1. Sparkling personality

2. Social media handle

3. A lawyer

Real talk: There is a litany of legal rights and agreements that can make or break your career as an influencer.

That's why it's essential to have a legal team that understands the world of creativity, sponsorships, and endorsements within the influencer space.

How can a lawyer help influencers?

A lawyer can help you:

• protect your work, name and rights

• navigate sponsorships, endorsements, and general business law

• ensure proper disclosures to stay on the right side of the law

• draft, negotiate, and review all sorts of contracts

What can a lawyer do for an influncer’s business?

A lawyer is your partner in:

• maximizing your rights and revenue

• the ins and outs of successfully growing your influencer business and outreach

• handling all the business and legal stuff for you!
  
  

We're here to help!

What it means for independent music creators

After 5 years, the Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act is finally signed into law! Here's what you need to know:

Tax Break!

The HITS Act provides tax relief for you (independent artists, songwriters, and labels) by allowing up to $150,000 in music production expenses to be deducted in the year they are incurred.

Parity with other Creative Sectors

It aligns the music industry with other creative sectors, such as film, television, and live theater, which already benefit from similar tax incentives.

A Win for Independent Creators

It is a victory for independent music creators like you, who struggle to compete against the market power of big tech platforms.

Let's spread the word to your independent music artist/engineer/producer communities - share this post!

Thoughts or questions on the HITS Act? Drop them in the comments.

Sources: The Recording Academy, American Association of Independent Music, National Independent Talent Organization, Pollstar

You did it again!

With your votes, we are once again awarded the Best Intellectual Property Law Firm at Coloradobiz Magazine's Best of Colorado 2025! We love providing support to our creative clients, and to be given this honor fills us with heartfelt gratitude for every one of you who believes in our work.

To all creative business owners in Colorado, we are here for you!

Who is Creative Law Network?

Creative Law Network is grounded in a sincere passion for helping creative individuals and businesses navigate the complex world of contracts, negotiations, and business law. We know these challenges well because we faced them ourselves and we use that experience to help our clients achieve and succeed. 

Who is ColoradoBiz?

ColoradoBiz is on a mission to inform and engage readers with coverage of the people, trends, issues and enterprises impacting Colorado’s business landscape.

It takes a village.

Our Client Spotlight is on the impactful work of the Colorado Perinatal Mental Health Project (CO PMHP) for moms, birthers, and parents in Colorado.

What is the Colorado Perinatal Mental Health Project (CO PMHP) and The Birth Squad?

CO PMHP's "The Birth Squad" provides high quality, low- to no-cost support and programming to moms and birthers during pregnancy and the postpartum period. It is rooted in community and equity and is intentionally created with the understanding that we all need support, community and a village as we move through pregnancy and childbirth into early parenthood. The Birth Squad invites folks to come as they are, access support, and find the community we all need.

If you or someone you know could benefit from mental health support and community offered by the Birth Squad, please get in touch with them through their website and social accounts!

5 tips for music artists

Sync licensing uses both composition/publishing and sound recording/master.

Terms and fees are individually negotiated.

Be specific on the grant of rights!

• All TV, free TV, pay TV?

• Theatrical, non-theatrical performance?

• Streaming internet, download?

• Film festival?

• Social media?

• All media?!

Be specific on the use!

• Foreground?

• Background?

• Credits?

• Theme song?

• How much of the song is used?

• Exclusive or nonexclusive?

• Can edits/changes be made?

Beware of offers for “exposure”!

Beware of language granting free performance rights!

This was a fun chat with Tom and D! Real-life scenarios and questions about

• AI and intellectual property

• parodies, infringement and fair use

• the biggest legal landmines for entertainment professionals

• Colorado Sundance 🤩

• how to get pro bono legal help as a creative

You're welcome to eavesdrop on our conversation at Tom and D Episode 4!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tom-and-d/id1813211468?i=1000713200527 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2wQL90bPPxjnBES4oZHvdu?si=ti58FtH_RjqGHudTx_6r0g 

It’s available on all platforms, wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

About Tom and D

Hosts Tom Fry and Deren Abram swap stories, roast each other, and dive into the messy, hilarious world of entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. They also welcome a mystery guest—an industry insider, a rising star, or just someone with a great story—because, honestly, surprises make everything better.

Follow @thetomanddpodcast on Instagram to catch their latest episodes!

Musicians! Don't miss this important detail in your producer agreements!

Trademark registration: Expense or investment?!

If you're a creative business owner trying to decide whether to register your trademark, this guide is for you.

It can be tricky to see the value and power in a trademark, so if you need an experienced team to better understand how it can benefit your business, Creative Law Network is here for you. Send us a message and we'll reach out to you!

Come learn all about music publishing!!

This Tuesday, June 17, Dave Ratner is the featured presenter in the "Anatomy of the Deal" series, a year-long succession of events from the Sports & Entertainment Section of the Colorado Bar Association.

Publishing rights and administration is often considered one of the most complicated aspects of entertainment law in general. Dave will break it down in terms all practitioners can understand, covering both legal and music business angles. 

So whether you're working in the field or just curious to learn more, come dig into the terminology and structures involved in this fascinating aspect of law and practice! 

Click to register here.

To the fans of… Supernatural, Twilight, Veronica Mars, and X-Files: This is something you'll love!

Our Client Spotlight is on Jasmine Kuliasha's debut romantasy novel, The Midnight Pack: A Werewolf Romantic Urban Fantasy. You'll walk in the shoes of private investigator Jericho James to the forests of Maine, where she bites off more than she can chew… but this time, it might even bite her back.

It's a dream come true for Jasmine to bring this book into the world, and we are thrilled to cheer her on! (Hello, book series!!!)

If you're as excited as we are, you can even meet Jasmine and grab a signed copy at her book launch party this Saturday, June 14, at Briggs Street Books and Music!

🗓️ Saturday, June 14
⏰ 1:00 PM
📍 Briggs Street Books & Music

And don't forget to follow her on Instagram at @kuliashawrites!