Copyright law in film, like that in music, is enormously complicated. Not only are major aspects of films like story and characters copyrighted, but the scenery and even sounds are subject as well. For example, the iconic LA landmark, the Hollywood sign, is copyrighted, so in order to use it in a film you need to get permission. You might even have...Read More
In last week’s blog post, we discussed derivative works and sampling along with the limitations associated with such. As you may recall, the general rule to have your work protected by copyright is that your work as an artist must contain a level of originality apart from the original work. If this is the case,...Read More
Adding yet another piece to the confusing puzzle that is music royalty laws, it seems as if American businesses are facing the same issues that we discussed were happening in Thailand- there’s no such thing as free music. Multiple local business owners in Connecticut, for example, have recently been facing lawsuits for not paying licensing fees in order...Read More
I get inquiry after inquiry from filmmakers about what’s kosher to show on the camera, and what’s not; what needs permission from the appropriate rights holder or licensor and what doesn’t. And so, I thought, hmm … why don’t I just address those questions here, or at least the basics. (If you have more questions,...Read More
Whether you’re a filmmaker, singer/songwriter or other talent, at some point in your career, you will most likely require the financial backing of a few sponsors or investors for the content you put out, be it a documentary, film, short video or song, as taking on the costs of production are print and advertising (P&A) is...Read More
