Entertainment Law

What is Entertainment Law?

Ask an Entertainment Law Attorney for Legal Advice

Entertainment law can pertain to anything from contracts between those in the entertainment industry to legal protections regarding intellectual property. Sectors of the entertainment industry which fall under entertainment law include film, television, radio, and print in any medium. Employment contracts, production contracts, financing, and more are likely to benefit significantly from the know-how of an entertainment law attorney familiar with the complexities of the field.

For help drafting or reviewing any kind of contract in the entertainment industry, or to learn more about the rules and restrictions in place for the different sectors, contact an entertainment law attorney. These attorneys are well versed in drafting agreements, negotiating contracts, and even facilitating financing for their clients’ work. Additionally, with the ever-changing labor laws of the entertainment industry, it’s important to seek help from an entertainment law attorney before hiring new talent.

Entertainment Industry Statistics

To get a better understanding of the entertainment industry, how it works, and common problems that arise, it might help to go over some significant data. The entertainment industry is enormous and produces an extraordinarily high revenue. Additionally, it has been in business for a long time so there is a wide variety of legislation in place to govern its proceedings.

Let’s go over some entertainment industry statistics according to Singular DTV:

• The entertainment industry is predicted to produce a revenue of approximately $2.2 trillion by 2021.
• 70.1% of the music industry share is split between Universal, Sony, and Warner.
• Despite United States music royalties reaching record levels in 2017, new artists typically collect only 13%-16% of the price of their music.
• Movie theater admissions in the United States and Canada hit a 10 year low in 2017.
• Seven major studios control more than 80% of total film industry revenue.
• There were 3846 successful film-based kickstarter projects in 2016, raising 66.4 million and 4009 music-based kickstarters raising 34 million.
• In 2017 the music industry brought in $43 billion, but musicians only received 12% of that revenue.
• The American film industry brought in over $43 billion in 2017, with wages accounting for just 18% of that revenue.

Areas of Entertainment Law

The entertainment industry is contract-heavy, with many of the issues and agreements made over intangible elements such as time, talent, and ideas. Due to the often confusing nature of entertainment law and standards of the field, it’s a good idea to seek the aid of an entertainment law attorney before signing anything, particularly in this industry. Intellectual property in this field often refers to copyrights and trademarks, as well as story or show ideas.

Let’s go over some common areas of entertainment law:

• Talent contracts
• Production contracts
• Intellectual property
• Employment and labor
• Publicity
• Privacy
• Advertising
• Financing
• Censorship

For help drafting/evaluating a contract or navigating the complexities of entertainment law, seek legal counsel from an entertainment law attorney.