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Pursuant to section 203 of the 1976 Copyright Act authors (or certain heirs) may terminate copyright assignments and reclaim copyrights 35 years after the work is first published. The music publishers that own the songs made famous by The Village People have asked a judge to find the songs were created by Willis as “works for hire.” MORE
A little while back, they asked me for a year’s worth of B roll footage I shot for them. Tags: Copyright Employee Within the Scope of Employment Work for Hire [This blog entry originally appeared at MovieMaker.com.] Q: I have an issue with a large client that has never asked me to sign any agreement or contract. I eventually gave it to the client because I thought [.]. MORE
Commentary : Many companies operate under the misconception that if they have hired and paid freelancers for their work, the company has that paid them has all of the rights to it. Simply paying someone for their services does not mean that you own the rights and proceeds of that work. Admittedly, it is quite counter-intuitive: you provided your consultant with the idea; they provided services; and you paid for it. MORE
Writers and Producers familiar with the way things are done in Hollywood have surely seen the ubiquitous term “Work Made For Hire” in their contracts. It's often a surprise, however, when they learn that in the theatre, Work Made For Hire is the rare exception, rather than the rule. What is a Work Made For Hire? The trouble is, theatrical works aren't listed. MORE
Treacherous waters ahead for news media. Things just got more treacherous for publishers and news organizations to run private photographs and videos of celebrities. This week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling in Monge v. The wedding took place in 2007, and was kept secret (even from the couple’s families) for 2 years before an acquaintance of the couple found the photos (taken by a witness at the Las Vegas wedding, using Reynoso’s camera). MORE
Another common practice in Hollywood is to treat many of the creative personnel in the film, television and music business as Independent Contractors, but requiring that the creative work they do belong to those who hire them, under the copyright act's definition of “work made for hire” (see Title 17 United States Code, Section 101 ). For the past few years, however, California State law has presented a sticky little problem with this approach. MORE
Manzarek was sued by John Densmore and Jim Morrison's parents for infringing on "The Doors" name, logo, and trademark. Paul's argued that the policy had a "field of entertainment" exclusion, barring "personal injury or advertising injury that results from the content of, or the advertising or publicizing for, any properties or programs which are within your field of entertainment business." For more information, please see: Manzarek et al. MORE
One might think that Sherlock Holmes is now in the public domain and any writer could freely borrow his character for inclusion in their own story. Works published before 1923 are most likely in the public domain, at least under U.S. For those stories published after January 1, 1923, they could remain protected until 2023. There is no such thing as an "international copyright" that will protect an author's work everywhere. citizen directing a movie for a U.S. MORE
5, 2010), the Ninth Circuit was faced with a dispute over ownership of the source code for a program that operated a digital audio device. JustMed claimed that Byce was an employee and that the code was a work for hire, with copyright ownership vested in the company. JustMed arose out of an idea that Byce and his then-brother-in-law Joel Just had for an improved digital audio device (a digital audio larynx). Tags: Copyright work for hire MORE
District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that profits earned by Lee for his creations rightfully belong to the Company and requests $750 million in damages. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2000 and in 2002, Lee sued Marvel over his co-authorship rights and was awarded approximately $10 million in damages. On Monday, January 26, 2009, the shareholders of Stan Lee Media, Inc. (&# the Company&# ) filed suit against Marvel Comics, Inc. , MORE
I have avoided blogging about the Shepard Fairey poster controversy for several reasons, chief among them that the facts about who owns what copyrights have been so unclear. If the AP is correct about Garcia's employment status (and I have no idea if it's right or wrong), then AP is indeed the copyright owner, under the work for hire doctrine. Finally, let's assume that Fairey did copy ( i.e. , make a derivative work of protectable elements). MORE
Tags: Assignment Copyright Film Implied License Work for Hire MORE
