You’re in a studio together with two other people and a piano. One of you, by way of singing, presents a chorus – melody and lyrics – to the other two. Another one of you, sitting at a piano, fiddles around on the piano and eventually devises a chord progression for it. Yet another one
What is a copyright? Copyright is a form of intellectual property which applies to original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible medium. Copyright grants the creator an exclusive legal right to determine when and under what conditions an original work can be used by others. A work is considered original if it
On Monday, March 4, 2019, the United States Supreme Court issued two important – and unanimous – rulings regarding United States copyright law. One of the two cases, captioned Fourth Estate Public Benefit Corp. v. Wall-Street.com, LLC (Case No. 17-571), resolved a long- standing circuit split in the U.S. regarding what constitutes copyright “registration” for
Co-Authors: Domenic Romano and Steve Maggi of SMA Law Firm When you look at the list of concerts coming to your city or look at professional sports rosters and see unique and exotic names from other countries, it may seem normal to you as a spectator. However, for each international artist who plays a show
Jeff Bezos, currently the world’s richest person, accused the National Enquirer, and its parent company American Media Inc. (AMI), of attempted extortion. Bezos, Amazon’s CEO and owner of the Washington Post, announced last month that he and his wife MacKenzie were separating after 25 years of marriage. What followed was an avalanche of tabloid
On October 11, 2018, the Music Modernization Act was signed into law. The CLASSICS Act, which ultimately became part of the Music Modernization Act, is an acronym for “Compensating Legacy Artists for their Songs, Service, and Important Contributions to Society.” The CLASSICS Act was consolidated into the Music Modernization Act on April 10, 2018, which
When you’re signing agreements in entertainment, it’s important to read the fine print. There’s a pesky tendency for contracts to include a representation that all of the rights you’re granting are, in fact, yours to grant. It’s easy to gloss over, but it should really make you stop, think and take a step back. You’re
As many filmmakers know, it takes a lot more than a strong screenplay, powerful cast and innovative artistic vision to take a great story from paper to the big screen. So, what is the magical movie-making ingredient? MONEY, pure and simple.
Getting a threatening letter and being accused of copyright infringement can be intimidating. For better or for worse, even innocent infringement can result in liability.
If you’re a singer or songwriter, chances are you’ve been influenced by other artists’ work. In the past few years, a number of musicians have filed lawsuits against other performers for copyright infringement, claiming that their songs have been copied. But so many artists are inspired by the rhythms, lyrics, and compositions of other songs.
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