Music Law
As with the broader field of Entertainment Law, Music Law is a combination of legal areas - including employment law, contract law, intellectual property and copyright - that have special application in the context of artists, and the production, marketing and distribution of art.
The distribution channels for music underwent a sea change after the internet revolution of the mid-to-late 1990s. Seemingly inevitable free file sharing led the industry to redefine its distribution and revenue models. Recently, the music industry has begun to participate more actively in electronic distribution, rather than fight the rising tide. CD and book stores continue to close due to the lower margins of online distribution.
Part and parcel to that change has been a redefined promotional and distribution regime, including contracts with artists for a much wider class of revenue generating rights, known as "360 agreements." To make up for revenue in lost album sales, and enable more cheap distribution, record labels now routinely request much broader rights to profit from the artists' entire persona in exchange for production, promotion and distribution outlays.
In the midst of this changing landscape, many core features of music law still factor heavily in artists' success, including production, promotion and distribution agreements. As in other areas of art, a strong intellectual property strategy, especially in the areas of copyright and trademark registration and enforcement, are crucial to success.
With over a decade of patent law experience, Beckman, Burns & Nguyen offer a full range of services for musicians, producers and music distributors. For more information concerning how the firm can help, contact us at info@bbnlaw.com, or explore the additional informational links below.