Media & Entertainment Law

Recommended Reading: (NY Times) Subsidiary Rights and NonProfit theatres

Posted on November 25, 2008
RECOMMENDED READING Joy Goodwin’s piece from the New York Times (11/22/2008) discusses the increasing tendency of nonprofit theatre companies to take a percentage of a playwright’s subisidiary rights income… in some cases as much as 40%...

Recommended Reading: (NY Times) Subsidiary Rights and NonProfit theatres

Posted on November 25, 2008
RECOMMENDED READING Joy Goodwin’s piece from the New York Times (11/22/2008) discusses the increasing tendency of nonprofit theatre companies to take a percentage of a playwright’s subisidiary rights income… in some cases as much as 40%...

Some year end considerations for your business or startup.

Posted on November 23, 2008
As year’s end approaches,  it’s a good time to consider dissolving and winding-up the affairs of unused corporations and Limited Liability Companies, thereby avoiding taxation for 2009. Similarly, if you’re considering starting a new corporation or LLC, you may wish to realize the expenses associated with corporate start up in 2008 by getting things underway before [...

My guest post at Current Trends in Copyright, Trademark Entertainment Law

Posted on November 05, 2008
I’m honored to have been asked to write a guest post for Tamera Bennett’s “Current Trends in Copyright, Trademark & Entertainment Law” Blog.  My piece discusses the differences between theatre and the film/tv business with respect to the handling of copyrights, licenses, etc.

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Why every writing team should have a written collaboration agreement. (part 3 of 3)

Posted on October 30, 2008
This is the final installment of  a 3-part series on the importance of collaboration agreements for every writing or other creative team.  In Parts 1 and 2, I analyzed some of the important provisions found in properly negotiated and drafted collaboration agreements...

Why every writing team should have a written collaboration agreement. (part 3 of 3)

Posted on October 30, 2008
This is the final installment of  a 3-part series on the importance of collaboration agreements for every writing or other creative team.  In Parts 1 and 2, I analyzed some of the important provisions found in properly negotiated and drafted collaboration agreements...

Why every writing team should have a written collaboration agreement. (part 3 of 3)

Posted on October 30, 2008
This is the final installment of  a 3-part series on the importance of collaboration agreements for every writing or other creative team.  In Parts 1 and 2, I analyzed some of the important provisions found in properly negotiated and drafted collaboration agreements...

Why every writing team should have a written collaboration agreement. (part 2 of 3)

Posted on October 27, 2008
This is part 2 in a series of 3 posts about the importance of collaboration agreements to writing and other creative teams.  In part 1, I defined the term Collaboration Agreement, explained why such agreements are important to collaborators, and began exploring the usual terms of the collaboration agreements by looking at copyright ownership of [...

Why every writing team should have a written collaboration agreement. (part 2 of 3)

Posted on October 27, 2008
This is part 2 in a series of 3 posts about the importance of collaboration agreements to writing and other creative teams.  In part 1, I defined the term Collaboration Agreement, explained why such agreements are important to collaborators, and began exploring the usual terms of the collaboration agreements by looking at copyright ownership of [...

Theatre Fires - interesting look at the history.

Posted on October 24, 2008
Over at the “Butts In Seats” blog, there’s an interesting piece about the history of theatre fires… in the context of a recent fire inspection at the author’s venue, which required the removal of their much worshiped coke machine.

Why every writing team should have a written collaboration agreement. (part 1 of 3)

Posted on October 24, 2008
This is the first in a series of three posts on the importance of collaboration agreements for writing and other creative teams. What is a collaboration agreement? Any time two or more people join together to create a work such as a play, musical, song, screenplay, or any other work of art or authorship, they are [...

Why every writing team should have a written collaboration agreement. (part 1 of 3)

Posted on October 24, 2008
This is the first in a series of three posts on the importance of collaboration agreements for writing and other creative teams. What is a collaboration agreement? Any time two or more people join together to create a work such as a play, musical, song, screenplay, or any other work of art or authorship, they are [...

New York Governor signs ?Anti-Piracy Act? to prohibit use of recording devices in live & movie theatres

Posted on October 13, 2008
New York Governor David A. Paterson has signed into law the State’s “Anti Piracy Act”, which makes it a crime to use a recording device in a motion picture or live theatre without the written consent or authority of the theatre operator...

Interviewed for Praxis Theatre?s 10 Questions series

Posted on September 26, 2008
I was interviewed earlier this week for Praxis Theatre’s blog. “It’s an interesting 10 qustions with…” format   I’m the Theatre and Entertainment Lawyer  they chose to interview.  Very flattering. Here’s the link: http://praxistheatre...

Los Angeles identified as an incubator for new Musicals. (Finally, a little recognition)

Posted on September 20, 2008
A good piece in Backstage.com reports today on the increase in number of new Musicals opening in Los Angeles, before making the step to Broadway.  Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 is the Center Theater Group’s latest, following successes withThe Drowsy Chaperone and Curtains! The article discusses some of the advantages (talent pool, money, etc) and  challenges [...