I’m sure we’ll hear Doria’s strong voice many times in the future and will be the better for her.] . Maybe people will start listening to what independent artists like me and my peers have been saying for years now. A little background for those who don’t know me: I’ve been a indie musician by choice for 22 years. And, for the first time in all my touring history my American dollars lost value going into Canada. I am a working class artist. MORE
Can a pre-existing song recording be deemed a Work Made For Hire just because a clause in a record contract says so? So Tom writes: I’ve been looking at some “record label” contracts for musicians who submit completed tracks to these record labels, in which the artists submit the masters to the label, assign all their rights in perpetuity, and include a statement that the masters are “works made for hire.” MORE
Copyright Act to file notice of termination of the copyright assignments for Charles’ songs and reclaim those revenue streams. Charles left the bulk of his estate, including his copyright assets, to The Ray Charles Foundation for the benefit of hearing and seeing impaired persons. There are two schemes for termination of copyright grants under the U.S. Copyright law and they arise from works created and published pre or post January 1, 1978. MORE
Question: I am currently working on an animation project that we have just pitched to a large animation production company. So far we have walked twice just for that reason. They have told us that should they decide to develop our idea, they had the capability to finance it in-house (something they say they previously have not been able to do) and I'm almost anticipating them downplaying our idea for the reason of getting more out of the deal. MORE
Manzarek was sued by John Densmore and Jim Morrison's parents for infringing on "The Doors" name, logo, and trademark. Paul's argued that the policy had a "field of entertainment" exclusion, barring "personal injury or advertising injury that results from the content of, or the advertising or publicizing for, any properties or programs which are within your field of entertainment business." For more information, please see: Manzarek et al. MORE
Morris and Richert thought the two projects were substantially similar and asked a WGA arbitration panel to determine if they should receive shared writing credit for “The American President.” The writers also claimed breach of contract against Castle Rock for failure to pay additional compensation for “The American President”; copyright infringement by Castle Rock, Sorkin, and Warner Bros., Washington Lawyers for the ArtsAt 11:45 a.m. MORE
This has been a good week for artist rights–the Turtles struck a major blow in the struggle against the new boss in their case against Sirius to protect the rights of artists who recorded prior to 1972. Artists will get a reminder of who they’re dealing with every single day of the lawsuits–that could go on for many years. Yes–they have that much disdain for artist rights. MORE
Sarah Alexandra Howes is publishing Picasso on Staff: Employee Classification, Copyrights, and the Creative Process in volume 7 of Cybaris: An Intellectual Property Law Review (2015). Here is the abstract. This essay discusses the legal consequences of employee classification on MORE
The Latest episode of my Entertainment Law podcast, Entertainment Law Update, is now available for your enjoyment. ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (WHAT/WHEN IS A WORK FOR HIRE?) . The Latest episode of my Entertainment Law podcast, Entertainment Law Update, is now available for your enjoyment. ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (WHAT/WHEN IS A WORK FOR HIRE?) . MORE
Question: About six years ago, I wrote and directed a short film and the contract I signed stipulated that any future work based on said material would have to be produced by the producer I originally signed with. Try to work it out. Question: Can you suggest an appropriate form for obtaining licenses, permissions, and approvals from talent and crew who have contributed to making a film or video production? It is non-union, work for hire, no residuals. MORE
Intellectual Property Law: Joint Copyright Ownership: As I previously discussed on this Blog, in A Work for Hire Agreement: A Critical Tool for Production Companies , work for hire agreements are a necessary aspect of the relationship between film production companies and their freelancers. The law generally provides that all contributors to a work may be able to claim rights as a joint copyright holder. MORE
Intellectual Property Law: Joint Copyright Ownership: As I previously discussed on this Blog, in A Work for Hire Agreement: A Critical Tool for Production Companies , work for hire agreements are a necessary aspect of the relationship between film production companies and their freelancers. The law generally provides that all contributors to a work may be able to claim rights as a joint copyright holder. MORE
