Hey, Artists and Creatives! Colorado Creative Industries is now accepting applications for their 2017 Career Advancement Awards. These are state-funded grants to help with your career advancement in the creative industries. The grants range from $500 to $2,500 and are designed to help awardees participate in business development activities to increase revenue, gain a new audience and improve business practices. The deadline to apply for the 2017 awards is May 2nd.
South By Southwest is right around the corner and Creative Law Network’s client, Edison will be participating in an official SXSW showcase. Edison is a folk/pop band consisting of Sarah Slaton, Dustin Morris and Maxwell Hughes. Since forming in 2014, the band has signed to Rhyme & Reason Records and has shared the stage with world-famous acts including Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats and Iron & Wine. The band will be performing at the notorious Gibson Room at Maggie Mae’s on March 16th beginning at 1AM. Please join Creative Law Network in supporting one of the best up-and-coming acts from the Denver music scene!
On March 6th, CU Denver Live will be hosting Entrepreneurship In The Arts, a panel and networking session featuring Colorado-based entrepreneurs in the creative industries. Creative Law Network’s Dave Ratner will be participating on the panel alongside Robert Castro of Ultra5280, Ian Kleinman of The Inventing Room and Ru Johnson of Roux Black and The Know. Please join Dave, the Creative Law Network and other members of the Denver Arts Community for this great educational experience! The event is free and open to public. Reservations can be made here.
Event Details:
Date: Monday, March 6th, 2017
Time: 11am-1:30pm
Location: Tivoli Suite 320, 900 Auraria Parkway, Denver, CO 80204
On November 10, 2016, ground was broken for the creation of an amazing new amphitheater in southwest Denver. Ruby Hill Park will be home to the all-new Levitt Pavilion, and will join other venues in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Texas, California and other states as a facility operated by the Levitt Foundation. The venue, which has been in the planning phase for nearly five years, is scheduled to open and host its first performances in July 2017. This 20,000 capacity space will host 50 free concerts each year plus numerous paid events including dance, theater, orchestra and other artistic performances.
Creative Law Network’s Dave Ratner sits on the Board of Directors of Levitt Pavilion Denver and joined many others in hailing this monumental step forward for the Denver Music Community. Levitt Pavilion Denver is also supported by Denver Arts and Venues, Illegal Pete’s, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, and many others in the Denver music and arts community.
Every two years, the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts conducts a study that investigates the economic and social contributions made by various arts, cultural and scientific organizations in the Denver Metro area. The most recent results were released on October 5, 2016 at a breakfast event at the Seawell Grand Ballroom, which was attended by Dave Ratner(of the Creative Law Network) and other professionals in the Denver music and arts scene.
The results from the 2016 study indicated that the cultural community continues to have a significant economic impact in Colorado. While overall economic activity didn’t have much fluctuation between previous years, arts, cultural and science organizations generated about half a billion dollars into the regional economy. Additionally, cultural tourism is at an all-time high, and contributed approximately $367 million.
As a result of this continued support, more jobs and higher payrolls within these industries have emerged. Newer organizations in the creative fields are constantly forming, which has increased the need for services provided by entertainment law firms.
“The image of the starving artist is real,” says Dave Ratner, founder of the Creative Law Network. This is why numerous Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA) organizations have emerged all across the United States. VLAs seek to connect artists with the resources they need in order to understand and navigate through the business element of their work, as highlighted by the Progressive Law Practice. Colorado Attorneys for the Arts (CAFTA) is Colorado’s own pro bono VLA, which connects limited-income artists with volunteer attorneys and, in turn, strengthens Colorado’s creative economy. Dave Ratner worked with Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA) to form CAFTA and encourages everyone to help spread the word about this valuable resource!
Creative Law Network is excited to be part of Colorado Sound’s 6th Annual Music Industry Party. Our own Dave Ratner will host a “Music and the Law Q&A” at 6:30pm on Sunday August 14. Other presentations include “Publishing and Artist Development” with Chelsea Kent, creative director of Still Working Music and producer/composer/session bassist David LaBruyere (John Mayer, David Wilcox, Shawn Mullins) at 4:30pm and a discussion and demonstration of Colorado Sound’s newest addition, a DW Exotic Jazz Drum Kit, with legendary drummer J.R. Robinson at 5:30pm.
The party takes place on Sunday August 14 from 4:00pm – 8:00pm at Colorado Sound Studios, 3100 West 71st Avenue, Westminster, CO 80030.
Creative Law Network’s Dave Ratner has recently presented on numerous topics to a variety of audiences throughout the state. In the past few weeks, Dave has given presentations to:
Colorado Creative Industries Summit – Dave teamed up with attorney and CPA Ken Ransford to help creative people, businesses, and organizations better understand entity formations. Formations of limited liability companies, corporations, and non-profits was discussed and the presentation was featured in the Glenwood Springs Post Independent.
Moxie U – This event was presented by Denver’s Clyfford Still Museum, RedLine, and the Arts Student League of Denver. Visual artists of all types came to the museum to learn from Dave about intellectual property and business law as it relates to their work.
AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) – Dave spoke as part of AIGA’s “Buzz” series about “Knowing Your Creative Rights.” An eager and well-caffeinated group of graphic artists learned about copyrights, trademarks, contracts, entities, and how to protect their rights!
Entertainment and Sports Section of the Colorado Bar Association – At this luncheon and continuing legal education event, Dave presented on how copyright law applies to the music industry. Attorneys in attendance learned about the unusual and unique ways that copyright works in the music business. Dave also explained industry players and standards of the industry.
