Bill Gable: Professional Biography

Bill Gable is a Los Angeles-based attorney specializing in copyright, intellectual property, music and entertainment law, environmental law and mediation.  His clients include major film studios; independent record companies; film producers; songwriters, recording artists, novelists, screenwriters and their estates; internet and new media companies; and numerous other parties within the film, music and technology industries.  He is a lecturer on terminations of copyright transfers and on the particular affects of terminations upon music rights, trusts and estates. He is the author of “Restoration of Copyrights: Dueling Trolls And Other Oddities Under Section 104A of the Copyright Act,” 29 Colum. J.L. & Arts (Winter, 2005), the authoritative work on restoration of copyrights. Mr. Gable attended Northwestern and UCLA law schools, obtaining his J.D. degree from UCLA in 1998.

From 1998 to 2007, Mr. Gable practiced law in the Los Angeles and Century City offices of Morrison & Foerster (http://www.MoFo.com), one of the world’s leading international law firms. At MoFo he represented recording artists, film and television composers, independent record labels, motion picture producers, start-ups and established corporations.  Mr. Gable regularly counseled firm clients on copyright matters.  He drafted legal opinions and worked often with Professor Paul Goldstein, of-counsel to the firm.  He has served as production counsel on numerous independent motion pictures for independent producers American Zoetrope, Gerald Molen (executive producer of Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, etc.) and others. 

In addition to his transactional practice, Mr. Gable has represented plaintiffs and defendants in a wide array of litigation matters, including:

• Kling v. Hallmark Cards (9th Circuit); representation of defendants Hallmark Cards, Mattel, DIC Animation City, United Feature Syndicate and Artisan Pictures in appeal concerning “work made for hire” requirements under the Copyright Act;

• Wiener v. FBI (9th Circuit); representation of plaintiff historian Jon Wiener in multi-year litigation demanding release of final classified John Lennon documents under the Freedom of Information Act;

• El Sereno Neighborhood Action Committee v. California Transportation Commission (9th Circuit); representation of plaintiffs in environmental justice lawsuit on behalf of minority community disparately impacted by freeway extension (with co-counsel National Resources Defense Counsel).

• Representation of plaintiff Hebrew University of Jerusalem in right of publicity action over unauthorized use of Dr. Albert Einstein’s name and likeness on an internet website;

• Representation of plaintiff Kumon Institute of Mathematics in copyright infringement action over unauthorized copying and use of Kumon mathematics instruction materials;

• Representation of defendant Target Corporation in lawsuit concerning sales of products allegedly infringing plaintiff’s copyrighted fabric design;

• Representation of defendant Ask Jeeves in action alleging trademark infringement and unfair competition;

Mr. Gable regularly serves as a mediator in intellectual property, entertainment and other disputes, and is a court-appointed mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court. Prior to attending law school he was a volunteer mediator at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.

After obtaining a B.G.S. degree from the University of Iowa in 1974 (in American literature and philosophy), Bill Gable became a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and recording engineer.  In addition to his own recordings, Mr. Gable has composed and performed on three Grammy-nominated Yellowjackets recordings and has co-written songs with artists as diverse as Chicago and Branford Marsalis. His songs have been recorded by artists from Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Finland and Korea. He has played more than 2,000 live gigs in his lengthy music career.

He is a member of numerous legal organizations including the Beverly Hills Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association, American Bar Association and Los Angeles Copyright Society.