When You Need An Entertainment Lawyer

If you are in the entertainment industry, whether you are a singer in a band, performer, or screenwriter, you should know that there are legal situations you might be involved in. You don't want your idea to be used by someone else and you want to make sure all legal documents are completely understood; these are just a couple reasons why getting an entertainment lawyer is a good idea. Here are some different times when you should get an entertainment lawyer.

Signing a New Contract

Any time you sign a new contract or deal with legal documents, you should have them looked over by an entertainment lawyer. Don't sign anything that you don't understand completely. For example, you might be in a local band that has been contacted by an agent who wants to represent you and get you bigger gigs and a record contract. This might sound great, but you should not accept their offer and sign on the dotted line without a lawyer reading the contract first. Some legal jargon can be difficult to understand, and you don't want to be stuck with a contract you can't get out of later on if you head in a different direction.

You Want Out of a Contract

In addition to having a new contract signed, you should also get help from an entertainment lawyer if you want out of a contract. Perhaps, when you signed the record deal, you rushed into the decision and the money sounded great. But you eventually got more popular, and even bigger record companies have approached you or you now want to go independent. Depending on the type of contract you had, it might not be easy to get out of. Before even attempting to contact your current record company or agent, speak to a lawyer to determine if this is even possible. They will be able to look through your contract and let you know if and when you can get out of it.

Someone Else is Using Your Intellectual Property

You should never just let someone else use your intellectual property without repercussions. What you create is yours and yours alone until you give permission to share it. Even if you directed a small independent film that never made it to the big screen, that doesn't give a powerful production company the power to use your story and characters to create a movie without your permission. This violates your intellectual property rights. If something like this happens, contact an entertainment lawyer right away.

To learn more, contact a firm like Sauro & Bergstrom, PLLC.


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