Rodgers & Hammerstein - For Sale?

Posted on September 03, 2008
It’s a Rumor, but it’s being widely reported that The Rodgers & Hammerstein company may be for sale. The publisher controls not only the great musicals by Rogers and Hammerstein, but many others. As I write this, (9/3/08) I note that the website for Rodgers & Hammerstein (rnh...

Producers of ?Jersey Boys? don?t ?Walk like a Man?, cave to Chicago anti-smoking law.

Posted on July 08, 2008
Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune reports that the producers of the hit jukebox musical “Jersey Boys” have decided to present the show “smoke-free” in Chicago, where the city’s anti-smoking ordinance doesn’t permit any form of smoking (whether tobacco, or herbal cigarettes) in public spaces,  including theatres...

Urinetown case settled

Posted on July 02, 2008
Playbill is reporting that the lawsuit against Akron, Ohio based Carousel Dinner Theatre, by the broadway team responsible for the original production of Urinetown  has been settled by the parties, with the Arkon producers paying the New York team an undisclosed sum, and acknowledging the unlicensed use of elements from the New York production...

This day in Theatre Law History (Pennsylvania bans theatre performances)

Posted on May 31, 2008
May 31, 1759 Pennsylvania bans theater Pennsylvania lawyers adopted a law forbidding the performance of plays.  According to  History.com, The law was adopted due to pressure from religious groups, on grounds that any performance was immoral.  Fine for violation was 500 Pounds  (source)

Tax Withholding: An unwieldy burden for entertainers and the organizations that hire them.

Posted on May 12, 2008
This article was first published in “Western Ways”  the Newsletter of the Western Arts Alliance  - Spring 2008  N.B.  I am  an entertainment lawyer, not a tax lawyer, but my clients and colleagues are confronted with the issues presented by this article on a regular basis...

Smoking Bans and Theatre - the debate continues

Posted on March 21, 2008
The New York Times reports in this article, that a Colorado State appellate court has ruled against the owners of several theatres who’ve challenged the State’s ban on smoking indoors on First Amendment grounds.  The theatres have indicated that they’ll appeal to the state’s Supreme Court...

An Update on smoking bans and theater

Posted on March 06, 2008
Since I first wrote about this  here and here, there have been some interesting developments on the questions surrounding laws banning smoking in public places.   Following passage of a smoking ban law in Minnesota (the “Freedom to Breathe Act”), a growing  number of bar and restaurant owners have been staging “theatre nights”, wherein they involve [...

Are audience participation/interactive shows in peril?

Posted on February 11, 2008
A Chicago man has filed a lawsuit against the producers of the Blue Man Group theatrical act.  His suit claims that he was chosen by the performers to participate in their “esophagus video” gag.  The actors held the man in place, and allegedly “forced  the esophagus cam into his mouth, and while he struggled to [...

Randy Quaid Fined and Banned from Actor?s Equity

Posted on February 07, 2008
Actor Randy Quaid has been fined in the amount of $81,572, and banned from the stage actors’ union, Actor’s Equity Association for life, following the union’s investigation and a hearing  to examine his alleged bad behavior during the unsuccessful Seattle run of “Lone Star Love”, a country musical based on Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of [...

Force Majeure clauses (on firemark.com)

Posted on January 23, 2008
In the wake of contract terminations at ABC last week, I’ve  posted a short discussion of Force Majeure clauses on my other website at firemark.com.  Please have a look, and let me know if you have comments!

Music Rights for Plays and Musicals

Posted on January 21, 2008
Recently, received the following question via the ?net, so I thought I?d answer here, since it?s a common and often misunderstood area. I wrote an original play … We have a DJ who spins slightly different cues every night, as the show has a bit of improvisation...

Firemark elected to Theatre Group?s Board

Posted on January 14, 2008
I am very pleased to announce that I’ve been elected to the Board of Directors of the nonprofit Academy for New Musical Theatre. This fine organization’s Mission is to foster the highest quality of musical theatre writing, and to advance the state of new musical theatre production...

Law and Video Podcast - hiatus extended.

Posted on January 14, 2008
Due to unforeseeable technical difficulties, the Law And Video Podcast holiday Hiatus continues. Some server problems have knocked us off the air, and next week, I’ll be in Hawaii. Once I return, though, we’ll be back in the swing of things with live calls and emailed Q and A...

This Week?s Law and Video Podcast features a theatre question

Posted on December 18, 2007
,On this week’s Law and Video Podcast I was asked a theatre-related music question: Our community theater is producing a Christmas show that will use other people’s songs. What is the best way to find out who owns this classic music? Many of them are religious hymns which, I understand do not hold any copyrights...

Support AB 1365 (Funding for the Arts)

Posted on December 12, 2007
I don’t usually use this forum to air my political views, but sometimes, I feel an issue is important. California spends approximately 3 cents per capita on support for the arts. This ranks California dead last among the states. The national average spending per capita is about $1...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.