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When you work hard and get into a position where you can market your creative talent, you will want to concentrate on releasing more songs, art, movies, plays, and stories, or finding the right outlet for your athletic endeavors. While you focus on your performance, the Lomnitzer Law Firm will take care of the business.
Your artistic expressions need to be copyrighted so you control them and most of your business associations should be defined in a contract to protect you from bad deals and exploitation. Even though you may have an agent, that relationship should be under contract, too. A Deerfield Beach entertainment lawyer could register your intellectual property, draft and review contracts, and negotiate and litigate on your behalf.
Contracts are agreements that legally bind the parties to exchange something of value. Each party’s duties are memorialized, as are penalties, expiration dates, and deadlines. All parties who are signatories to the agreement must give up something to get something or the contract is unenforceable.
Actors who sign with agents gain that agent’s expertise and are matched with acting jobs in exchange for a portion of their earnings. The ability for college athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL) is widening, with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) issuing broader guidelines to permit this practice. When it comes to endorsing products, student athletes, like professional ones, can now be paid. An entertainment lawyer in Deerfield Beach could negotiate these deals and provide the contracts that legally lock them in.
Contracts are thoughtfully drawn to address the unique positions of the signatories, including employment and independent contractors, movie distribution, and loans for artistic projects. Most famous people do not want those who work for them to divulge their secrets, so non-disclosure agreements are also a tool that a Deerfield Beach entertainment lawyer often uses.
A copyright is a protection by registration for creative expression, which is imperative to keep thieves from stealing and profiting by it. Copyrights are a branch of intellectual property, along with trademarks and patents. Under 17 United States Code § 412, artists who register their work and obtain a copyright can sue those who copy it without permission – also known as infringement.
It was inevitable that the internet would make copyright registration even more important. Artistic creators in the entertainment industry who discover their work hosted by an online service provider (OSP) may be able to sue the OSP for infringement. Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998, OSPs do have some provisions that absolve them of consequences for pirating, but creators should talk to an entertainment attorney in Deerfield Beach to discuss whether a safe harbor applies to their song, film, or other project.
The entertainment industry is vast and touches on many areas that must afford protection for the people working in it. Child actors and animals that appear in films and television are protected by unique laws that attorneys must understand and plan for. They can also enlighten clients about the benefits of unions and on the pros and cons of certain licensing agreements.
The entertainment business has evolved and now offers more protections for those creating something unique and sharing it with the world. While you are busy sharing your talents, we can get busy protecting your earning power, halting predatory behavior, and defending your rights.
Whether you are an up-and-coming college athlete who has been asked to promote a clothing brand, a famous actor just starting out, or a well-known music artist, we can apply our unique knowledge to meet your entertainment industry needs, from copyrights to contracts. Contact a Deerfield Beach entertainment lawyer today and let us put you on solid legal ground.