Pursuant to section 203 of the 1976 Copyright Act authors (or certain heirs) may terminate copyright assignments and reclaim copyrights 35 years after the work is first published. But, songs are not specifically enumerated as a category of “works for hire,&# so the music publishers would be required to prove that Willis was their employee in order for this argument to fly. MORE
Jay Dougherty, Loyola Law School (Los Angeles), is publishing The Misapplication of 'Mastermind': A Mutant Species of Work for Hire and the Mystery of Disappearing Copyrights in volume 39 of the Columbia Journal of Law & the Arts (2016 MORE
Tags: Copyright Life Story Rights Release to Portray Right to Adapt an Article into a Screenplay Right to Option a Literary or Intellectual Property Work for Hire MORE
I drove to Philadelphia for the weekend.) Remember, when a work falls under copyright law, the creator of the work has a copyright in the work. No lawsuit can be filed without registering the copyright in the work, however. As for the filing copyrights, there are two mistakes that many people and businesses make when filing the copyrights themselves: Filing separate works as collections. Lil' Wayne is sued for copyright infringement. MORE
In this episode of Entertainment Law Update, Entertainment lawyers Gordon Firemark Tamera Bennett and Peter Kaufman review the ten most significant cases and controversies in the entertainment industry for 2013, and forecast what we’ll be seeing in 2014. For a free 30-day trial and 25% off your first 6 months of Clio, sign up at www.goclio.com and enter promotional code [ENTLAW]” Or, just visit [link]. Decision for YouTube – Apr. MORE
The film examines the environmental, health and social advantages of urban farms, their ability to create safe, sustainable environments for families, and produce nutritious and plentiful food sources to inner city communities in greatest need, as well as to many visitors. Additional completion funding is needed to meet the distribution deadline of July 1 for the Natural Heroes PBS series which wants to air the film in its upcoming third season if the film is completed by July 1. MORE
In a watershed ruling for public access to primary legal materials, the Supreme Court today held that the state of Georgia cannot claim a copyright in the annotations contained in its official legislative code. LexisNexis sells the OCGA for $412. MORE
Tags: Audiovisual Derivation Copyright Film Option Work for Hire MORE
The credit is designed to give a 100% return for investments up to $2 million per year per QHTB. So for example, if a Hawaii investor put up $500,000 and an Arkansas investor put up $500,000, the parties could agree to allocate all the tax credits to the Hawaii investor (since the Arkansas investor doesn't pay taxes in Hawaii they are worthless to him anyway). For additional information about Hawaii’s tax incentives, goto [link]. MORE
The conglomerate offers a "reality check" to Harry Shearer's claim over contingent profits and also states he has no termination rights because his co-written material was a work-for-hire. read more. THR, Esq. The Business Movies Music Business THR Online MORE
Morris and Richert thought the two projects were substantially similar and asked a WGA arbitration panel to determine if they should receive shared writing credit for “The American President.” The writers also claimed breach of contract against Castle Rock for failure to pay additional compensation for “The American President”; copyright infringement by Castle Rock, Sorkin, and Warner Bros., Washington Lawyers for the ArtsAt 11:45 a.m. MORE
The Latest episode of my Entertainment Law podcast, Entertainment Law Update, is now available for your enjoyment. AUSTRIAN COURT FINDS YOUTUBE LIABLE FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT (TIE-IN TO EU/Contrast with Vimeo case). SESAME LAWSUIT (JUST FOR FUN). The Latest episode of my Entertainment Law podcast, Entertainment Law Update, is now available for your enjoyment. AUSTRIAN COURT FINDS YOUTUBE LIABLE FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT (TIE-IN TO EU/Contrast with Vimeo case). MORE
Call for Mr. Geithner.Call for Mr. Geithner.) The reviewer says "I began [the book] hoping for a slanted-yet-thoughtful analysis of how to reconcile the potential of both copyrights and the Internet. Now, me, I'm not as smart as all these guys, so I just assumed the book would be snake oil to grease Google's slide to global terminator status combined with dog whistles for Willard to use while summoning his four legged friends. MORE
I hope it was a good week for everyone else. Even if that means just letting your brain rest after a long week of work. (I Speaking of music, there is a ticking time bomb in copyright law - that is the ability for musicians and composers to recapture their copyrights in music they make. Music has always been treated as an exception to the Work-for-Hire provisions of copyright law. The forum is not a space for legal advice. This was a good week. MORE
