North America: Media, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment

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Entertainment law, media law and telecoms law thought leadership, articles, podcasts, videos and webinars from expert sources across the legal world. Explore insights covering topics such as advertising, marketing and branding, broadcasting, gaming, hotels and hospitality, publishing, and mobile and cable communications.
Article
Industry Seeks Narrower Proposed FCC Equipment Authorization And Covered List Rules
The FCC received extensive industry feedback on its proposed equipment authorization and Covered List rules, with manufacturers, technology companies, and trade associations pushing back against broad regulatory requirements. Commenters generally support supply chain protection but seek narrower rules with a stronger connection between regulatory burdens and actual security risks, particularly regarding bills of materials requirements, certification mandates, and equipment authorization expiration.
United States Media & IT
S
Steptoe LLP
Article
The Ad Standard: Monthly Update - October 2026
Affordability remains front and center at the FTC. This month, the agency turned its attention to healthcare and gas costs. It also issued detailed guidance on price transparency for auto dealers that marketers in any industry might want to heed: the advertised price “must be the actual price that any consumer can walk in and pay,” with only government fees excluded. The FTC continues to consider how to combat scams and is seeking public comment on whether online platforms should help stop scammers who use those platforms to impersonate third parties by, for example, requiring the removal of confirmed impersonation scam ads.
United States Media & IT
ST
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Article
Can AI Make Real-Money Gaming More Engaging, Secure, And Fair?
Enterprise AI creates legal risk throughout the AI lifecycle, beginning before deployment. Model selection, data pipelines, vendor relationships, AI-generated outputs, consequential decision-making, contracts, and governance can create intellectual-property, privacy, confidentiality, contractual, regulatory, and liability exposure. Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping real-money gaming, but its value proposition is inseparable from regulatory risk.
United States Media & IT
G
Gamma Law
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Article
FCC Eliminates National Television Audience Reach Cap
The Federal Communications Commission has eliminated the National Television Audience Reach Cap, which previously prevented entities from owning broadcast TV stations reaching more than 39% of U.S. households. The agency will now conduct case-by-case public interest reviews of transactions that would have exceeded this threshold, fundamentally changing how broadcast television consolidation is evaluated.
United States Media & IT
WR
Wiley Rein
Article
Nationwide EAS Test Coming November 17, 2026
FEMA and the FCC will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System on November 17, 2026, requiring participation from all radio and television stations, cable systems, and satellite services. EAS Participants must file three separate forms through the EAS Test Reporting System, with specific deadlines ranging from October 30, 2026, through January 2027. Certain translator and repeater stations are exempt from the registration and filing requirements.
United States Media & IT
WR
Wiley Rein
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Article
AI, Cybersecurity And Digital Assets: Where Emerging Technology Enforcement Risk Is Moving
Braeden Anderson examines the evolving enforcement landscape for artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital assets following his panel discussion at Securities Enforcement Forum Central. The analysis explores how regulators scrutinize AI governance, the practical challenges of cybersecurity evidence preservation, and why clearer crypto regulation hasn't eliminated fraud risks.
United States Technology
GU
Gesmer Updegrove LLP
Article
Industry Seeks Narrower Proposed FCC Equipment Authorization And Covered List Rules
The FCC received extensive industry feedback on its proposed equipment authorization and Covered List rules, with manufacturers, technology companies, and trade associations pushing back against broad regulatory requirements. Commenters generally support supply chain protection but seek narrower rules with a stronger connection between regulatory burdens and actual security risks, particularly regarding bills of materials requirements, certification mandates, and equipment authorization expiration.
United States Media & IT
S
Steptoe LLP
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Article
Senate Passes The Protect College Sports Act: What It Means For NCAA Oversight And Athlete Pay
The Senate has passed the Protect College Sports Act by a bipartisan vote of 77-22, marking Congress's most ambitious attempt to regulate college athletics since the NIL era began. This landmark legislation would restore NCAA enforcement powers, codify athlete revenue sharing, establish federal oversight of NIL deals, and create a comprehensive national framework to replace the current patchwork of state laws and litigation that has governed college sports since the Supreme Court's decision in NCAA v. Alsto
United States Anti-trust
WR
Wiley Rein
Article
Prediction Markets: Evolving Regulation In Canada
Surging trading volumes, rapid regulatory change and well-publicized controversies in respect of United States prediction markets have brought new prominence to the regulation of prediction markets. Until this year, there had been no formal guidance provided for businesses looking to offer trading in prediction market contracts (also referred to as “event contracts”) in Canada in accordance with existing regulatory frameworks, and, in particular, there has been significant uncertainty concerning the application of securities law restrictions to the trading of event contracts.
Canada Finance
BC
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Article
The Protect College Sports Act Regulates Major Conference Expansion But Not Contraction
The Protect College Sports Act caps major conference membership at 20 schools, but a critical loophole exists: while the legislation prevents conference expansion, it contains no provisions prohibiting conferences from expelling existing members. This oversight could enable conferences to strategically remove underperforming schools to increase per-member revenue shares, fundamentally reshaping college athletics through contraction rather than expansion.
United States Media & IT
JW
Jones Walker
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Article
From Napster To Sampling To AI: Copyright Law’s Role As The Sheriff To Emerging Technology
From digital sampling battles to AI-generated music, copyright law has consistently arrived late to technological disruption in the music industry. This examination traces landmark litigation across sampling, streaming, and artificial intelligence, revealing how rights holders have repeatedly shaped legal frameworks through strategic action rather than waiting for legislative solutions.
United States IP
Aa
Adams and Reese
Article
Who Knew The Life Of A Showgirl Sometimes Involves Trade Mark Battles?
Taylor Swift faces a trademark dispute over her album title "The Life of a Showgirl" with performer Maren Flagg, who holds a 12-year registration for "Confessions of a Showgirl." The case centers on reverse confusion claims and whether Swift's global fame could overwhelm Flagg's earlier trademark rights, raising questions about brand dilution and the commercial impact of similar marks in the entertainment industry.
United States IP
MC
Marks & Clerk
Article
The "Showgirl" Showdown: What The Taylor Swift Lawsuit Reveals About Creative Expression, Trademarks, And Commercial Identity
When Taylor Swift released her album 'The Life of a Showgirl,' she faced a trademark infringement lawsuit from Maren Flagg, who claimed the title violated her registered trademark CONFESSIONS OF A SHOWGIRL. The case explores the critical boundary between artistic expression and commercial trademark use, particularly when musical artists transform album releases into merchandise-driven business ventures.
United States IP
KG
K&L Gates LLP
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