Television, Film & Music Law Blog
Entertainment and Sports Law [MUSIC PLAYING] Our firm handles the representation of sports and entertainment law clients. Now, there are many things about that representation that are not unique, that are basically the same as representing any personal services business. But there are other aspects of it that are kind of interesting, and really only apply to sports or entertainment figures. One is that they generally have something of an entourage. It may be an entourage that's already formed. It may be one that's forming. For example, someone in the music business might have a manager, an agent, a publicist, an accountant, and now, of course, a lawyer, and others. There may be band members. There may be people who write the songs, and so forth. All of these people should have some sort of legal relationship that is set out in a contract. Those contracts need to be vetted carefully by the attorney. Those contracts have to be looked at carefully and, as appropriate, negotiated. A big piece of an entertainment or sports representation often includes intellectual property, whether it be a musician's rights in a song, the copyright, how that's being assigned through the recording agreement, the limits of any license, the royalties that are going to be paid and how it can be exploited, to dealing with a sports team or an athlete, and dealing with their right of publicity and any trademarks that they may have created surrounding their persona, and how that will be marketed and endorsed. That's all aspects of intellectual property that can be protected, as well contracted for. The important thing overall about the representation of a sports or entertainment figure is to understand that their talent is not enough. Their talent will only take them so far. Really, what has to be done is that the lawyer has to protect the viability and the value of that talent in the marketplace. 
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