In recent months, federal habeas corpus litigation has become one of the most important tools for immigrants held in prolonged immigration detention. Across the United States, immigration detainees and their attorneys increasingly turn to federal district courts when bond hearings before immigration judges fail to provide meaningful due process protections....
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Today, we will talk about consequences of the use of cheap trademark filing services. In today’s online world, many businesses look for the fastest and cheapest way to file a trademark application. At first glance, this seems reasonable. A trademark filing may appear to be simple paperwork: fill out a form, pay a fee, and wait for approval....
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The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has notified the parties that the case of Fertikh v. Blanche is being considered for oral argument during the Pasadena sitting calendar in September 2026. Consideration for oral argument is a significant procedural development in a federal appellate case. In many immigration appeals, matters are decided solely on the written briefs. When a case is considered for oral argument, it may indicate that the Court wishes to examine the legal and factual issues in greater depth through direct questioning of counsel. Our client, Anton Fertikh, is an asylum seeker from Russia and...
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Artificial intelligence is already embedded in the film industry. It is not theoretical. It is not “coming soon.” It is here. But its implementation is uneven, cautious, and often deliberately hidden behind traditional workflows. At the same time, other markets—particularly India—are moving faster, experimenting openly, and accepting risks that U.S. studios are unwilling to take....
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Under the ACA framework, the government would argue that a person should not be allowed to seek asylum in the United States because they passed through another country and could have applied there. These arguments were tied to a specific regulatory structure and were relatively straightforward in how they were presented in court. Today, those arguments have largely receded from day-to-day practice. This has created an impression that immigration courts may be returning to a more traditional process, where each applicant has a full hearing and an opportunity to explain their case in detail. In practice, that has not happened. Instead of...
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There is a persistent assumption in film, media, and online content creation that reality provides protection. If something actually happened, it can be shown. If a person has already become public, their story is available. If events are documented, then telling them again should not create legal risk. That assumption feels intuitive. It is also fundamentally wrong....
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Today, we will talk about work-for-hire agreements. In film production, ownership is often assumed—but rarely verified. Many filmmakers operate under the belief that once a project is completed, the film “belongs” to the producer or the production company. That assumption may feel intuitive, especially when one party finances, organizes, and oversees the entire production....
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The film industry runs on perception. Reputation, access, and relationships often matter just as much as talent. But this creates a predictable side effect—an environment where some individuals build not real influence, but the illusion of it. Over time, especially through real experience at markets and festivals, you begin to recognize a pattern: people who try to appear bigger than they are by attaching themselves to others, exaggerating their reach, and using environments that look impressive. I’ve encountered this repeatedly—and in different forms....
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Many professionals instinctively believe that their legal name belongs entirely to them in every context, including business. It feels natural to assume that if you are born with a name, you have the unrestricted right to use it commercially. However, trademark law operates on a very different principle. Your legal name does not automatically grant you exclusive rights in the marketplace. It does not guarantee trademark protection, and in certain situations, you may even be restricted from using it in connection with your own business. This disconnect between intuition and legal reality is where many costly mistakes begin. Trademark law is not...
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One of the most common misunderstandings among filmmakers is the belief that the title of a film is protected by copyright law. In practice, this is almost never the case. In the United States, the legal protection of film titles falls primarily under trademark law and unfair competition law, rather than copyright law. Understanding this distinction is important for filmmakers, producers, distributors, and anyone working in the entertainment industry....
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