Excerpt:
Earlier today, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a shocking ruling by determining that Innocence of Muslims actress Cindy Lee Garcia could assert a copyright interest in her performance in the film and that Google had to remove the controversial anti-Islamic film from YouTube.
The opinion could usher in all types of new lawsuits from Hollywood creatives over films, TV shows and other works that rely on joint contributions. Notably, 9th Circuit Chief Judge Alex Kozinski rejected many of Google's arguments, including that Garcia's performance was a work for hire and that she made an implied license when agreeing to perform. As a result, the ruling is not only a potential litigation bonanza for the Hollywood plaintiff's bar, but ISPs will now have tough days ahead of them in determining how to respond to copyright takedown notices from individuals who, before today, might not have been presumed to hold any interest in copyrighted material.
But that's all a matter for another day.