Media Law

Copyright law is complicated, but in simple terms, the creator of the copyrighted work owns the rights to that work. This is called intellectual property. Two parts of music, lyrics and melody can...

You and/or your band work hard on writing songs, and no one wants his rights to those songs stolen. Therefore, it is important to copyright those songs, and prove they belong to you. This is...

Many times the perception is that the government is hiding information from the public. Did you know that a great deal of what local governments do must be open to the public by law? You can...

Creating master resell rights (MRR) is a popular way for e-book, document, and other informational product creators to enhance the popularity and profitability of their own product. Establishing...

Copyright rules are essential to those who create original work. It protects their creations from being used without their permission or in ways that they do not agree to. These rules have been...

Music publishing rights refer to who owns the rights to a song and who gets money from it. You own your own rights as soon as you've written a song, meaning if it generates any money, you get all...

Many people own computers capable of burning DVDs, but few are aware of the laws regarding such behavior. Many times people buy computers with DVD-burning software pre-installed, and then never...

There often is no fee to view public records in the United States, particularly if they are routinely made available, such as from a county clerk's office or the courts. However, the federal...

Before home video technology, many people didn't think about film copyright laws. Now, technology allows people to copy films in ways that may violate the copyright owner's rights. DVD bootlegs of...

Musicians need a way to protect their creative work, and that's exactly why copyright laws exist. Securing a registered copyright is a simple process, but it will provide you and your work with...

According to a 2008 Gallup poll, cable and Internet news sources gained significant ground in the market since 2006 while Americans relied on national newspapers and public radio least of all. How...

The Freedom of Information Act sets the ground rules through which the public can request, view and copy public records. In addition to the federal law, states have their own open records acts...

Vehicle tracking systems can be a great way to check on your teenagers, or your spouse. They can also increase the possibility of recovering your vehicle if it is ever stolen. There are some...

The ongoing debate over media censorship is an important one in today's changing media climate. With many media outlets heading toward more convergent formats, media outlets and the authorities...

The entertainment field can be difficult to break into regardless of your specialty or qualification. It is not impossible, however, especially for those who begin the process, which will include...

Although U.S. law states an "automatic copyright" applies once a work is created in a fixed medium, a formal copyright creates a public declaration of ownership for work of an artistic or...

Peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing is rampant in Canada. Canadian law and federal courts thus far have had little to say about the situation. Critics cite an urgent need for reform of the copyright...

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates most forms of electronic transmission in the United States, including radio, airborne TV, cable and wireless. All of these require licensing...

There are two common myths about copyrights. One is that registration is required. This is not the case. The US Copyright Office recommends registration for two reasons. First, registration...

Creators of several types of intellectual property regularly use copyright law to ensure their work is not plagiarized or otherwise improperly used. The Copyright Act of 1976, Title 17 of the U.S....

Everyone's seen the little "c" in the circle, and read the text that goes with it. "This work is the sole property...." It's the copyright symbol, and it's been in the news in recent years...

It is too easy for anyone, from students to media professionals, to infringe on the copyright of an artist. As the law is written, there are many gray areas. Some choose to err on the side of...

The explosion in computer technology, e-mails and Internet records during the past quarter-century has had repercussions in every facet of society, and the law is no different. The sheer volume of...

Thousands of music lovers download tracks or whole albums from commercial music sites or from peer-to-peer networks every day. The laws on downloading music vary from country to country, and the...

Copyright is the protection afforded the original author(s) or creator(s) of certain works of art and some intellectual properties. These works include, but are not limited to, books, computer...

A copyright is a legal protection used for intellectual property such as writings, pictures, graphics and music. The United State Copyright Act of 1976 gives creators the right of ownership from...

You worked hard writing your book. Having it finished is like a dream come true. For some author's, it's more like giving birth. It can be really difficult for a writer to submit their work for...

An entertainment lawyer engages in the practice of several different types of law. Through the Madrid Protocol, an entertainment attorney can register a trademark in multiple countries with a...

Here's a Hillary Clinton joke that was probably thought up by Karl Rove: "The hottest selling political bumper sticker these days is "RUN HILARY RUN" because it sells well to...

AFTRA is the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. The national labor union has more than 70,000 members. Musical performers, journalists and other entertainment artists are...