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There have been so many recent copyright infringement cases that it is hard to keep up with them. But the big whale is the case over whether or not Led Zeppelin stole the wicked and immediately-recognizable “Stairway to Heaven” chords from the band Spirit and their song, “Taurus.” This fascinating case study is an important development in the case law defining these issues.

How to memorialize the remarkable life that was Prince—entertainer, fashion icon, gender-bending trendsetter, movie star and producer, record producer, and business man? Business man? Yes. A full length course could be taught on his Law and Business dealings. Others have and will cover his unrivaled musical outpouring, so I will expiate my own grief by concentrating on his business acumen.

Many of the most common entertainment law disputes involve well-known and easily-recognized persons. And the growing presence of social media will make this issue even more important as society tries to balance the rise of sprawling virtual communities with desires for privacy. It is said that fame is fleeting, but that longevity results in interesting legal cases as individuals attempt to control their own existential persona—not wanting to be appropriated (or misappropriated) or cited without permission. Such litigation has included many entertainers across cultural art forms.

Much of music is automated and huge amounts of data are available for a variety of purposes. The growing musicology, marketing, and data analytics of music give rise to legal considerations, out of sight but important nonetheless—in a thoroughly modern conflict of privacy and community.

Legal challenges to politicians using music have a long tradition, even though it is not always possible to prevent someone you do not like playing your songs at their rallies or in their ads. And the various forms of push back have included songs written against candidacies, as well as other digital and social media protests.

Trademarking, trade dress, and the various copyright provisions give legal protection to individuals and corporations or business entities in their branding and name recognition efforts. Trademarks also play an important role in entertainment law, including a number of interesting backstories on song naming and personal appellations.

Today’s Class combines entertainment law and family law, and their intersections, particularly when various family members sue each other.

There are many birthday greetings songs, but the basic bread and butter is “Happy Birthday to You,” which figured in significant litigation about when a song’s copyright expires and when it enters the public domain, no longer generating copyright royalties.

On some occasions, the issue is who wrote a song, its lyrics, and even its title. In a case against Rod Stewart and “Corrina, Corrina,” the issue was whether the song was a protected “cover,” and whether or not proper royalties were paid.

Not only were the Beatles the best and most influential band in the history of popular music, they were leaders in entertainment law and business—a force for what to do, and remarkably, what not to do. This Class reviews deal-making and money management by the Beatles, which were abysmal.