How to avoid copyright infringement

EXCLUSIVE : Fresh off a surprise “work in progress” screening at SXSW , Robert Rodriguez’s action-thriller Hypnotic , starring Ben Affleck , has been set for a May 12 U.S. release. As we revealed last month , Ketchup Entertainment will be launching the movie on more than 2,000 screens. The looming release for a movie that remains unfinished is yet another talking point in the project’s tumultuous journey to screen. Little has been straight-forward for Hypnotic but the warm reception it received on Sunday night was a welcome respite for its creatives and financiers. It’s unusual for a big budget film to get a public ‘work in progress’ screening at a festival but Austin was a smart choice given the home crowd’s reverence for Texas-native Rodriguez. The director said today: “I’ve been working on this film for many years now, and to see the reaction from my home town audience at SXSW was humbling and validating. I look forward to now sharing it with all movie … [Read more...] about Robert Rodriguez & Ben Affleck’s ‘Hypnotic’ Gets May Release Date Following Surprise SXSW “Work In Progress” Screening

If producers use artificial intelligence to simulate an actor’s performance, they’re going to have to bargain for it, SAG-AFTRA said Friday in a statement on the use of AI and digital doubling. “The terms and conditions involving rights to digitally simulate a performer to create new performances must be bargained with the union,” the guild said in a statement. “These rights are mandatory subjects of bargaining under the National Labor Relations Act,” the guild says. “Companies are required to bargain with SAG-AFTRA before attempting to acquire these rights in individual performers’ contracts. To attempt to circumvent SAG-AFTRA and deal directly with the performers on these issues is a clear violation of the NLRA.” The WGA has staked out a similar position . It its pattern of demands for its upcoming contract talks, which begin Monday, the writers guild seeks to “regulate use of material produced using artificial intelligence or similar technologies.” “Human … [Read more...] about SAG-AFTRA Says Use Of AI To Simulate Actors’ Performances Must Be Bargained For

Ghost shirts, which are sacred to certain Indigenous communities, were thought to guard the wearer against bullets through spiritual power. This precious heirloom is at the center of Tony Tost ’s directorial debut film at SXSW, Americana . This western dramedy has some tricks up its sleeve, thanks to the brilliant writing and the script’s comedic timing. It boasts a big cast of actors including Sydney Sweeney , Halsey , Paul Walter Hauser , Zahn McClarnon, Simon Rex, Eric Dane and Gavin Maddox Bergman. RELATED: SXSW 2023: All Of Deadline’s Movie Reviews Cal (Bergman) loves to watch black-and-white, cowboys-and-Indians films. While he’s enthralled with what he sees on the television, Joan Jett lookalike Mandy (Halsey) and local thug Dillian (Dane) argue about why Cal, her brother, is so weird. Maybe it’s because he’s a white kid who claims to be the reincarnation of Lakota ancestor Sitting Bull. To get them away from Dillian’s abusive household, Mandy knocks him … [Read more...] about ‘Americana’ Review: Tony Tost Turns The Western Genre Upside Down In Directorial Debut Dramedy Starring Sydney Sweeney & Halsey – SXSW

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter thinks Lindsay Lohan 's latest excuse -- that she was late to the morgue because she had trouble finding the entrance to the Coroner's office -- is a big pile of dog crap. As we reported, Lindsay's publicist just released a statement -- claiming Lindsay's tardiness was "due to a combination of not knowing the entrance to go through and confusion caused by the media waiting for her arrival." But Winter just told reporters -- there's no way Lindsay was confused about anything ... because she's been to the Coroner's office before. And, Winter claims, the Coroner's office even went out of its way to avoid confusion -- giving the actress specific step-by-step directions on where to go. … [Read more...] about L.A. County Coroner: Lindsay Lohan’s Excuse Is Total BS

