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Notes on the workas it changes
Trademark, copyright, chain of title, clearance, NIL, and the questions artificial intelligence is putting to all of them. Written for the people who have to make decisions, not for other lawyers.
You Built the Audience. Now Protect the Brand Behind It!
Content creators · Macro influencers · Creators with Merch or Licensing Deals At 150K-200K+ followers, you’re not just a creator anymore, you’re a brand. This is not exclusive to just macro-influencers eithe...
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5 Chain of Title Problems That Kill Distribution Deals (And How to Avoid Every One)
FILM & TELEVISION LAW // FOR PRODUCERS & FILMMAKERS By the time your E&O carrier finds these problems, you’re already paying for them. The deals that fall apart have the same core issues at the center: chain...
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Film Chain of Title: How To Get That Clean Chain Of Title
Independent Filmmakers · Production Companies · Executive Producers · Documentary Producers Film Chain of Title: How To Get That Clean Chain Of Title! The best advice I give clients in film and television pr...
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Music Copyright Ownership Disputes: When Conversations Happen Too Late!
A music copyright ownership dispute is often an expensive and preventable problem. Here’s what I tell every collaborator I talk with after project ownership disputes go sideways: copyrights and IP law don’t...
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10 Essential Influencer Contract Tips for 2026: Smart Advice for Influencers & Professional Creators
The creator economy in 2026 is more competitive and lucrative than ever. As one social commentator noted, “creating is no longer part of the culture, creating IS our culture!”. For content creators, your bra...
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The Trademark Application Process Explained: A Guide to USPTO Office Actions
An Office Action (OA) is an official correspondence sent from the USPTO that requires addressing deficiencies or issues with your application. Office Action letters are sent to you via the specific Examining...
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Intellectual Property Licensing for Creators & Brands
Intellectual Property Licensing for Creators & Brands In the creator economy, smart licensing is how you turn your user-generated content into real money, allowing you to make a genuine career from works you...
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Creating With AI: Where Copyright Protection Stops or Thins
Every few weeks another artificial intelligence engine is introduced to the public that empowers creators to new heights of creativity. Tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, Nana Banana Pro, and DALL-E are becomin...
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Creative Smarts: 12 Smart Copyright Strategies (& Tips) to Protect Your Art! (Part I)
The satisfaction of finishing a new work can be exhilarating! You’ve taken your idea from genesis to completion, and it manifested into something incredibly important to you. Now on to sharing your work in a...
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First Things First: Let’s Learn What A Copyright Is!
Before you can really understand copyright law, you must first learn what a copyright is! 1. What is a Copyright? A “copyright” is a form of intellectual property protection that grants exclusive rights to t...
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Making Your IP Work For You: A Guide to Intellectual Property & Copyright Licensing
What is Licensing? Licensing refers to the granting of intellectual property rights from one party to another party to use or commercially exploit that protected intellectual property. Every type of intellec...
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Debunking Copyright’s Most Common Myths, Part I
In this 2-part legal guide, I’ll be myth-busting. Here are the ten most common copyright myths and the reasons why. I’ll start with the first five here. Common Copyright Myth #1: “If the Copyright Owner Does...
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Avoiding Expensive Mistakes – Understanding (Personal) Services Contracts: Part II
In Part I about Avoiding Mistakes in Personal Service Contracts, we discussed contract elements, material vs. minor contract breaches, and the doctrine of substantial performance. In this second part, we’ll...
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Trademark Registration FAQ: Answers to Your Most Common Questions
A trademark is a symbol, word, phrase, logo, or design that identifies the source of a consumer good or service. Trademark protection is designed to protect consumers from deceptive copycats by acting as an...
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How to Legally Clear a Music Sample: A Step-by-Step Guide
Sampling is the use of previously recorded material within a new work. The word “sampling” was coined in the 1970s by the creators of the CMI Fairlight synthesizer, which could record and playback sounds. In...
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Avoiding Expensive Mistakes in Your Personal Service (Performance) Contracts: Part I
Personal service contracts are a regular, often daily, part of certain businesses. Many people presume that signatures are what make a contract fully enforceable, but there’s more to it than that. While they...
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Understanding IP Types – Copyright, Trademarks, Patents, & Trade Secrets Simplified!
There are various types of intellectual property you’ve likely heard of – copyrights, trademarks, patents, and maybe even trade secrets. For those that work outside of IP, the difference between them can be...
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How to Register a Trademark: What to Expect From Start to Finish in 8 Steps!
You’ve started your business and found the perfect logo and slogan to capture your brand’s identity and personality! At some point, you’ll want to protect your brand by properly registering a trademark and s...
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Top Ten Mistakes That Artists and Film Productions Make When Licensing Music (What You Need to Know to Save Money)
The right song can set the tone, pull a scene together, or capture an emotion better than the spoken word. If you’ve got your heart set on a certain song to make that happen, we’re here to help you fulfill t...
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The Music Copyrights Puzzle: A Simple Guide for Confused Artists
Many young musicians buy a copy of Donald Passman’s “All You Need To Know About The Music Business” and quickly read through the section on music copyrights. For a few brief hours or days, they feel like the...
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Creative Smarts: 12 Smart Copyright Strategies (& Tips) to Protect Your Art! (Part 2)
Welcome back to our series on Creative Smarts, copyright strategies and tip to protect your work! Here are the remaining six strategies to protect your intellectual property as a creative. Like the previous...
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Unleashing Your Creative Freedom: 5 Ways to Legally Use Copyrighted Works Without Breaking the Rules!
I. Introduction No one wants to feel handcuffed in their creativity, but sometimes your creative explorations require the use of someone else’s work. At the same time copyright infringement can be costly and...
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The First Line of (Legal) Defense: Cease & Desist Letters
A cease and desist letter is a method to assert your rights when you have reasonable belief that someone has infringed upon your IP or breached an agreement. In addition to demanding the wrongdoer “cease and...
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Someone’s Stealing From Me! Copyright and Trademark Infringement
Copyright and Trademark Infringement: Someone’s Stealing From Me! You take all the right measures to protect your copyrights and trademarks, but someone is still using your work or logo without your permissi...
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Posts are general information, not legal advice, and reading one does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every matter turns on its own facts.
Your mind is your property.Protect it today.
Bring the contract, the name, or the track. One conversation is usually enough to tell you where you stand.