The Best Entertainment Law eBooks for Beginners

Dubbed “the industry bible” by the Los Angeles Times, All You Need to Know About the Music Business by veteran music lawyer Donald Passman is the go-to guide for everyone in the music business through ten editions, over thirty years, and over a half a million copies sold. Now with updates explaining why musicians have more power today than ever in history; discussion of the mega-million-dollar sales of artists’ songs and record catalogs; how artist access to streaming media, and particularly TikTok, has completely reshaped the music business; the latest on music created by AI; and a full update of the latest numbers and trends.

For more than thirty years, All You Need to Know About the Music Business has been universally regarded as the definitive guide to the music industry. Now in its eleventh edition, Passman leads novices and experts alike through what has been the most profound change in the music business since the days of wax cylinders and piano rolls: streaming. For the first time in history, music is no longer monetized by selling something—it’s monetized by how many times a listener streams a song. And also, for the first time, artists can get their music to listeners without a record company gatekeeper, creating a new democracy for music. The “industry bible” (Los Angeles Times), now updated, is essential for anyone in the music business—musicians, songwriters, lawyers, agents, promoters, publishers, executives, and managers—and the definitive guide for anyone who wants to be in the business. So, whether you are—or aspire to be—in the music industry, veteran music lawyer Passman’s comprehensive guide is an indispensable tool. He offers timely information about the latest trends, including the reasons why artists have more clout than ever in history, the massive influence of TikTok, the mega million dollar sales of artists’ songs and record catalogs, music in Web3 and the Metaverse, music created by AI, and a full update of the latest numbers and practices.

"I wish I could have had this book when I was starting out in the business. An invaluable reference work." —Alan Poul, producer, Westworld. The legal resources of studios and networks are legendary, often intimidating independent producers, writers, actors, directors, agents, and others as they try to navigate through the maze of legal details. This invaluable reference presents the interests of talent as well as the point of view of creative executives, producers, entertainment attorneys, agents and managers, and major guilds—making clear the role that each plays in the deal-making process.

Readers will find expert insights to talent and production deals for television, feature film, video, and the Internet, as well as an in-depth overview of net profits and other forms of contingent compensation. Hollywood Dealmaking, Third Edition, also addresses digital and new platforms, changes resulting from new union agreements, and the evolution in feature film back-end (profit participation) deals. In addition, this comprehensive guide includes:. Explanations of employment dealsDetails of rights acquisitionBasics of copyright lawSample contracts and formsGlossary of industry lingo and terminologyAnd much more! Peppered with facts on the deals of superstar players and with summaries in each section to clarify complex legal issues, Hollywood Dealmaking, Third Edition, is an essential resource for industry novices and veterans alike who want to sharpen their negotiation skills and finalize the deals they have been seeking.

This casebook provides a comprehensive survey of the primary entertainment law practice areas, including film, video, and broadcasting; music and sound recording; publishing; theatre; social media; and cultural arts. It addresses both the practical aspects of entertainment and the fundamental underpinnings of entertainment law, with chapters on copyright, trademark, publicity rights, defamation, First Amendment, contracts, and ethics as well as chapters on the key entertainment industries.

Each chapter incorporates cases, background and contextual information, notes, questions, and problems to help each instructor adjust the materials to the educational style of the course. The third edition includes expanded introductory material for each section. Built on a solid theoretical basis for each topic, the materials integrate problems and examples of the cutting edge issues transforming entertainment and technology law practice. An additional ethics section in the third edition addresses gender and racial disparities in employment practices. The expanded ethics chapter helps students contextualize the successes and failures of the entertainment industries in addressing broader social concerns. This casebook is uniquely balanced to integrate a fundamental jurisprudential framework with a practitioner's approach to problem solving and transactional outcomes necessary to make the course an ideal capstone experience in the law school curriculum.