Entertainment and Sports Law

Entertainment law includes endorsement agreements, contracts and negotiations, and licensing. In addition, entertainment law often incorporates aspects of intellectual property, copyrights and trademarks. Entertainment attorneys often must address issues of employment law, media law, labor law and securities law when handling cases in the entertainment industry.

For the most part, entertainment attorneys represent both amateur and professional artists, actors and entertainers and even athletes, many times handling negotiations between clients and agencies.

The laws regulating the entertainment business apply to professions in film, music, multimedia and visual arts. Each area and each state has specific laws and statutes; however, some aspects remain universal:

• Entertainment attorneys are active in negotiating employment contracts, resolving trade union disputes and settling the payment and collection of royalties. Sub-industries are required to oversee the relationship between talent and studios, entertainment agencies and production companies.
• Within the entertainment industry, legal problems often arise regarding trademarks, copyrights and rights of publicity, which are often related to First Amendment concerns over defamation, privacy rights and freedom of speech.
• Entertainment is an international industry, thus causing questions of immigration and international law.

Last update: Oct. 2, 2008