Sometimes
the minutiae of the music industry can be overwhelming. In my interview with
Entertainment Attorney Ken Franklin, we discuss his entry into Entertainment
Law and common issues and misconceptions throughout the industry. He also gives
us some great advice on finding legal counsel, avoiding infringement, contracts
and staying informed.
Claudia
MB: What prompted you to enter the legal field and why Entertainment?
Ken
Franklin:
“I
originally was interested in working in a legal or business capacity within a
high tech company. I have a science background (Georgia Tech, Physics,
2004) and had been very attracted to the technology commercialization
process. That led me to Emory’s JD/MBA program, which I completed in
2009. During that program, I developed interests in a variety of other
areas, and entertainment was in my “top 3” due to a life-long music
hobby. I was able to intern during law school for a few entertainment
attorneys, and the interest solidified. I find that entertainment law,
particular in music (which is my main focus), is a fascinating “behind the
scenes” type of field, where one can witness and engage in the immense work and
legal issues that are the backbone of such an important (and fun) element of
our society and culture.”
CMB: Seeking legal counsel is always a great idea
when signing anything while working in the industry. Oftentimes when a business
or artist is first starting out, it does not always fit into their initial
budget. Can you tell us more about your work with Georgia Lawyers for the Arts
and the services they provide?
KF: “I
was a volunteer intern at Georgia Lawyers for the Arts for a semester. It
is a fantastic organization run by attorneys Lisa Moore (the Director, and Principal
of The Moore Firm) and Elizabeth Wheeler. GLA helps place entertainment
clients with attorneys who can assist with a particular entertainment legal
issue, and will sometimes take a client in-house. If the client falls
below a certain income threshold, GLA will try to place that client with an
attorney who will be engaged on a pro-bono basis for a single matter.
During my internship, I assisted with this placement process, and also
conducted legal research on certain music rights issues related to in-house
matters.”
CMB: I
am sure practicing in Atlanta, such a strong music city, you deal with many
recording artists. Can you give our readers some examples of the most common
types of cases (music or otherwise) to come across your desk?
CMB:
Intellectual Property issues involving
copyright and trademark, such as infringement or what is considered fair use,
are very regular occurrences throughout the industry. Would you agree that
obtaining copyright reports, title reports and the use of disclaimers could
help avoid possible infringement? Can you give us a few examples of the
most common situations that you have seen?
KF:
“’Fair use’ is a complicated, fact-based and constantly evolving legal doctrine,
so it is difficult and risky to assume you will be able to rely on it as an
adequate defense if you are later sued. As a general matter, in
music/entertainment, you will almost always need permission to
use/copy/display/distribute/etc. someone else’s work and trademarks. If
you are collaborating with others, having contracts in place that specify who
owns the work/intellectual property is important and can help avoid disputes
down the road.”
“Some
examples of infringement cases I have seen: copyright infringement
claims, where an artist was accused of incorporating a previously-created
composition (to which the artist allegedly had access) into that artist’s song;
trademark and related issues where an artist’s name and image were used,
without permission, by a business in its marketing materials.”
CMB: Contracts
are a huge part of an artist’s career as well as for someone starting a
business in Entertainment such as consulting. Can you give us some tips on some
of the most common pitfalls that artists and small business owners fall into
when reading and/or negotiating a contract? How can they be avoided?
KF: “Entertainment
contracts, generally, involve very complex legal issues and are drafted with
complicated language. To be honest, the most common pitfalls I’ve seen
involve situations where an artist signed a recording agreement or management
agreement he/she thought they understood, without having it reviewed by an
attorney with experience with those types of deals. By skipping this
critical step, it is very easy to give away rights, owe lots of money, and/or
find yourself stuck in a long-term contract lasting several years. I
highly suggest always having a lawyer review a contract you are being asked to
sign, and that lawyer should be an entertainment attorney with experience in
the business. One should at least consult with an attorney even if paying
for one might be an issue, because for some types of deals, it is customary for
one side to pay the other’s legal fees. If a contract has already been
signed, it is important to know what is in it to understand your rights and
avoid breaches. Hiring an attorney to review and provide a summary is
good idea.”
CMB: Artist
management agreements, producer agreements, licensing agreements, recording
contracts, talent agreements, songwriter agreements, Artist/venue agreements,
consulting agreements; there are so many different types of agreements that can
be made over the course of a career in the entertainment industry. Once you
have signed something, you often feel as if there is no way out. Is it possible
to get out of any of these agreements without ruining a relationship and do you
have any suggestions as to how to avoid accidental breaches of contract?
KF: “There
are certainly instances when the parties to a contract decide they want to
amicably go their separate ways, and they negotiate a release or some form of
separation agreement. Whether a relationship is “ruined” really would
depend on the specific parties involved, the circumstances surrounding the
relationship, and the type of contract it is. Parties can always separate
peacefully if they choose. As for avoiding accidental breaches – it is
important to understand what is in the contract – and that is where the
attorney can help. Also, if a contract is being negotiated, the attorney
should consider incorporating a “cure” provision that allows parties a certain
time period to fix an accidental breach after being notified of that breach.”
CMB:
If the consequences of a breach of contract are not stated explicitly within
the terms of an agreement what are the possible legal ramifications of
abandoning an agreement?
KF: “Possible
ramifications: You get sued, you have to spend a lot of money to defend
the lawsuit, you lose, and then you are forced by the court to comply with the
contract and/or become responsible for paying heavy damages and the other
side’s very high attorney’s fees.”
CMB:
As an artist manager or an entertainment business consultant for instance, you
are getting paid to give advice as well as guide someone else’s career. One
possible way to protect yourself would be to obtain errors & omissions
insurance. What are some other possible liabilities, such as misrepresentation,
that they may face and how can they be prevented them from occurring?
KF: “ Breach
of contract. This can be avoided by having the contract reviewed by an
entertainment attorney and understanding what it is you have to do and when per
the terms of the contract. “
Kenneth
Franklin is an Entertainment Attorney based in Atlanta, GA. He can be reached
at:
191 Peachtree Street,
Suite 3300
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 877-8246
(404) 963-7062