Content

Content. def. something that is to be expressed through some medium, as speech, writing, or any of various arts; significance or profundity; meaning.

Our goal is to protect content. Shullman Fugate litigates in the same areas we advise – defamation, privacy, copyright, and trademark. The knowledge our attorneys obtain in defending content-related claims and litigating intellectual property disputes translates to practical advice for our clients in shaping their content. We support content creators across every type of platform, including digital and print media, television and film, and internet content providers. Our clients include media companies, journalists, streaming services, production companies, filmmakers, book publishers, authors, artists, and other content creators and providers.

REVIEW & CLEARANCE

Our litigation experience provides unique insight into the tight deadlines content providers face as well as the business and legal issues that impact their final product. On a 24-hour a day basis, we provide pre-publication, pre-broadcast, on-set, and live review of internet content, news, books, television shows, reality programs, podcasts, blogs, documentaries, promotional material, and more. Working across platforms, our attorneys vet material to identify legal risks, including defamation, privacy, trespass, copyright, and fair use issues, and provide clearances as necessary. We also respond to demands for retraction or other complaints about our clients’ content, which can often avoid protracted litigation. Our goal is to mitigate risk while fostering the highest quality content.

ADVICE & ACCESS

We know that content does not create itself. One of our primary missions is to proactively help our clients gather the information necessary to produce full, factually supported content. We routinely provide newsgathering advice to our clients on permissible methods and applicable laws, such as recording laws, to make sure their activities are protected. We also aggressively protect our clients’ rights of access to public records, open meetings and judicial proceedings. Our attorneys have litigated many important access, public records, and Freedom of Information Act cases in state and federal courts.

PROTECTION

Content creators become experts on the topics and subjects they cover, and litigants often see this as an easy source of information. We fight any intrusion upon our clients’ work product and have been at the forefront of shaping Florida’s journalist’s privilege. Content providers also routinely republish user generated content and comment. This, too, is a ripe area for litigants. We routinely assist ISPs and other website hosts in subpoena matters ranging from the routine production of business records to more complicated matters involving anonymous speech and disclosure of corporate secrets and user data.

Whether vetting and clearing content, helping obtain information to create content, or preventing disclosure of work product, our mission is clear: We protect content so our clients can realize their vision.

If your content is the subject of litigation, Shullman Fugate has you covered there as well.