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Lights, camera, action, music…and litigation. These are the new sequences in entertainment law among musicians, content producers, and the various visual arts delivery systems, which are morphing all the time, from traditional movies, various movie-related music projects, and developing technologies. This Class uses “Straight Outta Compton” as a case study.

Every studio recording is repeated, edited, mixed, and sweetened, so that many versions exist. Or, new versions can be created by turning dials, pushing buttons, slowing down the tempo, or assembling the original from other templates—sometimes sealed in vaults and archives for years. These different editions of songs present significant legal and intellectual property issues, as my listeners have come to know.

The horrific mass shooting that killed almost 60 attendees and wounded another 850 concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in Las Vegas has forever changed the insurance policies for concerts, including so-called PVT policies (political violence and terrorism).

There are many sad and complicated business dealings that have drained the time, money, and energy from entertainers. These stories are legion and some are downright tragic. But not all artists are profligate or extravagant. This brings me to the late great David Bowie, who left over $100 million in his estate when he died at the age of 69, in 2016, mostly due to his shrewd and unusual business practices.

My lifelong love affair with rock music is periodically nourished by the many documentaries that have appeared—not just old performances such as watching reruns of Ed Sullivan appearances, but thoughtful and freestanding film treatments.

It came as a surprise to no one that emboldened neo-Nazis and white supremacists groups use social media websites to gather their forces and plot their publicity strategies. However, it does surprise many that there is a large and widespread infrastructure of crude and racist music, praising the virtues of White pride.

Touring has grown in popularity, and the intersection of law and business is clearly in evidence in the legal matters that undergird the complex tours.

With the daunting logistics, naturally-occurring voice strains, weather conditions, security threats, and international immigration and travel difficulties, the amazing thing is that the tour and concert system works as well as it does, not that it breaks down on occasion, causing cancellations.

Taylor Swift, still in her twenties, has lived more than 9 lives in her career, both producing wildly-popular music and videos, but also consuming millions of bytes and gallons of newspaper ink in her personal life—a life largely carried out in public view and in many legal actions.

Entertainers entertain, and rely upon a bevy of lawyers and business professionals to negotiate their contracts, handle their financial affairs, arrange their tours, and undertake the many details required to get our favorite troubadours on stage. However, there have been so many examples of these professionals behaving badly either by mismanagement and carelessness, or worse, by theft, self-dealing, or collusion.