An Amazing Show and A Lawyer in Tears…
Love Your What?
November 3rd is “Love Your Lawyer Day.” It’s one of those made up celebratory days appearing on your calendar, and leaving you to wonder, “who came up with that?” (FYI – Some organization called American Lawyers Public Image Association created the unofficial day back in 2001).
I am also willing to bet musician Rachel Baiman has never heard of the “Love Your Lawyer Day.” Nonetheless, merely a week after the official celebration date the talented singer and multi-instrumentalist out of Nashville hit the stage at Gundlach Bundschu in Sonoma with a little surprise for yours truly. (more…)
- Published in Actors, Entertainment Law, Featured, Music Law, Musicians
Thursday is the New Friday…
The Proof…
Last week Mark was chatting with Max (Atta Kid) and Joe (Otis McDonald) outside The Chapel in San Francisco about how Thursday night is THE night to go out and see the best live music. The fellas then went out and got the crowd moving with a great Otis live show opening for Strike Iron (Joe, busting two guitar strings at the same time). Thus proving, Thursday is the New Friday.
Otis McDonald @ The Chapel
- Published in Entertainment Law, Music Law, Musicians
Agreeing to License: Free to Roll with the Changes
The following article attempts and explain the recent trends, as well as, some of the pros and cons of entering into a license agreement in today’s entertainment industry.
As the various business models of the entertainment industry continue to reinvent themselves almost on a daily basis, one prevailing trend is the growing use of licensing. More entertainment product is now self-produced by artists than ever before. The “Studio System” and “Major Label” business models are quickly becoming obsolete. Industry professionals continue to ask; are these changes the result of the economy, backlash against the ‘old systems’, or technology changes? The answer probably lies somewhere in the murky gray area known as “a combination of all of the above”. The point is, change is here, and change means an influx in the use of licensing throughout the entrainment industry as the shift continues toward independent production. (more…)
Sampling… A Composition Dilemma
Can you just imagine the cost to clear the rights for an album like the Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique? The Dust Brothers dumped the kitchen sink into the Beastie’s landmark album in the days before Grand Upright Music, Ltd. v. Warner Bros. Records Inc.; the landmark lawsuit against Biz Markie by Gilbert O’Sullivan, which changed the process and future of hip-hop sampling.
Lawsuits and controversy aside, we’ll probably never see sampled albums as they were back in the mid-1980s, but that doesn’t mean that sampling is gone. It’s often harder to recognize sampling. Sometimes the sample just doesn’t fit the traditional hip-hop model, and sometimes the sample is so technologically manipulated that it’s unrecognizable.
- Published in Copyright Law, Entertainment Law, Featured, IP Law, Licensing, Music Law, Musicians
“Shopping” Your Demo, Script or Manuscript
Shopping your music, film and book projects through an attorney is a double-edged sword.
Here’s the reality behind “shopping”…
Record labels, Film & TV Studios and Book Publishers never accept UNSOLICITED demo, script or manuscript submissions. This includes submissions sent from the artist directly, or from an attorney or agent.
- Published in Actors, Entertainment Law, Film Law, Music Law, Musicians, Television Law
Start Me Up! A Short Guide for Prospective Business Owners
One of the questions we here at ARC Law Group hear quite often is, “Can you help me start a business?” The short answer; our main goal is offering access to legal advice for all entrepreneurs in every endeavor imaginable. I think I speak for all of us at ARC Law Group when I say that we take a lot of pride in helping our clients start a business from nothing more than an idea.
- Published in Business Law, Entertainment Law, Featured, Internet Law, IP Law, Sports Law, Technology Law, Trademark Law