Don’t trust the “Poor Man’s Copyright”

Posted by on Aug 19, 2008 in Copyright Law, Intellectual Property Articles | Comments Off On many metformin hcl 1000 mg occasions we have been meeting with a new client who has a copyright infringment issue – someone is stealing their work – and they have not registered the copyright with the US government. Some have read about the “Poor Man’s Copyright” where you send a work to yourself through the U.S. Mail and leave it unopened. This is not enough! “Poor Man’s...
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Questions about Becoming an Entertainment Lawyer

Posted by on Aug 19, 2008 in Copyright Law, Entertainment Law, Intellectual Property Articles | Comments Off 1. Is an metformin weight loss co uk undergraduate degree in political science a disadvantage when seeking to pursue non political related law fields, such as entertainment law? No. Really, your undergrad choice has little to do with your practice area, unless you want to be a patent lawyer then you have to have a science degree. I’ve had other people ask and I always suggest a good base of social sciences (history,...
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Beware “Song Sharks”

Posted by on Aug 19, 2008 in Copyright Law, Entertainment Law, Intellectual Property Articles | Comments Off If anything sounds too good to be true, it probably is. In the music industry, if someone offers you a contract and deep down in your gut you feel cautious about it, DON’T SIGN IT. Have your lawyer look at it first. While there are many sketchy figures working in the music industry waiting to take advantage of what could be the next big thing, some are more devious than others. Recently...
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Major points to consider in your band agreement

Posted by on Aug 19, 2008 in Copyright Law, Intellectual Property Articles | Comments Off Before you do anything serious in a band (read: recording demos or signing any contracts), you should have a band agreement. It can be painful to decide/argue about these things, but it’s better to get it out in the clear early, during the honeymoon of the band relationship. Here are some of the main decisions you will be confronted with: 1. Name of the band (starting with an easy one...
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Ryan’s Recommended Books for the Music Industry

Posted by on Aug 19, 2008 in Intellectual Property Articles | Comments Off Artists and performers often approach us and have only a modest knowledge of how the music business works. We often have to prescribe a diet of literature for them. Luckily, there are many good resources for people to prepare to participate in the music industry. Here are my favorites: 1. All You Need to Know About the Music Business: Donald S. Passman, 2006 THE book on the music biz –...
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Seven things to look for in a music manager

Posted by on Aug 19, 2008 in Entertainment Law, Intellectual Property Articles | Comments Off 1. HONESTY. Far and away the most important thing is that your manager is honest, faithful and loyal to you. Your manager will be intimately involved in all of your business affairs and musical ventures, and you want someone who can be a “fiduciary” – that is, someone who will put your needs and increase before their own. If you cannot trust your manager to be honest with...
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