LAWS 7789 Entertainment Law

Most entertainment law practitioners agree "Entertainment Law" has no set definition, but includes a hybrid of distinct areas of the law, including but not limited to, copyright, trademark, contracts, wills, estate planning, real estate, bankruptcy and intellectual property. Course focuses on the protection of IP and the contractual relationships between various parties in the Entertainment and Music Industry. A major focus will be analysis of the Copyright Act of 1976, as amended, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and the protection of IP and contractual rights in TV, film, music, books, etc. The relationship between the artist and his/her manager, agent, lawyer, and record company will be explored in great detail. Course will cover representation of artists and music labels and the problems they encounter. Students will participate in a group exercise where they negotiate a record deal on behalf of either the artist or the record label, and report back their terms to instructors.