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…)
Copyright – Frequently Asked Questions
What is Copyright?
Copyright is a set of exclusive rights granted to the author or creator of an original work, including the right to copy, distribute and adapt the work. In the United States, Copyright rights are established under the United States Copyright Act (17 USC 101, et. seq.).
I have a great idea, can I Copyright my idea?
- Published in Copyright Law, Featured, IP Law, Licensing
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
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