NY Fashion Law, HITS act, AI Mayhem and more…
The latest Entertainment Law Update Podcast with entertainment law attorneys Tamera Bennett and Gordon Firemark covers the biggest headlines in copyright, trademark, and entertainment law.
NY’s Fashion Worker Act – Explained
NY Lab. Law Art. 36, §§1030-39 Links: Infographic of Fashion Worker Act | NY Statute
New York has enacted the most talent-protective legislation in the nation. With this they also redefine who qualifies as a regulated rep impacting models, influencers, and managers. The law imposes a duty to procure on reps and blurs the line between agent and manager. We welcome attorney Michael Glazer to the conversation.
HITS ACT Passes
HITS Act (H.R. 761) Links: Recording Academy | POLLSTAR
Independent musicians just scored a major legislative win with the passage of the HITS Act—short for Help Independent Tracks Succeed. This new law allows music creators to immediately deduct up to $150,000 in recording expenses, leveling the playing field with film, TV, and theater producers who’ve long enjoyed this kind of tax treatment under Section 181 of the Internal Revenue Code. Podcasts are audio recordings. Could podcasters benefit, too?
Meta Wins Important Ruling in Authors’ AI Training Lawsuit
Kadrey v. Meta Platforms Inc., No. 3:2023cv03417 - Document 598 (N.D. Cal. June 25, 2025). Link: IPWatchDog
In Kadrey v. Meta Platforms Inc., a federal judge in the Northern District of California ruled in June 2025 that authors including Sarah Silverman and Ta-Nehisi Coates failed to prove that Meta Platforms Inc. harmed their book market when it used their works to train its LLaMA AI system. The judge said the authors did not show real economic damage and treated AI training as “transformative,” but stressed the ruling was limited to the evidence in this case, not a blanket approval of using copyrighted works. He also drew a distinction between books obtained from authorized sources and books accessed through pirated copies, noting that piracy raises separate legal concerns even if it did not decide this case.
Texas Passes State Law on AI Regulation
Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (TRAIGA) (HB 149) Links: LEGISCAN | Austin Chronicle
The new Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (TRAIGA), (HB 149) passed with bipartisan support and signed into law by Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, is designed to protect consumers while implementing thorough expectations for businesses using AI. TRAIGA prohibits the development or deployment of any AI system for certain purposes, including by private-sector entities that conduct business in Texas, produce a product or service used by Texas residents, or develop or deploy an AI system in Texas. The law is set to take effect in January 2026.
These cases and much more on this Episode of Entertainment Law Update with inherited copyright lawyer Tamera Bennett and film, TV, and podcast lawyer Gordon Firemark.