Christian Charles says he conceived of 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee' and developed the pilot without a "work-for-hire" deal. He is now seeking an injunction. read more. THR, Esq. Business Television Business THR Online MORE
Thus the Office’s 2006 orphan works proposal suggested limiting remedies when copyright owners are unlocatable — effectively freeing many works from the long tail of time.103 Similarly, the Office appreciates section 108(h), which allows libraries and archives to copy, distribute, display, or perform any published work in its last twenty years of protection, for purposes of preservation, scholarship, or research. MORE
See also Twenty Questions for New Artists: Record Producer Agreements, Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5. Watch this space for futher installments, or subscribe to the RSS feed. There are good reasons for U.S. based artists to engage the producer to render services as an independent contractor creating a “work made for hire” under the U.S. This is an important distinction for a couple of reasons: first, the U.S. MORE
The film examines the environmental, health and social advantages of urban farms, their ability to create safe, sustainable environments for families, and produce nutritious and plentiful food sources to inner city communities in greatest need, as well as to many visitors. Additional completion funding is needed to meet the distribution deadline of July 1 for the Natural Heroes PBS series which wants to air the film in its upcoming third season if the film is completed by July 1. MORE
film production had done a location shoot in Japan, and I was one of the local hired crew. Tags: Copyright Non-exclusive License Work for Hire span.red {color:red} [This blog entry originally appeared at MovieMaker.com.] Q: About 20 years ago, a U.S. Since my position allowed me to shoot photographs on set, I also videotaped the production as well—creating sort of “behind the scenes” videos. [.]. MORE
Intellectual Property Law: Joint Copyright Ownership: As I previously discussed on this Blog, in A Work for Hire Agreement: A Critical Tool for Production Companies , work for hire agreements are a necessary aspect of the relationship between film production companies and their freelancers. The law generally provides that all contributors to a work may be able to claim rights as a joint copyright holder. MORE
Work-for-Hire Related Topics Gordon P. Firemark
JANUARY 14, 2016
Can a pre-existing song recording be deemed a Work Made For Hire just because a clause in a record contract says so? So Tom writes: I’ve been looking at some “record label” contracts for musicians who submit completed tracks to these record labels, in which the artists submit the masters to the label, assign all their rights in perpetuity, and include a statement that the masters are “works made for hire.”
Gordon P. Firemark
JANUARY 7, 2013
Writers and Producers familiar with the way things are done in Hollywood have surely seen the ubiquitous term “Work Made For Hire” in their contracts. It's often a surprise, however, when they learn that in the theatre, Work Made For Hire is the rare exception, rather than the rule. What is a Work Made For Hire? The trouble is, theatrical works aren't listed.
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Media Law Prof Blog
OCTOBER 12, 2015
Sarah Alexandra Howes is publishing Picasso on Staff: Employee Classification, Copyrights, and the Creative Process in volume 7 of Cybaris: An Intellectual Property Law Review (2015). Here is the abstract. This essay discusses the legal consequences of employee classification on
Media Law Prof Blog
JULY 25, 2016
Jay Dougherty, Loyola Law School (Los Angeles), is publishing The Misapplication of 'Mastermind': A Mutant Species of Work for Hire and the Mystery of Disappearing Copyrights in volume 39 of the Columbia Journal of Law & the Arts (2016
KWIKA Entertainment Law Blog
DECEMBER 27, 2009
Tags: Audiovisual Derivation Copyright Film Option Work for Hire
KWIKA Entertainment Law Blog
AUGUST 30, 2009
film production had done a location shoot in Japan, and I was one of the local hired crew. Tags: Copyright Non-exclusive License Work for Hire span.red {color:red} [This blog entry originally appeared at MovieMaker.com.] Q: About 20 years ago, a U.S. Since my position allowed me to shoot photographs on set, I also videotaped the production as well—creating sort of “behind the scenes” videos. [.].
KWIKA Entertainment Law Blog
AUGUST 19, 2009
A little while back, they asked me for a year’s worth of B roll footage I shot for them. Tags: Copyright Employee Within the Scope of Employment Work for Hire [This blog entry originally appeared at MovieMaker.com.] Q: I have an issue with a large client that has never asked me to sign any agreement or contract. I eventually gave it to the client because I thought [.].
