VLA's Ask The Music Lawyer
Legal and Business Essentials for Musicians and Composers
2007 & 2008
Presented by
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
with a generous grant from the New York State Music Fund
VLA has just been awarded a two-year grant from The New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, to support an “Ask the Music Lawyer” program. This grant will help support workshops and clinics for musicians from the New York region, the expansion of our mediation service to handle music- related negotiations, and the development of a special section of the VLA website to include music- related resources and information.
These programs are free of charge to the arts community and require advanced registration. To register or for more information please go to www.vlany.org, or call 212.319.2787, ext. 10.
Workshops & Clinics | Legal Service | MediateArt Program | Ask Your Question
I. Workshops & Clinics:
Program with description
All workshops and clinics will be held at:
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
1 E. 53rd Street, Auditorium
1. Contract Basics and Overview for Musicians and Composers
May 31, 2007 5:30-7:30
This course introduces musicians and composers to the basics of contract formation: what constitutes a contract, necessary terms for a binding contract, clauses and language that benefit or burden musicians, and what to do if a breach of contract occurs. Sample contracts and “real life” examples will be used to demonstrate these concepts.
2. Music Licensing
As part of its ongoing Ask the Music Lawyer workshop series, VLA is proud to sponsor a workshop on music licensing. Learn about recording and licensing agreements, how to analyze them, and how to modify them. Most bands and musicians receive a recording or licensing agreement, usually prepared by the company’s lawyer, which creates a need to learn industry keywords and buzzwords. Sample licensing agreements and provisions will be reviewed and explained.
Thursday, August 30, 2007: 5:30-7:30pm (sold out)
Friday, November 9, 2007: 5:30-7:30pm
3. Copyright and Trademark Law for Musicians
November 29, 2007 5:30-7:30
November 20, 2008 5:30-7:30
Copyright is a right to copy. A musician controls the right to copy, sell, use or perform her song, but also to grant others permission to use the song. A copyright also grants the owner of the song the right to sue anyone who uses the song without permission. Trademarks allow performer or band to trade under and protect their band name, logo, and produce merchandise to promote their band. Learn how copyright and trademark law grant the “creator” a bundle of rights which can, when controlled, generate income.
Free Copyright Tutorial
A FREE copyright tutorial for musicians and composers will be presented by Public Knowledge on Thursday, October 4th, from 6-8pm. The tutorial will be held at VLA. This workshop is now sold out .
4. Tax and Financial Planning for Musicians
To be rescheduled
This clinic will address the dreaded aspects of good recordkeeping with the benefits of adequate financial planning. Learn why it’s a good idea to have an accountant or bookkeeper, and how to keep financial records in a manner that work for you and make life easier for you and your accountant.
5. Working with Representation Agents and Managers
Managers and agents come in various forms, and they vary depending on their duties and a band’s unique needs. This course will cover different types of managers and agents and what they do, as well as how to hire and fire a manager and how to enter an agreement with fair compensation according to a band’s expectations and needs.
When:
May 29, 2008 5:30-7:30
Where:
VLA, 1 East 53rd Street, (on the corner with 5th Avenue), Auditorium, New York, NY 10022
Fees for May 29th, 2008:
Artists & Full-Time Students: Free ($10 at the door)
Attorneys: $10 ($20 at the door)
If you would like to register for the November 9th workshop, please download registration form and return via fax to 212.752.6575, or mail hard-copy to:
VLA
ATML: Agents and Managers
1 East 53rd Street, 6th Fl.
New York, NY 10022
For more information, please contact Sergio Sarmiento at 212.319.2787 x13
6. Band Partnership Agreements
August 28, 2008 5:30-7:30
Creating a band is creating a business partnership. A band should execute an agreement to make sure that all members understand and agree to certain terms. This course will introduce musicians to band agreements and the necessary information and content that will allow for a more harmonious relationship: hiring/firing of band mates, dividing income/expenses and future royalties, who can use band name and songs, guidelines for band breakups.
7. Avoiding and Resolving Disputes & Negotiation Skills: Why do people say “no,” and how to get them to say “yes”!
When faced with a dispute, musicians have two alternatives which may be less expensive and time consuming: arbitration and mediation. Learn the differences between both, and how a mediator and arbitrator facilitate dispute resolution between disagreeing parties.
Negotiation is usually considered as a compromise to settle an argument or issue to benefit ourselves as much as possible. Learn how to deal with difficult people and situations while negotiating your interests.
II. Ask the Music Lawyer™: Legal Services
Do you have a legal question concerning music?
As part of our Ask the Music Lawyer™ project,
VLA invites you to email one of our volunteer attorneys with your questions at:
askthemusiclawyer@vlany.org
Or, Call our Ask the Music Lawyer™ phone hotline at 212.319.2787 x1 on the following dates and times with questions dealing specifically with music:
Friday, April 13, 2007, 1-4pm
Friday, June 8, 2007, 1-4pm
Friday, September 14, 2007, 1-4pm
Friday, December 14, 2007, 1-4pm
Friday, March 14, 2008, 1-4pm
Friday, June 13, 2008, 1-4pm
Friday, September 12, 2008, 1-4pm
Friday, December 12, 2008, 1-4pm
III. Ask the Music Lawyer™: MediateArt Program
Are you currently negotiating a music contract? Do you have a dispute with a manager, band member, or recording agency that you would like to resolve in a friendly manner?
As part of our Ask the Music Lawyer™ project,
VLA invites you to take advantage of our MediateArt Program, a low-cost alternative dispute resolution service available to artists who are negotiating a contract or who are presently engaged in a conflict.
VLA’s Ask the Music Lawyer™ MediateArt program empowers musicians and composers in negotiating agreements and contracts, as well as finding their own resolution to friendly disputes and disagreements, creating an opportunity for a win-win solution to emerge from the participation of all parties in a dispute. Some types of music-related disputes handled through the program include disagreements over copyright ownership, collaboration agreements and payment issues.
Ask your Questions!
Do you have a music law related question you want an answer to? Email it to askthemusiclawyer@vlany.org. An attorney will respond to your question as soon as possible.