“Work Made for Hire” Explained
“Work Made for Hire” Explained: Introduction The phrase “work made for hire” is commonly found in entertainment industry contracts—particularly with regard to independent contractors. Many would be surprised to learn that the phrase “work made for hire”, often unwittingly “borrowed” from American contracts, has no legal significance in Canadian law. Is there a Canadian […]
Quitclaims – A Creative Legal Tool
Introduction to Quitclaims Quitclaims are legal tools used by producers and creators to ensure that someone or something has given up certain rights in a property. For example, say you are a producer and a great script lands on your desk (or inbox). The creator tells you that it was previously developed by another producer […]
Online Concert Licensing and Royalties – Part 2
The Rights of Online Concerts: This is the second blog about online concert licensing and royalties. In the first blog, I provided a chart that summarized some licensing considerations for online concerts based in Canada. This blog introduces three rights that presenters require with respect to the compositions being performed at commercial online concerts. […]
Online Concert Licensing and Royalties – Part 1
Online Concert Licensing and Royalties Take Center-Stage: It’s no wonder online concerts are growing in popularity—they’re a great way for musicians to connect with their fans during this time of physical distancing. However, there are more music licensing and royalty considerations for online concerts compared to live in-person shows. This blog identifies some of these […]
Force Majeure – What you Need to Know
Force Majeure & Current Events: We all have many questions as we grapple with the sweeping effects of COVID-19 on our professional and personal lives. Many may find it difficult or impossible to perform their contractual obligations given the restrictions imposed in response to the outbreak. If COVID-19 makes it impossible for you to perform […]
COVID-19 Killed My Tour – Rights and Obligations – Part 1 – Venues
Tour – Rights and Obligations: Introduction Tour – Rights and Obligations. We all want to limit health risks at home and in the communities that we visit on tour. As we consider the effects of COVID-19 on the live music industry and our individual roles, here is part one of a series of blogs to […]
Video Game Copyright Considerations
Video Game Copyright Mark Edwards was interviewed by the CBC for an article about video game copyright considerations in the context of Donut County and Hole.io. The following is additional commentary about the relevant questions for game development companies: What’s the difference between another developer ripping off your idea versus being inspired by it? This […]
Copyright Protection & Classical Music
Copyright Protection & Classical Music Copyright protection & classical music is a widely searched topic. You may be wondering what it (copyright protection) does, well, copyright protection covers original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works of authorship. This is during the lifetime of the author, the remainder of the calendar year in which the author […]