KWIKA Entertainment Law Blog
JULY 30, 2009
Tags: Copyright Life Story Rights Release to Portray Right to Adapt an Article into a Screenplay Right to Option a Literary or Intellectual Property Work for Hire
KWIKA Entertainment Law Blog
JUNE 24, 2009
Tags: Assignment Copyright Film Implied License Work for Hire
New Media and Technology Law
APRIL 8, 2010
5, 2010), the Ninth Circuit was faced with a dispute over ownership of the source code for a program that operated a digital audio device. JustMed claimed that Byce was an employee and that the code was a work for hire, with copyright ownership vested in the company. JustMed arose out of an idea that Byce and his then-brother-in-law Joel Just had for an improved digital audio device (a digital audio larynx). Tags: Copyright work for hire
JetLawBlog
JANUARY 30, 2009
District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that profits earned by Lee for his creations rightfully belong to the Company and requests $750 million in damages. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2000 and in 2002, Lee sued Marvel over his co-authorship rights and was awarded approximately $10 million in damages. On Monday, January 26, 2009, the shareholders of Stan Lee Media, Inc. (&# the Company&# ) filed suit against Marvel Comics, Inc. ,
THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog
MAY 29, 2018
Christian Charles says he conceived of 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee' and developed the pilot without a "work-for-hire" deal. He is now seeking an injunction. read more. THR, Esq. Business Television Business THR Online
Gordon P. Firemark
AUGUST 29, 2019
The Latest episode of my Entertainment Law podcast, Entertainment Law Update, is now available for your enjoyment. ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (WHAT/WHEN IS A WORK FOR HIRE?) . The Latest episode of my Entertainment Law podcast, Entertainment Law Update, is now available for your enjoyment. ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (WHAT/WHEN IS A WORK FOR HIRE?) .
THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog
FEBRUARY 28, 2017
The conglomerate offers a "reality check" to Harry Shearer's claim over contingent profits and also states he has no termination rights because his co-written material was a work-for-hire. read more. THR, Esq. The Business Movies Music Business THR Online
Gordon P. Firemark
JUNE 20, 2018
The Latest episode of my Entertainment Law podcast, Entertainment Law Update, is now available for your enjoyment. AUSTRIAN COURT FINDS YOUTUBE LIABLE FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT (TIE-IN TO EU/Contrast with Vimeo case). SESAME LAWSUIT (JUST FOR FUN). The Latest episode of my Entertainment Law podcast, Entertainment Law Update, is now available for your enjoyment. AUSTRIAN COURT FINDS YOUTUBE LIABLE FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT (TIE-IN TO EU/Contrast with Vimeo case).
Current Trends
DECEMBER 11, 2013
Copyright Act to file notice of termination of the copyright assignments for Charles’ songs and reclaim those revenue streams. Charles left the bulk of his estate, including his copyright assets, to The Ray Charles Foundation for the benefit of hearing and seeing impaired persons. There are two schemes for termination of copyright grants under the U.S. Copyright law and they arise from works created and published pre or post January 1, 1978.
Gordon P. Firemark
AUGUST 16, 2012
Treacherous waters ahead for news media. Things just got more treacherous for publishers and news organizations to run private photographs and videos of celebrities. This week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling in Monge v. The wedding took place in 2007, and was kept secret (even from the couple’s families) for 2 years before an acquaintance of the couple found the photos (taken by a witness at the Las Vegas wedding, using Reynoso’s camera).
Current Trends
AUGUST 18, 2011
Pursuant to section 203 of the 1976 Copyright Act authors (or certain heirs) may terminate copyright assignments and reclaim copyrights 35 years after the work is first published. But, songs are not specifically enumerated as a category of “works for hire,&# so the music publishers would be required to prove that Willis was their employee in order for this argument to fly.
Current Trends
AUGUST 18, 2011
Pursuant to section 203 of the 1976 Copyright Act authors (or certain heirs) may terminate copyright assignments and reclaim copyrights 35 years after the work is first published. The music publishers that own the songs made famous by The Village People have asked a judge to find the songs were created by Willis as “works for hire.”
Gordon P. Firemark
JULY 1, 2013
Another common practice in Hollywood is to treat many of the creative personnel in the film, television and music business as Independent Contractors, but requiring that the creative work they do belong to those who hire them, under the copyright act's definition of “work made for hire” (see Title 17 United States Code, Section 101 ). For the past few years, however, California State law has presented a sticky little problem with this approach.
Media Law
APRIL 27, 2020
In a watershed ruling for public access to primary legal materials, the Supreme Court today held that the state of Georgia cannot claim a copyright in the annotations contained in its official legislative code. LexisNexis sells the OCGA for $412.
Music Technology Policy
MARCH 20, 2013
Thus the Office’s 2006 orphan works proposal suggested limiting remedies when copyright owners are unlocatable — effectively freeing many works from the long tail of time.103 Similarly, the Office appreciates section 108(h), which allows libraries and archives to copy, distribute, display, or perform any published work in its last twenty years of protection, for purposes of preservation, scholarship, or research.
