Entertainment and Media Law

This course provides an in-depth study of copyright law and its protection of the intangible property rights of authors. Copyright law reflects the rich and complex international business framework through which the expression of creative ideas is governed, whether in terms of creation, marketing, distribution, exhibition or litigation. Knowledge of copyright law has innumerable industry applications and, like trademark law, is of particular and critical importance to both transactional and litigation practitioners in the fields of entertainment, media, fashion, art and technology.

This class will introduce you to some of the major business and legal issues that arise in the production, distribution and other exploitation of music in the international marketplace through retails sales of recordings, streaming, licensing, public performance, live touring and otherwise.

Artworks reflect the culture of their creators, but artworks themselves know no boundaries. Perhaps for that reason, the most interesting and newsworthy issues in art law today are international law issues. This course addresses international legal issues related to art as a creative endeavor, art as an article of commerce, and art as a significant cultural artifact.

This course surveys current legal issues relating to the global sports industries, with one week of focus on North America and the remainder focusing primarily on sports in the European Union.

This course will survey the international legal issues that lawyers deal with when representing clients in the entertainment industry -- especially the movie, music, theater, sports and publishing businesses.

The objective of Fashion Law is to provide foundational legal knowledge and skills in areas that new attorneys are likely to encounter should they pursue fashion law in either solo or firm practice. Those areas include relevant legal concepts within copyright, trademark, patent, sui generis protection, misappropriation, the FTC, international trade, labor and employment; and skills including, brand building, licensing, collaborative negotiating, advising start-ups, technology and client management.

The BEMLI Externship enables select students to return to an entertainment firm or company for a repeat externship or a second entertainment practicum, upon approval of the Director of the Biederman Institute. The course requirements are identical to any other externship or practicum, including, among other requirements, submitting periodic guided reflections, attending a group meeting with the faculty advisor, and in some cases submitting a paper at the conclusion of the externship.

This course is focused on the three major above-the-line unions in the entertainment industry: Directors Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and Writers Guild of America. After an introduction to labor law and an overview of the labor movement in the entertainment industry, students will study key provisions of the guilds' basic collective bargaining agreements for entertainment content. The course will also cover agreements in other areas where SAG-AFTRA has jurisdiction.

This course will provide both narrative and experiential/inter-active instruction on contract drafting and analysis/review skills for those students interested in a transactional practice. There will be a particular emphasis on drafting entertainment industry contracts (i.e., commonly used clauses and concepts in the TV and Motion Picture industries); however, the skills and techniques taught will also apply generally to contract drafting regardless of industry.

Fundamentals and Practical Aspects of Entertainment and Media Litigation This course will take the student through the elements of entertainment litigation cases: how it works in real life, how to practice pragmatically, where and how to get the necessary knowledge to advise, counsel and represent clients, and how to build a practice in this area. The course will cover client representation from fee agreements to appeal.