For filmmakers and creatives living in the Live Music Capital of the World, it may seem attractive to make a documentary about a band or a singer amid the music struggle. But experts on a recent South by Southwest panel warned that while music documentaries are surging in popularity and profitability, they are laden with … Continue Reading
From recounting infamous music copyright cases to predicting what the future of policy in Washington, D.C., holds, several sessions at South by Southwest tackled hot-button issues in the industry. Copyright infringement “This is about deep-pocket defendants,” entertainment attorney Stan Soocher said as he opened the March 17 panel “Copyright Infringement: Get a Hit, Get a … Continue Reading
Austin’s most anticipated yearly event is back and lawyers have many opportunities to learn about legal trends and the future of the profession while taking part in the festivities. South by Southwest has been offering continuing legal education and other law-related programming since 1998, and this year it features panels on everything from cybersecurity and … Continue Reading
Last Thursday, the Highball in Austin was reserved for a very special event: the annual gathering of local attorneys who are ready to let down their guards, have some fun with colleagues, and show the world that there is more to them than their JDs. Created and presented by the Austin Asian American Bar Association, … Continue Reading
Musicians, songwriters, and producers packed the room for this South by Southwest session titled “Four Agreements Every Artist Needs to Understand.” The goal was to give audience members a better understanding of the music industry’s legal issues so that they don’t fall victim to bad deals and disputes down the line. Panelists—including entertainment attorneys Steve … Continue Reading
A few months after serving on a jury in a trial presided over by Judge Brandy Mueller, of Travis County Court at Law No. 6, Guy Forsyth found himself back in the courtroom Friday afternoon. This time, instead of listening to the facts of a case and deliberating a verdict, the 47-year-old Austin musician was … Continue Reading
Part I: Cool Things v. Consumer Privacy, Filming Unsuspecting Subjects, and Streaming Pay Scales By the end of South by Southwest 2014—held in Austin from March 7 to March 16—attorneys were referring to the festival’s official legal program as “Camp CLE.” Like the much larger SXSW spectacle, the CLE room was full of lawyers from … Continue Reading
Music and law experts explain how to reuse original compositions while staying in the legal clear. The take-away from the South by Southwest Music Festival panel titled “Remixing, Mashups, and Copyright Law,” was to play it safe when creating derivative musical works. Panelists included Christiane Kinney, musician and partner in the LeClairRyan law firm’s Los … Continue Reading