Film and Television Law Blog
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
Intellectual Property Law: Joint Copyright Ownership: As I previously discussed on this Blog, in A Work for Hire Agreement: A Critical Tool for Production Companies , work for hire agreements are a necessary aspect of the relationship between film production companies and their freelancers. The law generally provides that all contributors to a work may be able to claim rights as a joint copyright holder.
Film and Television Law Blog
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
Intellectual Property Law: Joint Copyright Ownership: As I previously discussed on this Blog, in A Work for Hire Agreement: A Critical Tool for Production Companies , work for hire agreements are a necessary aspect of the relationship between film production companies and their freelancers. The law generally provides that all contributors to a work may be able to claim rights as a joint copyright holder.
Film and Television Law Blog
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
Intellectual Property Law: Joint Copyright Ownership: As I previously discussed on this Blog, in A Work for Hire Agreement: A Critical Tool for Production Companies , work for hire agreements are a necessary aspect of the relationship between film production companies and their freelancers. The law generally provides that all contributors to a work may be able to claim rights as a joint copyright holder.
Music Technology Policy
NOVEMBER 25, 2011
See also Twenty Questions for New Artists: Record Producer Agreements, Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5. Watch this space for futher installments, or subscribe to the RSS feed. There are good reasons for U.S. based artists to engage the producer to render services as an independent contractor creating a “work made for hire” under the U.S. This is an important distinction for a couple of reasons: first, the U.S.
Music Technology Policy
SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
This has been a good week for artist rights–the Turtles struck a major blow in the struggle against the new boss in their case against Sirius to protect the rights of artists who recorded prior to 1972. Artists will get a reminder of who they’re dealing with every single day of the lawsuits–that could go on for many years. Yes–they have that much disdain for artist rights.
Trademark, Copyright, and Entertainment Law Forum
NOVEMBER 13, 2009
I hope it was a good week for everyone else. Even if that means just letting your brain rest after a long week of work. (I Speaking of music, there is a ticking time bomb in copyright law - that is the ability for musicians and composers to recapture their copyrights in music they make. Music has always been treated as an exception to the Work-for-Hire provisions of copyright law. The forum is not a space for legal advice. This was a good week.
Trademark, Copyright, and Entertainment Law Forum
NOVEMBER 6, 2009
I drove to Philadelphia for the weekend.) Remember, when a work falls under copyright law, the creator of the work has a copyright in the work. No lawsuit can be filed without registering the copyright in the work, however. As for the filing copyrights, there are two mistakes that many people and businesses make when filing the copyrights themselves: Filing separate works as collections. Lil' Wayne is sued for copyright infringement.
Music Technology Policy
OCTOBER 4, 2009
Call for Mr. Geithner.Call for Mr. Geithner.) The reviewer says "I began [the book] hoping for a slanted-yet-thoughtful analysis of how to reconcile the potential of both copyrights and the Internet. Now, me, I'm not as smart as all these guys, so I just assumed the book would be snake oil to grease Google's slide to global terminator status combined with dog whistles for Willard to use while summoning his four legged friends.
Music Technology Policy
NOVEMBER 23, 2014
I’m sure we’ll hear Doria’s strong voice many times in the future and will be the better for her.] . Maybe people will start listening to what independent artists like me and my peers have been saying for years now. A little background for those who don’t know me: I’ve been a indie musician by choice for 22 years. And, for the first time in all my touring history my American dollars lost value going into Canada. I am a working class artist.
Entertainment Law Resources Blog
MARCH 4, 2013
One might think that Sherlock Holmes is now in the public domain and any writer could freely borrow his character for inclusion in their own story. Works published before 1923 are most likely in the public domain, at least under U.S. For those stories published after January 1, 1923, they could remain protected until 2023. There is no such thing as an "international copyright" that will protect an author's work everywhere. citizen directing a movie for a U.S.
Gordon P. Firemark
DECEMBER 12, 2013
In this episode of Entertainment Law Update, Entertainment lawyers Gordon Firemark Tamera Bennett and Peter Kaufman review the ten most significant cases and controversies in the entertainment industry for 2013, and forecast what we’ll be seeing in 2014. For a free 30-day trial and 25% off your first 6 months of Clio, sign up at www.goclio.com and enter promotional code [ENTLAW]” Or, just visit [link]. Decision for YouTube – Apr.
