Axley is ready to assist clients with a variety of matters related to the entertainment industry, including copyright and trademark registration, contract negotiation and drafting (including music publishing contracts, recording agreements, and licensing agreements), trust and estate planning, and business entity formation, to name a few. Axley attorneys also provide a wide range of dispute resolution and litigation services in the entertainment industry, including breach of contract and intellectual property litigation.
“Entertainment law” is not a separate and distinct area of the law but instead encompasses all areas of law that impact the people and businesses operating in the entertainment industry. As a full-service firm with entertainment lawyers who are veterans of the entertainment industry themselves, Axley is uniquely equipped to assist with any number of different entertainment law matters.
Generative AI
In this episode of “Middle Class Rockstar,” host Andy Sydow sits down with attorney Adam Barraza to talk about the impact of generative AI on the music industry. They explore what generative AI is, demonstrating its capabilities by creating a song using an AI platform, and discuss the intricacies of copyright eligibility (or copyrightability), which requires works to be original, authored, and fixed in a tangible medium of expression. The conversation highlights the ongoing confusion surrounding authorship when AI is involved, as copyright laws traditionally recognize only human creativity and authorship. Adam shares case studies, including one involving an artist who faced challenges with registering AI-generated content for copyright. The discussion underscores the gap between rapid technological advancement and the slower evolution of legal frameworks and includes some insight into how artists can effectively use AI in their creative processes without jeopardizing copyright protections.
Lawsuits and Examples
In this episode of “Middle Class Rockstar,” host Andy Sydow and attorney Adam Barraza discuss lawsuits recently filed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) against generative AI platforms Suno and Udio. The lawsuits, filed on June 24, 2024, in Massachusetts and New York respectively, center around allegations of copyright infringement related to the development of technologies used in these AI platforms. The case highlights the legal complexities arising from the utilization of copyrighted music in training AI systems. The outcomes of these lawsuits will have a huge impact on existing and future developed AI platforms. In fact, it is hard to overstate the importance of these lawsuits on the future of AI in general.
Hiring A Lawyer
In this episode of “Middle Class Rockstar,” attorney Adam Barraza shares his thoughts on situations where independent or “DIY” artists might need to hire a lawyer, including his explanation of the different kinds of legal services an artist might need (i.e., transactional or litigation). Situations that necessitate lawyer involvement can include any legal disputes and deals both big and small. The episode also covers the nuances of so-called handshake deals and the types of contracts that must be in writing to be enforceable.
