Saul Ewing attorneys have significant experience advising a wide variety of clients in the entertainment, music, visual and performing arts industries. Our clients include artists, writers, musicians, models, film, and multi-media production companies, record labels, producers, merchandisers, museums, and artist management companies. We assist these and other clients with their corporate, intellectual property, and litigation needs. We routinely advise on the following areas:
- Corporate: drafting and negotiating agreements for the creation, development, recording, publication, distribution, branding, and merchandising of various media including books, music, films, works of art and products; advising on event contracts, sponsorship issues, and catalog sales
- Intellectual property: registering and protecting trademarks and copyrights, handling licensing matters and drafting agreements protecting Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) rights
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Litigation: contract disputes, copyright and trademark infringement actions, copyright termination actions, and other intellectual property disputes
Key Contacts
Saul Ewing attorneys have represented clients in these select music, entertainment, and visual and performing arts matters:
Music
- An artist management company in a breach of contract dispute with one of its artists for failure to pay commissions due.
- A multi-platinum recording artist in defending against attempted termination of copyright interests in a catalog of over 80 songs.
- A multi-platinum recording artist and his record label in defending against copyright infringement claims related to music sampling.
- The estate of a deceased recording artist in registering and protecting unpublished musical works of the artist.
- A national music school in drafting and negotiating various agreements relating to production of musical performances.
- A multi-platinum producer in the sale of his music catalog to a private investment fund.
- A music streaming company in securing licensing deals with distributors and labels.
- An independent record label in drafting and negotiating recording agreements, distribution, co-publishing and NIL agreements.
Entertainment
- A film production company in litigation against a streaming provider for claims of copyright infringement relating to a multi-episode show.
- A film production company in the licensing of film rights to a multi-volume fantasy book series.
- A film production company in a dispute arising from the unauthorized assignment of rights in the screenplay.
- An accomplished author and screenwriter in litigation against other screenwriters and a content provider for claims of copyright infringement relating to a multi-episode show.
- An accomplished author in a book publishing deal with an international book publisher.
- A multi-media production company in the licensing of a documentary film for public broadcasting and streaming distribution.
Visual & Performing Arts
- A photographer in litigation against a publisher for copyright infringement relating to unauthorized use of photographs.
- A metropolitan museum on licensing of the works of a major contemporary artist for an exhibition of the artist’s works.
- The estate of a deceased high-profile graphic designer in litigation against an international book publisher for copyright and trademark infringement related to the unauthorized release of a book compilation featuring the graphic designer’s work.
- A digital creator and cartoonist in litigation against a distributor for copyright and trademark infringement related to misappropriation of the creator’s works.
- A Tik-Tok and YouTube content creator duo in negotiating and securing co-branding and sponsorship deals.
- A merchandise company in a joint development deal with a YouTube video game personality to create, develop and distribute branded products.
- An international model in a dispute to obtain a release from her agency contract.
- An international live event promoter in securing performing agreements with a high-profile artist, and in acting as, production counsel for the events.
- A university in advising on the use of music in online promotional materials.
