Entertainment Lawyers
What Does an Entertainment Lawyer Do?
An entertainment lawyer is a lawyer that specializes in entertainment law. Entertainment law is an area of law that merges contract law with intellectual property law. This can range from books, to movies to music. Employment law may involve areas of law including:
- Employment law;
- Contract law;
- Immigration law;
- Advertising law; and
- International law.
Entertainment lawyers handle issues including:
- Intellectual property;
- Copyrights;
- Trademarks; and
- Any other issue that arises in the entertainment industry.
An entertainment lawyer is an extremely important part of keeping what you create your own. If you create your own work, such as songs or books, your lawyer can protect that work from being copied by others.
An entertainment lawyer can also be invaluable if you are working in the entertainment business, such as singing a record contract. Your lawyer will make sure your rights are protected and can assist you in negotiating aspects of the contract, such as pay.
Why is it Important to Have an Entertainment Lawyer?
It is very important to have an entertainment lawyer assisting you with any aspects of entertainment law. This area of law encompasses many legal concepts and issues and it is important to have a knowledgeable lawyer on your side.
Your lawyer may be aware of entertainment issues you have not considered. Additionally, your lawyer will work to ensure future disputes do not arise.
One of the most important reasons to have an entertainment lawyer when you create your own work is registering a copyright. A copyright prevents other individuals from using your original work.
A copyright can protect many types of creative work, including:
- Recorded music or sheet music;
- A book or a novel;
- Software codes although these may not be protected if they have already been distributed through a copyleft agreement; and
- Art, including:
- paintings;
- plays;
- dance choreography; and
- sculptures.
Pursuant to copyright laws, a copyright entitles the owner to many exclusive rights, including the right to:
- Reproduce the work that is copyrighted;
- Distribute copies of the work to the general public for sale;
- Perform the copyrighted work;
- Produce a license that is derived from other copyright materials; and
- Licensing rights to manufacture and make a copyrighted product.
These issues may be very important when this copyrighted work is your source of income. If other individuals are permitted to copy or re-create your original work, it may take away from your profits.
What are Some Other Issues Related to Entertainment Law?
Another important aspect related to entertainment law that you may encounter is a trademark. Most individuals are familiar with trademarks, as our favorite things, such as sports teams, often trademark their merchandise.
A trademark can be a word, phrase, logo, or symbol that is used to identify your unique product, the source of the product, and the merchant or manufacturer. Trademarks are used to distinguish products and their manufacturers from one another.
Trademarks may provide an entertainer with a way to provide identifiable merchandise to their fans. It is important to have lawyer’s help to ensure the trademark is not already in use before you invest in making it public.
What are the Benefits of Hiring an Entertainment Law Lawyer?
There are many areas of the entertainment industry that provide potential for disputes. Hiring an entertainment lawyer will help you protect your rights, your profits, and your work.
An entertainment law lawyer can ensure your copyright and trademark applications meet their deadlines and fulfill all requirements. Your lawyer can also perform on-going research to ensure no one else is using your trademark without your permission.
In addition, if there is a future issue with your trademark or copyright, your lawyer will be there to assist you. Your lawyer can guide you through the difficult and strict procedural requirements for litigation and fight to protect your work and profits.
It is essential to have an entertainment lawyer helping you negotiate any formal contracts or copyright privileges. Having a copyright may entitle you to future income in the form of licensing fees if other individuals want to use your original work.
