

When people think about risky contracts, they usually picture a 75-page merger agreement or a complicated real estate transaction filled with legal jargon. In reality, some of the most expensive legal disputes begin with a contract that takes less than five minutes to read. A two-page vendor agreement. A one-page photography contract. A simple marketing proposal. A software subscription agreement is accepted by clicking "I Agree."

If you've tried to buy concert tickets in recent years, chances are you've experienced high fees, limited ticket availability, or frustrating purchasing processes. Those frustrations have become the backdrop for one of the most closely watched antitrust lawsuits in the United States.

Vondran Legal® - Copyright AI Law Firm. By Attorney Steve® | Vondran Legal® - THIS BLOG IS GENERAL LEGAL INFORMATION ONLY AND NOT LEGAL ADVICE. Artificial intelligence has transformed the way businesses create content, write software, generate images, compose music, and analyze data. But one ...

Trademark law protects brand identity, but it does not prevent every competing product from entering the marketplace. Learn how trademark infringement, likelihood of confusion, and trademark dilution apply to copycat products and so called "dupes."

INTRODUCTION Luxury handbags. Viral beauty products. Designer fragrances. Premium athletic wear. High-end furniture. Today, nearly every successful consumer product has a "dupe." A quick search on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube will reveal thousands of videos featuring creators who promise to h...

Meta's new AI smart glasses are changing the way we record the world—but what does that mean for your privacy? From being filmed without your consent to understanding who owns the footage and what rights you have if your image ends up online, this guide explores the legal issues every consumer, creator, and business should know before wearable AI becomes the new normal.

Federal Circuit Revives $82 Million Verdict Against Ford: Key Trade Secret Lessons Every Business Should Know By Attorney Steve® | Vondran Legal® When businesses think about protecting intellectual property, patents and copyrights often come to mind first. But for many software companies, manuf...

AI can now create a realistic version of you in minutes—but who owns your face, voice, and digital identity once it exists? As AI avatars become mainstream, businesses, creators, influencers, and entertainers face new legal questions involving consent, ownership, right of publicity, and false endorsement. Learn why yesterday's contracts may not protect tomorrow's technology—and what you should know before creating or using an AI avatar.

Steve Vondran Interview: "What Does a Copyright Lawyer Actually Do?" AI Interviewer Interviews Attorney Steve Vondran® AI Interviewer: Steve, a lot of people have heard the term "copyright lawyer," but they probably don't know what one actually does. So let's start with the basics. What does ...

Vondran Legal® Photo Infringement Insights - Check your insurance for coverage against Plaintiff lawyers. By Attorney Steve® | Vondran Legal Every week I receive calls from businesses, website owners, marketing agencies, online retailers, and entrepreneurs who have received a copyright dema...

Is It Time for Federal Litigators to Look Beyond Westlaw® and Lexis®? By Attorney Steve® | Vondran Legal® For decades, two names have dominated legal research: Westlaw® and Lexis®. For many lawyers, they have been as essential as a legal pad and a courtroom suit. But legal research is changi...

Using a model's photograph in advertising without proper authorization can expose businesses to costly lawsuits. This article explains how the Lanham Act, California right of publicity laws, and false endorsement claims apply to marketing campaigns, social media, websites, and product packaging—and why obtaining the proper rights and releases is essential before using someone's image commercially.

From unpaid residuals and unauthorized commercial use to AI voice cloning and digital replicas, SAG-AFTRA performers face evolving legal challenges. This article explains common disputes affecting actors, voice actors, influencers, and other entertainment professionals, while outlining the legal remedies available to help protect compensation, contracts, and creative rights.

Businesses increasingly rely on Canva to build brands, create logos, and design marketing materials—but convenience does not eliminate legal risk. This guide explains how copyright ownership, trademark protection, stock image licensing, right of publicity laws, and AI-generated content can affect your business before you invest in your brand

Meta Faces Copyright Lawsuit Over Eminem Songs: Vondran Legal® AI Music Lawyers California/Arizona. By Steven C. Vondran, Esq. | Vondran Legal® – California AI & Copyright Lawyer Artificial intelligence is changing copyright law almost daily. Whether you're building an AI platform, operating ...

Vondran Legal® - Trademark College®. Trademarks in the Digital Age! The digital asset marketplace continues to mature, and courts are increasingly being asked to answer important questions regarding ownership, branding, and intellectual property rights in the NFT ecosystem. In a landmark de...

Chain of Title in Copyright Law: Why Ownership Documentation Can Make or Break Your Copyright Case Understanding Copyright Ownership, Assignments, Licenses, and Why Federal Courts Demand a Clear Chain of Title By Attorney Steve® | Vondran Legal® Introduction: Owning a Copyright and Proving O...

Vondran Legal® Photo Infringement Insigts: What Photographers, Content Creators, and Copyright Owners Need to Know about CMI 1202 claims. By Attorney Steve® | Vondran Legal® – Copyright & DMCA Litigation Lawyers Has It Become Harder to Win a DMCA Metadata Lawsuit? For many years, photographe...