Legal Services for Entertainment Clients

General

• General review of activities, business structure, and practices to ensure compliance with laws and to protect clients’ rights
• Negotiation, drafting and/or reviewing various entertainment industry contracts, agreements and forms
• Litigation of adversary matters

Trademarks – Artist/Business Names

• Basic and/or comprehensive trademark searches
• Federal, international or Florida trademark registration(s) for artist name or  company name
• Policing your trademark against infringers using your artist, company, or product name, or  a similar name
• Defending you against allegations of trademark infringement
• Branding
• Merchandise manufacturing, distribution and sales agreements
• Trademark and Intellectual Property Clearance and Licensing

Copyrights/Publishing

• Copyright searches
• Copyright Registrations for:
  • Sound recordings (Sounds on the recording)
  • Single tracks
  • Bundle tracks
  • Musical compositions
  • Lyrics
  • Cover art
  • Performances
  • Liner notes
  • Computer software
  • Website design
  • Website content
•  Forming publishing companies
•  Publishing agreements
•  Co-writer agreements and inter-band agreements
•  Policing your copyrights against unauthorized sampling, cover songs, copying of lyrics, and  other forms of copying
•  Defending you against allegations of sampling or other forms of copyright infringement
•  Sample clearance/Copyright Clearance and Licensing
•  Assistance with paying and/or collecting mechanical royalties for cover songs
•  Assistance with registration with performing artist organizations (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC)
•  Video game licensing agreements
•  Licensing of music for use in film, radio, video, and commercial use
•  Referrals to CPA’s to account for sales or audit sales for royalties

Business Formation and Consultation

•  Consultation for businesses including independent companies and band relations
•  Forming corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and trusts
•  Business entity contracts: Partnership Agreements, Shareholders’ Agreements for Corporations, Operating Agreements for LLCs, Inter-Band Agreements, etc.
• Releases/Waivers/Work-Made-for-Hire Forms and Agreements for studio musicians,  cover art artists, writers, web   designers, photographers, and producers to sign to ensure  that rights to their creative work belong to our clients
• Filing initial tax forms to obtain Federal Tax I.D. numbers (FEI/EIN numbers)
• Filing initial tax forms to elect to be taxed as a partnership, LLC, S-Corp. or C-Corp.
• Forms and agreements used to operate a recording studio business or music/video production company
• Website terms & conditions
• Business licenses
• Credit card processing/Obtaining a merchant account
• Investment/Loan Agreements
• Business cards, fliers, graphics, artwork and corporate or artist identity and branding
• Referrals to CPAs for accounting, audits and tax related issues

Management/Booking/Promotion

• Band/Artist promotion agreements
• Booking Agent Agreements
• Booking Agent/Talent Agent Licensing (Required in many states)
• Agent or Manager Contracts
• Getting out of Agent or Manager Contracts
• Enforcing Agent or Manager Contracts
• Investment/Loan Agreements

Events/Concerts

• Agreements for and involving performance venues, shows (for promoters, artists or venue owners)
• Permitting and compliance with other government requirements for concerts and events
• Contract Riders
• Defending injury claims related to concerts and events
• Disputes with Ticketmaster and other ticketing agencies
• Compliance with “Anti-Rave” laws and ordinances
• Outsourcing/referrals for tour services (transportation, licenses, permit check, ticketing)
• Nightclub licenses, leases, and purchase agreements
• Liquor licenses
• Investment/Loan Agreements
• Intellectual Property clearance

Recording Deals

• Contracts for and between artists, producers, production companies, record companies  and/or distribution companies
• Structuring recording deals
• Investment/Loan Agreements
• Referrals to producers and recording studios
• Getting out of recording contracts
• Enforcing recording contracts
• Legal actions to collect unpaid royalties
• Defending legal actions to collect unpaid royalties
• Referrals to CPAs to account for sales or audit sales for royalties

Distribution

• Structuring music, television, video, and film distribution deals
• Forming music, video, television, and film distribution companies
• Distribution agreements (music, television, film, video) – Digital and physical
• Referrals to CPAs to account for sales or audit sales for royalties

Music Videos

• Video production agreements
• Model Releases, Waivers, and Model Agreements
• Releases/Waivers/Works-Made-For-Hire Agreements for videographers,  photographers, editors, producers, and writers
• Investment/Loan Agreements
• Permitting for shooting (Don’t get caught with your pants down like Erykah Badu)

Celebrity Rights/Endorsements/Merchandise

• Use of celebrity names, images and likenesses
• Lawsuits to protect celebrities’ rights to their names, images, and likenesses
• Defending lawsuits brought by celebrities for use of their names, images and likenesses
• Lawsuits regarding injury to paparazzi (prosecuting and defending)
• Celebrity endorsement contracts
• Merchandise manufacturing, distribution, sales agreements and celebrity license/royalty agreements
• Formation of merchandise production, distribution, sales, or celebrity license/royalty companies
• Video game licensing agreements
• Clearance and Licensing