Joel L. Hecker
Joel L. Hecker, Of Counsel to Russo & Burke, received his J.D. from New York University School of Law.
Mr. Hecker specializes in:
every aspect of photography and visual arts law
copyright
licensing
publishing
contracts
privacy rights
other intellectual property issues.
His practice also includes:
trademark
real estate matters
federal and state litigation.
He acts as general counsel to hundreds of the professional photographers, stock photo agencies, graphic artists and other photography and content-related businesses he represents nationwide and abroad.
Mr. Hecker lectures nationally and writes extensively on issues of concern to these industries, including his print and web-based monthly column You And The Law in PhotoStockNotes, and numerous seminars at the annual Photo Plus Expo Conference at Javits Center in New York City.
Mr. Hecker has also participated on legal panels and Symposiums, concerning copyright and other relevant issues at:
Case Western Reserve School of Law in Cleveland
St. John’s University School of Law in New York City
The New York State Bar Association’s Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section
The Copyright Society of the U.S.A..
Areas of Practice
- Photography and Visual Arts Law
- Copyright
- Licensing
- Publishing
- Contracts
- Privacy Rights
- Intellectual Property Issues
- Trademark
- Real Estate Matters
- Federal and State Litigation
Bar Admissions
- New York, 1966
- U.S. District Court District of Arizona
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Tax Court
Education
- New York University School of Law, New York, New York
- J.D. - 1966
- State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, New York
- B.S. - 1963
- Honors: Dean's List
Published Works
- Entertainment Litigation, “Know the Issues and Avoid the Courtroom,” N.Y.S. Bar Association, 2007, Ch. 6 & 7
- “The Wave of the Future or Blatant Copyright Infringement?” N.Y.S. Bar Association Journal, May 2007
- “Contracting and the Rights of Photographers,” Case Western Reserve Law Review, Spring 2003
- “Appropriation Artist Guilty of Copyright Infringement,” N.Y.S.B.A. Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal, Summer 2011
- “Dep't of Justice Statement of Interest Regarding Google's Proposed Class Action Settlement - Summary", N.Y.S.B.A. Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal, Fall/Winter 2009
- "Obama Hope Poster: Art, Copyright Infringement, or Both?", N.Y.S.B.A. Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal, Summer 2009, Law Review, Spring 2003
- “Photography Law - A 20 Year Retrospective,” N.Y.S.B.A. Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal, Special Edition 2008
- “Copyright Functionality: When a Shoe is Not a Shoe!” N.Y.S.B.A. Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal, Fall/Winter 2006
- “Copyright Infringement - When Does it Accrue?” N.Y.S.B.A. Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal, Summer 2006
- “Tennis Pro Loses Publicity Claims for Use of Nude Photos,” N.Y.S.B.A. Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal, Fall/Winter 2005
- “Court Excludes Use of Multiplier in Calculation of Copyright Infringement Damages,” N.Y.S.B.A. Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal, Spring 2005
- “Public Domain Material - No Credit Necessary,” N.Y.S.B.A. Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal, Summer 2003
- “National Geographic Copyright Cases: Lack of Paperwork Can Bite you Decades Later,” N.Y.S.B.A. Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal, Fall/Winter 2002
- “Copyright Term Extension Upheld,” N.Y.S.B.A. Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal, Summer 2001.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- New York State Bar Association, Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section, Member
- Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Member, Copyright and Literary Property Committee (Chair: 2007-2010)
- Selected to New York Super Lawyers 2011 - Metro
