Use my free template to help allocate songwriting credit and rights! One of the most common, yet largely preventable, issues I see as an Entertainment Law attorney is artists and bands struggling to allocate songwriting credit after the song is written and released (and making money). Memories seem to fade quickly and it's common for multiple writers to feel like their contribution to the song was the most significant [...]
Being in a band is a liability nightmare and as a result your band needs a business entity to protect you as a person. Additionally if you endeavor to take your band seriously a business structure will be necessary to take your band to the next level. The ways in which things can terribly wrong are innumerable and range from the expected (someone getting injured at your show after your singer yelled “take this pit to mosh city!”), to [...]
Sourcing legally compliant RF gear for a band on the run and on a budget. It’s hard out there for a touring band that wants to sound and perform their best with wireless microphones and IEM systems. You need to find a way to buy wireless systems that will suit your needs, continuously stay running, and also stay legal. Wireless gear is expensive. Ok let me clarify, GOOD wireless gear is expensive. You can find all sorts of crappy [...]
Writing a song around a sample can be a creative and inspiring way to create a new song, however if you wish to exploit your song commercially, an uncleared sample can be a major roadblock. One technique that I preach to my clients is to write an alternative version without the sample alongside the main version. I have had clients miss out on decent sized paydays because they could not get a sample cleared and by the time they [...]
If your band or sound company uses wireless microphones or IEMs then the recent FCC changes to the 600 MHz spectrum are going to hit you in a big way. Learn how to navigate this field both legally and practically by watching my new video: Click around my blog to check out more recent Entertainment Law posts for the touring musician!
Your personal car insurance policy may not cover your tour van. Picture this: you are on tour somewhere between Detroit and Chicago when suddenly you hit a patch of ice and slam into the car in front of you, the van is mangled and absolutely totaled. As you stand in the cold on your phone giving the details of the accident to your auto insurance rep you hear the bad news, "Your personal policy likely won't cover this." Auto [...]
Your band is business, whether you choose to look at it that way or not. As such there is a tremendous amount of value in putting the big things in writing. A band contract might seem awkward and this is understandable, you are (hopefully) good friends with all your band mates, but look at it like a pre-nup (or pre-marital agreement as us Texas lawyers refer to them). You might not need this contract unless things get messy, but [...]
This may come as no surprise to some of you reading this, but I enjoy gambling. I like the thrill, I like the social aspect, and of course I like the big wins. However one thing every smart gambler knows is that you don’t gamble with money you can’t afford to lose. It’s not worth the risk and it’s not fun. So If you don’t have a comprehensive estate plan then you need to ask yourself, “is this money [...]
Watch Kurt briefly explains the three best times to get a will made here in the great state of Texas.
I recently did some work for a songwriter who was licensing out a song to a production company for use in a television show. In this case, the relevant contract was several pages long and included some quite complex legal concepts within it. Now let me say, I know a lot of songwriters, but I am quite sure the majority of them do not understand the nuances of subleases and assignments or indemnification. Yet most of these songwriters are [...]
This week’s blog entry is a video blog! Today I’m talking about why everyone needs a will, the inspiration for this video comes from hanging out with my friends and answering the question of why they would need a will if they barely had any assets. I hope you find this video informative and feel free to send it to your friends if they ask similar questions! I will be posting more wills, trusts, and estates videos in the [...]
The future is now. In our technological landscape, digital assets can comprise a large amount of your estate. Despite this I am routinely seeing wills that were drafted in the last 10 years which either completely fail to address the issue of digital assets or throw them in as an afterthought with no attention or care. To make matters worse, the laws in this area are still being developed and as such your heirs cannot rely on the court [...]
Today I received a call from a Plano number on my office phone. Within 30 seconds of our conversation I knew that I was dealing with a scammer. His story has been told a million times before, an unknown relative died overseas, he is the sole heir, the estate is $2.5 million dollars. And all he needs from you, in addition to your brilliant legal skills, is $5000 to pay the bank fees to release the money and then [...]
Five Ways that a valid Texas will can save you money! You might think that getting a will is expensive (it’s more affordable than you may think!) but beyond that, a Will pays for itself and then some. If you want to talk about these advantages and more, give me a call or shoot me and email and we can set up a free consultation either in person or by phone. I would love to see you in [...]
