Copyright Law Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television Entertainment Law - Music Litigation - First Amendment Litigation - Intellectual Property Media Law
Vincent H. Chieffo
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2010 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
Vincent H. Chieffo is an entertainment and media litigator with significant trial and appellate experience. His practice also includes entertainment transactional work. His litigation experience encompasses disputes throughout the entertainment business, including those involving copyright and trademark infringement, right of publicity, defamation, the rights of estates and heirs in copyrights and other entertainment assets, idea submission, royalties and participations, and distribution and financing agreements. Vincent's entertainment transaction experience has included advice regarding a wide range of matters from licensing trademarks, copyrights, and rights of publicity; sales and acquisitions of copyright and entertainment catalogues; to music publishing agreements; and motion picture production and distribution agreements.
Overview
- Columbia University, J.D., graduated 1970
- Hamilton College, AB, graduated 1967
- California, The State Bar of California
- American Bar Association - Member
- Beverly Hills Bar Association - Member
- Board of Directors of Public Counsel, a public interest law firm - Member
- California Copyright Conference - Member
- Century City Bar Association - Member
- Copyright Society of the U.S.A. - Member
- International Bar Association - Member
- Los Angeles Copyright Society - Member
- Los Angeles County Bar Association - Member
- USC Entertainment Law Institute Planning Committee - Member
- United States Court of Appeals
- California, The State Bar of California
- American Bar Association - Member
- Beverly Hills Bar Association - Member
- Board of Directors of Public Counsel, a public interest law firm - Member
- California Copyright Conference - Member
- Century City Bar Association - Member
- Copyright Society of the U.S.A. - Member
- International Bar Association - Member
- Los Angeles Copyright Society - Member
- Los Angeles County Bar Association - Member
- USC Entertainment Law Institute Planning Committee - Member
- Columbia University, J.D., graduated 1970
- Hamilton College, AB, graduated 1967
- United States Court of Appeals
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Copyright Law
- Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television
- Entertainment Law - Music
- Litigation - First Amendment
- Litigation - Intellectual Property
- Media Law
Additional Areas of Practice:
- Communications Law
- First Amendment Law
Special Focus:
- Copyright
- Entertainment Law
- Litigation
Awards:
- AV Preeminent® 5.0 out of 5
- Super Lawyers magazine, Southern California Super Lawyers, 2007, 2009-2013
- Managing IP Magazine's World IP Handbook and Survey, "IP Stars," 2013
News & Media
Case History
Cases
- Areas of Concentration
- Litigation
- Entertainment law
- Intellectual property
- Securities litigation
- Other Court Admissions
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
- Significant Representations
- Moreau v. Daily Independent, 2013 WL 85362, 41 Med. L. Rep. 1471 (E.D. Cal. 2013) , granting anti-SLAPP motion and dismissing defamation claim against newspaper.
- National Center for Jewish Film v. Riverside Films LLC, 2012 WL 4052111, 2012 Copr. L. Dec. P. 30, 316 (C.D. Cal., 2012), granting defense summary judgment on fair use grounds in copyright infringement action based on film clips used by the producer of a documentary film about Sholem Aleichem.
- RST (2005) Inc. v. Research in Motion Ltd., 597 F. Supp.2d 362 (S.D.N.Y. 2009), granting, in part, summary judgment to plaintiff in dispute arising from license agreement for a Rolling Stones branded, limited edition Blackberry smartphone.
- Silverlit Toys Manufactory, Ltd. V. Absolute Toy Marketing, Inc., 2007 WL 521239 (N.D. Cal. 2007), granting preliminary injunction for copyright and trademark infringement.
- Polygram Records, Inc. v. Legacy Entertainment Group, LLC, 2006 WL 163223 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2006), affirming summary judgment that held Heirs of Hank Williams Sr. are exclusive owners of exploitation rights to Hank Williams recorded radio programs.
- Lyrick Studios, Inc. v. Big Idea Productions, Inc., 420 F.3d 388 (5th Cir. 2005), reversal of breach of distribution agreement, $10 million jury verdict.
- Part 2
- Briarpatch Ltd. L.P. v. Phoenix Pictures, Inc., 373 F.3d 296 (2d Cir. 2004) cert. denied 544 U.S. 949 (2005), copyright infringement.
- Winter v. D.C. Comics, 30 Cal.4th 881 (2003), right of publicity.
- Adidas-Salomon AG v. Target Corp., 228 F.Supp. 2d 1192 (D. Oregon 2002), trademark.
- Fogerty v. Fantasy, 510 U.S. 57 (1994) on remand, 94 F.3d 553 (9th Cir. 1996), copyright infringement and right to attorney's fees.
- Schwartz v. Las Vegas Sun, 104 Nev. 508, 761 P.2d 849 (1988) and 110 Nev. 1042, 881 P.2d 638 (1994), defamation.
- Stone v. Williams, 970 F.2d 1043 (2d Cir. 1992) and Stone v. Gulf <st1:country-region>America</st1:country-region> Fire & Casualty Co. 554 So. 2d. 346 (Alabama 1989), right of illegitimate child of Hank Williams Sr. to renewal <st1:country-region>U.S.</st1:country-region> copyrights and to share in the Estate of Hank Williams Sr.
- Demaris v. Greenspun, 712 F.2d. 433 (9th Cir. 1983), defamation.
- Cher v. Forum International Ltd., 692 F.2d 634 (9th Cir. 1982), right of publicity.
- H.M. Greenspun v. Del E. Webb Corporation, 634 F. 2d 1204 (9th Cir. 1980), shareholder derivative action.
- Guglielmi v. Spelling-Goldberg Prods, 25 Cal.3d 860 (1979), right of publicity.
- Part 3
- Represented various clients who have granted or obtained trademark licenses, name and likeness rights, and literary rights including the licensing of personal rights for the production of a television movie, the grant of syndication rights for television programming, the sale of theatrical rights to a best-selling novel, the sale and optioning of screenplays, and the negotiation of a multimillion-dollar endorsement and concert tour promotion agreement.
- Represented strategic partners in several mini-major studio international partnerships involving equity investments, multi-picture revolving lines of credit for up to $300 million and single picture financing.
- Represented music publishing companies, including copyright catalog acquisitions, and various recording artists and independent record companies regarding recording, production and distribution agreements, and royalty accountings.
- Represented musical and performing artists for single and multi-engagement tours, for tour and retail merchandising agreements, and for tour promotion agreements.
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