Copyright Office Invites Comments
In connection with a proposed new fee schedule that the Copyright Office will be announcing this spring, the Copyright Office is seeking comments on two issues. First, regarding the basic registration fee, should special consideration be extended to individual author-claimants who are applying to register a single work that is not a work made for hire? Second, should the Office expand, improve or add any special services and corresponding fees to its offerings, including, for example, additional expedited services and fee options? To submit a comment (due on or prior to February 23, 2012), go to comment submission.
For additional information, please visit the Copyright Office website.
RPL Attorney Attending Real Screen Summit
RPL Attorney Nicole Page will be attending the Real Screen Summit on January 30th and January 31st.
Proposed Rulemaking concerning Minimum Wage and Overtime
The U.S. Department of Labor published a notice of proposed rulemaking today concerning the extension of minimum wage and overtime protections to almost two million caretakers who provide in-home care services to the infirm and elderly. Members of the public may comment on the notice of proposed rulemaking at www.regulations.gov beginning December 27, 2011, and ending on February 27, 2012.
The companionship and live-in worker regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act will be revised under the proposal so that the tasks that may be performed by an exempt companion are more clearly defined and the companionship exemption is limited to companions employed only by the family or household using the services. Under the proposal, third party employers (such as in-home care staffing agencies) will not be able to claim companionship or overtime exemptions for live-in domestic workers, regardless of whether the live-in domestic worker is employed by the third party employer alone or employed jointly by the third party employer and the family or household. For additional information please click here.
More Nominations for The Redemption of General Butt Naked
Congratulations to RPL client Mad Monitor Productions and Daniele Anastasion and Eric Strauss, the directors and producers of “The Redemption of General Butt Naked,” as the award nominations keep rolling in. This outstanding film, which won the prize for Best Cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, was recently nominated for the Best Feature Award at the 2011 IDA Documentary Awards. The awards, given out by the International Documentary Association, will take place in Los Angeles on December 2nd and honor excellence in nonfiction filmmaking. The film also has been nominated for a 2011 Gotham Award and the Best Documentary Award at the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards.
RPL attorneys Deena Merlen, Helen D. (“Heidi”) Reavis and Nicole Page have been privileged to provide legal services for this remarkable documentary. For more information on the film, please see http://www.generalbuttnakedmovie.com/.
RPL Partner Presents at Women Make Movies Workshop
On Wednesday, November 30, 2011, RPL Partner Nicole Page will be presenting at a workshop for producers hosted by Women Make Movies called Producing- Skill Building for Success. For more information and to register for this great event, please go to http://www.wmm.com/filmmakers/workshops_registration.shtml.
RPL Hosts Women’s Forum Health Care Forum
RPL Hosts Women’s Forum Health Care Forum, “Will Health Care Reform Help or Hurt You?”
Assembled panelists include Pamela Brier, President and CEO, Maimonides Medical Center; Pamela Gallin, MD FACSF, Director, Pediatric Ophthalmology, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center; Joan Leiman, Chief of Staff to the President & CEO, New York-Presbyterian Hospital; Carol Raphael, President and CEO, Visiting Nurse Service of New York; Ilene Wachs, President, Horizon Casualty Services, Inc., Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey; and moderated by Maura Carley, President and CEO, Healthcare Navigation, LLC. For more information on the Women’s Forum, see www.womensforumny.org.
RPL Partner Attends Freedom Award
RPL Partner Nicole Page was honored to attend the 20th Anniversary Freedom Award on Saturday, November 12, 2011. The event is held annually by the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, to honor those who have made vast contributions in civil and human rights, education, the arts, sports and community service, justice and for their dedication to creating opportunity for the disenfranchised.
MTV Show Features Music by RPL Client Jon O’Shaughnessy
RPL congratulates its client, singer-songwriter Jon O’Shaughnessy, whose gorgeous song “3:33″ was featured last night on the soundtrack of MTV’s new reality television show titled “Chelsea Settles.” RPL attorney Deena R. Merlen is delighted to have assisted Mr. O’Shaughnessy with this matter.
The MacArthur Foundation Awards Grant to “Seeking Refuge”
The Firm is pleased to announce that “Seeking Refuge,” a documentary film by Tina DiFeliciantonio and Jane Wagner of Naked Eye Productions, has been awarded a MacArthur Foundation grant. Nearly 400 proposals for documentary film support were submitted, from which only eight were selected for awards. “Seeking Refuge” follows the journey of survivors of torture as they work towards healing and starting new lives.
More information about the filmmakers and Naked Eye Productions is available here.
RPL Client Chris March Premieres Series on Bravo Tonight
Tune in to Bravo tonight to see the premiere of “Mad Fashion,” a new series starring RPL client, fashion designer Chris March. Nicole Page and Deena R. Merlen are pleased to have assisted Chris in this matter and enjoyed the festivities at the Bravo Premiere Party last week. Congratulations and best wishes to Chris.