Music and Entertainment
Donahue Fitzgerald represents some of the world's most prominent artists, content creators, and their heirs. Our attorneys understand the unique challenges that creative artists face.
Our Music and Entertainment practice offers a full slate of legal and business counseling services that address the needs of artists at every stage of their careers, from emerging talent to internationally renowned acts.
Business Counseling
Many of our entertainment clients use us as their outside counsel, helping them manage the many facets of their business. We have experience in entity formation, sophisticated business deals, acquisitions, employment matters, immigration, and tax counseling. We also help our clients manage their personal assets, such as their trusts and estate.
Licensing
Licensing is at the heart of many creative businesses, and our attorneys are skilled at helping our clients realize the full value of their work. Our services include preparing and negotiating agreements with record labels, television and motion picture studios, music and book publishers, merchandisers, distributors, and a myriad of other related transactions.
Copyright and Trademark Enforcement
Our proven copyright and trademark enforcement programs help clients protect, develop, and monetize their copyrights and trademarks through registration, licensing, and enforcement. We also have extensive experience in prosecuting trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in representing clients in trademark disputes before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and in working with foreign trademark counsel to secure and protect trademark registrations overseas. We specialize in protecting artists’ rights on the Internet, whether through DMCA takedown procedures, domain name protection, negotiation, or, where necessary, litigation.
Music Clearance
Our music clearance practice includes obtaining rights to sound recordings and musical compositions in television, movies, commercials, video games, stage productions, and all other forms of media and entertainment. Our experienced attorneys guide clients through this complex subject with clear explanations of what is required to obtain the approval of each holder of rights in the music our clients want to use.
Attorneys
Related Articles/News
- Partner Daniel Schacht Named to Billboard’s 2023 “Top Music Lawyers” List
- Paying Post-Termination Streaming Royalties to Creators and Their Heirs Is “Common Sense”: Recent Comments on the Proposed Rule on Termination Rights Under the Music Modernization Act
- Donahue Fitzgerald Elects Two New Partners
- How TikTok and the music industry are bound to each other as ‘frenemies,’ even as they battle over licensing, Business Insider
- Politicians Don’t Always Need Musician Approval to Use Songs in Ads, but They Need to Buy the License, Verify
- Do the royalties go on? Asks judge in Sonny & Cher copyright case, Reuters
- Cher’s $1 Million Royalty War With Sonny Bono’s Widow Tested in Court, Rolling Stone
- Artist Team – Attorney, Gen Admission
- Associate Arun P. Bose Joins Donahue Fitzgerald
- Why Music Matters In Our Professional Space During COVID-19, The Bar Association of San Francisco
- Spotify Settles $1.6B IP Suit Brought By Tom Petty’s Publisher, Law360
- Sweeping New Music Law Expedites A $1.6 Billion Lawsuit Against Spotify
- LA punk rock band NOFX aims to share in $1.6 billion Spotify suit, My News LA
- Spotify Attorney Estimates the Service Infringed 300,000 Songs in Settlement Hearing
- ‘Happy birthday’ Case May Change Content Licensing Practices, Daily Journal
- The Most Famous Song in the World Set Free: Impacts of the Happy Birthday to You Settlement, IPWatchdog.com®
- A Smoking Gun in the Case of Who Owns ‘Happy Birthday to You’, KQED Arts
- Urban Legends of Copyright Law
- Pop Music and the Wonky World of Webcasting
- ‘Happy Birthday’ Suit Resolved: The Most-Sung Song Is Free for All
- Judge Rules “Happy Birthday To You” Now In Public Domain
- Happy Birthday to You, Oakland Business Review