Bon Jovi, MLB and Others Obtain First Circuit Win in Music Copyright Lawsuits

Skadden secured an appellate victory on behalf of the band Bon Jovi, band members John Bongiovi and Richard Sambora individually, and close to two dozen corporate and industry defendants, including Major League Baseball, Turner Broadcasting and the Boston Red Sox, in connection with four music copyright infringement lawsuits. On February 10, a panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed a lower court’s 2010 decision (also handled by Skadden), in which a Massachusetts district court granted summary judgment dismissing the copyright claims.