I sat down
recently and researched legal issues that have impacted the music
industry. The reason I did this was not
because I want to be an attorney, but instead I did this for the simple reason
that when planning your business you have to be aware of how to protect your
business.
During my
research I found countless cases that dealt with copyright. Issues dealing with copyright have to be the
most frequent of all legal issues pertaining to the music industry. I read an interesting article [1] in
which a Florida-based rap duo recorded an instrumental beat that was then
shopped around to other artists in the industry. The beat was offered to a fellow rapper who
they had actually opened up for. At that
time, the artist was then signed to Universal Music, nothing was done with the
song, and it was never paid for.
However, the song was leaked. I
found this particular case fascinating because the rap duo that originally
recorded the beat never received any form of payment for the song and then was
shutdown by Universal Music Group when the company pulled the duo’s version of
the song off of YouTube. How does that
even happen? Read the link below for
more information on this legal controversy.
As I mentioned
earlier, I did find numerous cases that dealt with copyright issues; however, I
did find a case where an artist was being sued over contract issues. We typically hear of horrid scenarios where
the artist is being hoodwinked and taken advantage of. These scenarios usually
end with someone else making huge amounts of money due to the artist’s
success. Last month, I wrote an article
titled “Just Sign Here” that speaks more in detail about this
topic. In this particular case [2],
French Montana is being sued by his manager for scheduling several concerts without her knowledge or consent. With
her management fee being the agreed upon 20%, she is suing for what she
believes is owed to her.
Another
recent legal controversy I found was where a concertgoer sued rap artists Three
6 Mafia [3]. This incident
was a few years ago, but it was local so it gained my attention and it also
showed how artists are exposed to all types of liabilities. In the case of Three 6 Mafia, the concertgoer
claimed that he was severely beaten while the rap group performed their song
“Let’s Start A Riot”. I am not sure of
the outcome of this lawsuit, but it is another example of how good things can
go wrong quickly.
What
I learned from my research is that you cannot leave yourself susceptible to actions that can take away
from what you worked so hard for. I
suggest that you take some time of your own and research the industry. See for yourself or learn the hard way. I cannot stress the importance of having
ownership of your brand and material.
Furthermore, get an attorney.
Let’s be real, the majority of us are not lawyers so please surround
yourself with a strong support team that can handle the issues that you
cannot. As much as I love singing in the
shower, I would never get on a stage and sing in front of an audience. Know your role and the role of those that
surround you. When there is trouble, be
aware of who is in your huddle.
References
3. http://www.accesshollywood.com/three-6-mafia-lawsuit-settled_article_2920
No comments:
Post a Comment