Search results for

How is one of the most-discussed songs in rap and hip hop not being made available for anyone else’s use? This show reviews the law of putting music “on hold.”

There have been so many bad managers that it is almost a trope that a band will be harmed by its handlers, at some point.

When Lady Antebellum decided to use their trademarked “Lady A” name, they didn’t know another singer had used the name for many years before its legal action. Litigation ensued.

More than a dozen years after James Brown’s death, his estate has been tied up in unusual legal problems, involving his marriage and his messy lifestyle. A recent decision should help settle the legal matters.

This class examines two unusual and pressing legal rock and roll issues: what is Revenge Rock, involving The Beatles, and what is the legal significance of “Boom Shakalaka?" Yes, really.

For anyone who loves attending concerts, theatrical shows, and other forms of live entertainment, these are the best and the worst of all times. Not only has the formal means of ticket purchasing become almost impossible to navigate, but the entire infrastructure is being undermined by the informal ticket scalping economy, made more efficient by bots, the electronic trolls that can dial and redial and sign on to email faster than we can.

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.

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.

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

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.