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Parody

Crowdfunding – Preparation, Do’s and Don’ts

Crowdfunding through sites like Kickstarter, IndieGoGo, Crowdfunder, and the like, is an increasingly popular method of funding a project, product or company. Those approaching a crowdfunding effort should prepare from a legal perspective long before...
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Filmmaker & Creatives Business Practices – 4 Must Do’s

Aspiring filmmakers and creatives often let the contract and business details be an afterthought, thinking “that’s not fun. Or creative. And I don’t have the budget for that un-fun, un-creative stuff.  I’m working with my...
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Ed Sullivan clip and the Fair Use Analysis

A recent (March 2013) opinion by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (covering the West Coast and many of Western states) provides an excellent analysis of U.S. copyright law and the fair use defense. In SOFA Entertainment, Inc., v. Dodger Productions,...
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You can’t afford NOT to hire an entertainment lawyer.

I often receive calls from creatives with business and legal questions about their project. Many thinly funded project leaders balk when they find out that an attorney (including yours truly) charges from $375 per hour and up  – to negotiate...
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Screenplay Adaptation, w/ Pilar Alessandra, and ME!

Sign up for Pilar Alessandr’aScreenplay Adaptation Workshop on December 12th, and get a special bonus… ME! December 12th, 7PM to 10:30PM, in Sherman Oaks, CA. Screenwriting teacher Pilar Alessandra will instruct on the screen adaptation of...
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Are you treating it like a business?

My legal practice is a mix of business clients and entertainment clients, so I come across many people that are growing their endeavor from an early stage. That early stage is frequently a natural progression from a unique combination of passion, interest...
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Parody, Fair Use, Or Copyright Infringement?

A recent question asked whether a project was a permissible “parody” of a preexisting work, or whether the project was too close to the original and was therefore an impermissible rip off – a/k/a copyright infringement. The answer can...
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