Entertainment

Providing successful legal representation in the entertainment industry requires a unique blend of skills. Attorneys in Steptoe & Johnson LLP’s Entertainment Law group provide a multi-disciplinary approach to problem-solving, taking advantage of the legal talent and experience of attorneys from several of Steptoe’s diverse practice areas. With offices worldwide, including the entertainment centers of New York, Los Angeles, and London, Steptoe’s Entertainment attorneys combine a comprehensive understanding of the entertainment industry with support from experienced business solutions, intellectual property, technology, litigation, tax, and labor professionals.

Our Entertainment attorneys are poised to manage a range of entertainment-related concerns in the numerous fields of the entertainment business, including negotiating and drafting contracts; structuring and forming business entities; devising business solutions; and counseling clients regarding copyright and trademark protection and exploitation, merchandising, publishing, and Internet and new media ventures, as well as resolving and litigating disputes. Our attorneys have handled matters in various fields, such as music, film and television production, literary publishing, Internet-based and digital entertainment, and theater and dance theater.

Music
Our Entertainment Law group offers a full-service music practice to protect, preserve, and advance our clients’ interests. Working with business entities and creative talent, including musicians, songwriters, and producers, our attorneys handle music licensing and clearance, copyright and trademark protection and prosecution, recording contracts, agent and management contracts, and merchandising agreements. Steptoe attorneys also represent webcasters regarding intellectual property rights and regulations in connection with the transmission of music over the Internet, including podcasting.

Film & Television
Our attorneys represent and advise a wide range of clients engaged in the film and television industry, including production companies, filmmakers, and screenwriters. We negotiate and draft contracts, counsel regarding the allocation of intellectual property rights, and advise on all stages of production deals, including the acquisition of rights and development, preproduction, financing and production, and distribution and exploitation.

Literary Publishing
Our attorneys represent publishers and authors in publishing transactions, including basic publishing agreements, licensing agreements, and copyright issues. On behalf of publishers we have structured, negotiated, and drafted numerous publishing agreements as well as book distribution agreements. One of our attorneys structured and negotiated licensing agreements for foreign language publications of magazines and books for one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations.

Our attorneys have represented authors in numerous book deal negotiations and other media issues. We are experienced in exploiting the different rights of an author. For example, we have separately licensed translation rights and publication rights for expanded new editions of literary works, while reserving all other exclusive publication rights to the authors. We have also represented an author in negotiating reacquisition of publishing rights for entry to new markets. In addition, on behalf of authors, we have negotiated and documented publishing contracts for a variety of trade and professional treatises.

Internet-Based & Digital Entertainment
Our information technology experience gives us an advantage in handling matters in which the Internet is used as a distribution channel for entertainment content. Our attorneys stay on top of cutting-edge developments in technology that can have substantial impact on deals involving music, video, movies, graphics, and games, ranging from managing digital rights to developing and maintaining underlying software applications. We have represented providers and users of Internet-based entertainment content, Internet software developers, and Internet-based companies. Moreover, our attorneys' intellectual property experience enables us to obtain and protect copyrights, patent rights, trade secret rights, and trademark rights applicable to entertainment content and its enabling technology.

Theater & Dance Theater
Our attorneys have represented choreographers, advising them with regard to preserving and protecting their copyrights and prosecuting copyright applications. We have also advised regarding merchandising opportunities and separate copyright protection for characters created in the production.

Noteworthy

• Our attorneys also represent webcasters regarding IP rights and regulations in connection with transmitting music over the Internet, including podcasting.

Events

• Music and Business Law Seminar at CMJ Music Marathon
• Manny's Music Law Seminar, "Business Entities and Internal Band Agreements" May, 17, 2006; "The Business and Legal Team: Lawyers, Managers, and Agents" May 31, 2006; "Music Copyright Law" June 14, 2006

Speaking Engagements

• Gary Redente Presents Deal Point Analysis to Entertainment/Media Law Committee
• Gary Redente Co-Chairs NY Bar's Music and Recording Industry Committee Event, "Show Me the Money: Royalty Audits in Music and Theater"
• Rebecca Edelson at Intellectual Property in Entertainment and Media
• Business Entities and Internal Band Agreements