Rocky Mountain Intellectual Property and Technology Institute – Dave presented with attorney and former record label executive Bill Kelly to intellectual property and technology attorneys from across the country on counseling artists and arts organizations. The pair educated attendees about issues specific to the arts and what special considerations are important in the practice. This presentation was recorded and will be available online in the future!
Musicians have the unique opportunity to make a career creating great songs but those songs – and the musicians themselves – need to be protected in order to find success. A good music lawyer can help a musician protect his rights and be successful in the long run. At Creative Law Network, we know the ropes and we can help. Here are five reasons why it’s important for a musician to hire a music lawyer:
Forming a Band
When a group of musicians get together to form a band they are usually combining the efforts and talents for the good of the group. But who owns what and in what amount? Does everyone own the songs or only the person(s) who write the songs? What about the recordings? And how are decisions made? What happens if one member leaves the band? Does he continue to be paid for the songs he recorded? All these questions should be answered in advance and in writing so there are no disputes down the road. A music lawyer can help you craft a band agreement to memorialize this vital relationship and plan for future success.
Live Performances
All the details of a live performance should be agreed upon in advance and written down in a performance agreement. Musicians need to be fully aware of what they are obligated to do and what they will receive for their work when they perform. At the very least, the major points must be clear: where to play, how long to play for, who gets paid, and how much. A performance agreement also needs to be clear about what happens if a performance is cancelled. A music lawyer will prepare and/or review a performance agreement to ensure the musicians are protected and the terms are clear.
Signing a contract
Contracts are part of doing business in any industry but music industry contracts can be particularly confusing. Many contracts have a lot of “fine print” and contain confusing legal language that is not easily understood. A music lawyer should fully explain a contract, answer any questions, and revise the contract in your favor. Signing a bad contract – or just a conract that you don’t completely understand – can cause significant problems in the future.
Protecting intellectual property
The rights in your songs (copyright) and in the name of your band (trademark) are valuable intellectual property. What is intellectual property? Intellectual property includes things that you can own and that have value but aren’t physical items. A musician’s intellectual property is his most valuable asset. It is what will make him money and help him be successful. But intellectual property must be protected. A good music lawyer will help you protect your intellectual property.
Using Music in Movies, Television and Videos
The use of music in movies, television and videos is a great way for musicians to make money from their work. Music can only be included in a “moving image” with the express, written consent of the owner of that music. So if a TV show wants to use your song in the show, they have to get your permission to do so, in writing. They should also pay you for this right. Your music lawyer should negotiate these deals and prepare the contracts (known as “licenses”) so that it’s very clear what is happening and what you’ll be paid. Be sure to engage a professional that knows the deal so that you get the best deal!
At Creative Law Network, we understand the importance of your work and the need to protect it. Our experienced music lawyer, Dave Ratner, knows how to navigate the legal landscape to help you be successful. Hard working musicians deserve a lawyer who knows the deal and will work hard to make it happen. That’s Creative Law Network. Contact us today for a free consultation.
These days, with such easy access to everything on the Internet—from movies to books to pictures—many people assume that creative works are free to be used by anyone for anything. If it is on the Internet then it’s public, right? Wrong. Finding a photo online doesn’t mean that the person who owns it wants you using it on your website or for your own purpose. You can search for new music online, but that doesn’t mean you can freely copy and play that music wherever, whenever, or however you please. So, how can you tell what works are protected by copyright?
Copyright Defined
Copyright is the term used to describe the rights given to the creator of an artistic work. Copyright ownership begins at the moment the work is created and put in a form people can touch, see, or hear. The moment you finish a drawing or painting, it is copyrighted. The moment you express your ideas on paper or in digital format, what you’ve written is copyrighted. The moment you write and/or record a song, it is copyrighted. Copyright covers what are traditionally thought of as artistic works, such as writings, pictures, music and sculpture, but it also covers computer programs, technical drawings, maps and databases—the unique expressions of creative minds and bodies.
Ideas cannot be copyrighted. It is only when those ideas get their unique, tangible expression that they are copyrighted. If a person takes a photo of a building or writes about the zombie apocalypse, the idea of the picture or story can’t be copyrighted, but the way those ideas are expressed is what is copyrighted and owned by the creator.
What Owning Copyright Means
What does owning a copyright mean? There are many exclusive rights that come with being the owner of a copyrighted work. Copyright owners have the exclusive right to, or to authorize others to, reproduce a work, distribute a work, publish or present a work, and prepare other works based on that work—like adapting a book into a movie. Having the “exclusive” right means that the copyright owner is the only one allowed to use or license these rights. Anyone else that uses these rights without permission is infringing – or violating – the copyright owner’s rights.
Copyright Registration
Although a creator owns a copyright as soon as the work is created, in the United States it is best for the creator to register that copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office. Registrations are fairly inexpensive and can be submitted online. Often times, mulitiple works can be registered with one registration application and one registration fee. A copyright registration is the best proof a person can have that they own the copyright in a work. The value of that registration frequently far exceeds the cost of registration.
Copyrights are valuable and the rights granted by copyright are exclusive. So, next time you’re online and thinking of using someone else’s creative work, be sure you have the right to do so. Just because it is online doesn’t mean you have permission to use it.
Creative Law Network has expert attorneys based in Denver, CO to guide clients through the intricacies of copyright law and help them protect their rights. For more information, visit http://creativelawnetwork.com.