Getty A new show Chloe Bailey is in -- where she's shown having sex -- has sparked a debate about racism and colorism in Hollywood ... and now, Halle Berry 's been roped in. You might've noticed the latter is trending this weekend, and the reason is because of this discourse that's taken off since Donald Glover 's latest TV series, "Swarm," debuted on Friday ... which starts out with a scene depicting Chloe doing the deed in very graphic detail. Since then, there's been a lot of chatter about her decision to do the sex scene ... some say it's a great move/good for her, and others feel like it falls in line with other choices she's made of late -- like putting out a single with Chris Brown -- that some think are ... not so wise. As one Twitter user put it ... "Where is a Chloe Bailey’s mentor pls??? She’s been making terrible decisions lately, she should have never done that sex scene in Swarm and I’m not even gonna go into her most … [Read more...] about Chloe Bailey’s New Sex Scene Sparks Colorism Convo About Halle Berry

Steve Jobs was vigilant in protecting his copyrights ... and now the photographer who shot his most iconic portrait is following Steve's lead ... and suing two artists who allegedly ripped him off ... TMZ has learned. The man behind the suit is Albert M. Watson -- a prolific photographer who's considered one of the most influential people to ever wield a camera. He shot Steve's famous portrait during a 2006 photo shoot ... and claims he owns the rights to the work. FYI -- the shot was used as the cover art on Walter Isaacson's biography, "Steve Jobs." But in his lawsuit, filed in federal court in NY, Watson claims two well known artists -- Alex Guofeng Cao and David Datuna -- used his famous "Steve Jobs" portrait as the basis for new pieces ... but they never got proper permission. Watson claims one of the unauthorized works, "Steve Jobs vs. Neil Armstrong, After Watson," has become popular and is being sold in multiple galleries across the country. He also … [Read more...] about Steve Jobs — Iconic Portrait Was RIPPED OFF … Says Photog

Roman Polanski will not be able to attend the Zurich Film Festival -- which was set to honor him with a lifetime achievement award -- because he got arrested for that whole statutory rape thing he's been fleeing from for the past 30 years. The famed director was taken into custody by Swiss authorities trying to enter Switzerland yesterday. Polanski pled guilty in 1977 to having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor (she was 13) but then fled the United States before he could be sentenced. Polanski has lived in France ever since to avoid being arrested. There has been no timeline set as to when or if he will be extradited back to the U.S. UPDATE -- According to Sandi Gibbons, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, the U.S. Justice Department worked in conjunction with Swiss authorities in securing the arrest. According to the LA Times , they had come close to arresting Polanski several times over the past decade. More Today in … [Read more...] about Roman Polanski Arrested — Finally

The Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and TV Producers are heading to the bargaining table on November 4, more than six months before the current agreement expires. As announced earlier this year, Thomas Schlamme and Michael Apted will serve as co-heads of the DGA ’s negotiating committee. The latest three-year Basic Agreement and the Freelance Live and Tape TV Agreement are up on June 30, 2014. Unlike the DGA and SAG-AFTRA , the WGA’s agreement ends on May 1 not June 30, 2014. While the DGA is going first this time, s tarting in the fall is fairly typical for the guilds. In fact, last time round, SAG had already wrapped up its deal by the fall of 2010 when the DGA started its talks. The last agreement between the AMPTP and the DGA as well as SAG and the WGA back in 2011 saw low single digit increases in pay and pension fund contributions for guild members. Those rather benign negotiations came after the harsh talks of 2008 that followed the … [Read more...] about DGA & AMPTP Set November Contract Negotiation Start Date

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho issued another plea today for the Service Employees International Union Local 99 to return to the bargaining table in hopes of averting a three-day strike set to begin Tuesday. “We should not be depriving our students of an opportunity to learn,” Carvalho said in a statement Monday morning. “With hours to go, I continue to appeal to union leadership to return to negotiations. We can find a solution that dignifies our workforce and avoids an unnecessary shutdown of schools while protecting the long-term viability of the school system.” The union, however, continued to dig in Monday, vowing to stick to its plans for a three-day walkout of roughly 30,000 service workers, including cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians, special education assistants and other workers. The district’s powerful teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles, has vowed to honor the picket lines, adding another 30,000 employees to … [Read more...] about LAUSD Strike: Public Schools To Close Tuesday As 60,000 L.A. Teachers & Campus Workers Stage Three-Day Walkout