Entertainment Law Resources Blog
JULY 10, 2008
Manzarek was sued by John Densmore and Jim Morrison's parents for infringing on "The Doors" name, logo, and trademark. Paul's argued that the policy had a "field of entertainment" exclusion, barring "personal injury or advertising injury that results from the content of, or the advertising or publicizing for, any properties or programs which are within your field of entertainment business." For more information, please see: Manzarek et al.
Entertainment Law Resources Blog
JULY 10, 2008
Manzarek was sued by John Densmore and Jim Morrison's parents for infringing on "The Doors" name, logo, and trademark. Paul's argued that the policy had a "field of entertainment" exclusion, barring "personal injury or advertising injury that results from the content of, or the advertising or publicizing for, any properties or programs which are within your field of entertainment business." For more information, please see: Manzarek et al.
Entertainment Law Resources Blog
JUNE 21, 2007
The film examines the environmental, health and social advantages of urban farms, their ability to create safe, sustainable environments for families, and produce nutritious and plentiful food sources to inner city communities in greatest need, as well as to many visitors. Additional completion funding is needed to meet the distribution deadline of July 1 for the Natural Heroes PBS series which wants to air the film in its upcoming third season if the film is completed by July 1.
Entertainment Law Resources Blog
JUNE 21, 2007
The film examines the environmental, health and social advantages of urban farms, their ability to create safe, sustainable environments for families, and produce nutritious and plentiful food sources to inner city communities in greatest need, as well as to many visitors. Additional completion funding is needed to meet the distribution deadline of July 1 for the Natural Heroes PBS series which wants to air the film in its upcoming third season if the film is completed by July 1.
Copyrights & Campaigns
FEBRUARY 5, 2009
I have avoided blogging about the Shepard Fairey poster controversy for several reasons, chief among them that the facts about who owns what copyrights have been so unclear. If the AP is correct about Garcia's employment status (and I have no idea if it's right or wrong), then AP is indeed the copyright owner, under the work for hire doctrine. Finally, let's assume that Fairey did copy ( i.e. , make a derivative work of protectable elements).
Entertainment Law Resources Blog
MAY 5, 2004
Question: I am currently working on an animation project that we have just pitched to a large animation production company. So far we have walked twice just for that reason. They have told us that should they decide to develop our idea, they had the capability to finance it in-house (something they say they previously have not been able to do) and I'm almost anticipating them downplaying our idea for the reason of getting more out of the deal.
Entertainment Law Resources Blog
SEPTEMBER 3, 2003
Morris and Richert thought the two projects were substantially similar and asked a WGA arbitration panel to determine if they should receive shared writing credit for “The American President.” The writers also claimed breach of contract against Castle Rock for failure to pay additional compensation for “The American President”; copyright infringement by Castle Rock, Sorkin, and Warner Bros., Washington Lawyers for the ArtsAt 11:45 a.m.
Entertainment Law Resources Blog
SEPTEMBER 3, 2003
Morris and Richert thought the two projects were substantially similar and asked a WGA arbitration panel to determine if they should receive shared writing credit for “The American President.” The writers also claimed breach of contract against Castle Rock for failure to pay additional compensation for “The American President”; copyright infringement by Castle Rock, Sorkin, and Warner Bros., Washington Lawyers for the ArtsAt 11:45 a.m.
Entertainment Law Resources Blog
MAY 5, 2004
Question: About six years ago, I wrote and directed a short film and the contract I signed stipulated that any future work based on said material would have to be produced by the producer I originally signed with. Try to work it out. Question: Can you suggest an appropriate form for obtaining licenses, permissions, and approvals from talent and crew who have contributed to making a film or video production? It is non-union, work for hire, no residuals.
Entertainment Law Resources Blog
DECEMBER 20, 2002
The credit is designed to give a 100% return for investments up to $2 million per year per QHTB. So for example, if a Hawaii investor put up $500,000 and an Arkansas investor put up $500,000, the parties could agree to allocate all the tax credits to the Hawaii investor (since the Arkansas investor doesn't pay taxes in Hawaii they are worthless to him anyway). For additional information about Hawaii’s tax incentives, goto [link].
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