How Can An IP Lawyer Help An Athlete Or Entertainer?
An intellectual property (IP) entertainment lawyer can assist athletes, entertainers, and creative professionals. As skilled professionals in IP law, entertainment lawyers help clients protect, manage, and profit from their creative works and persona. This blog post will explore how an IP entertainment lawyer can help with trademark and copyright registration, licensing agreements, publicity rights management, and resolving IP disputes.
Holon Law Partners has 100+ years of experience combined guiding clients through complex cases and legal intricacies. Our approach is empathetic, customized, and client-centered with a focus on you and your unique business needs. To schedule a consultation with us, call our team at (866) 372-0726 or email us at: info@holonlaw.com.
Why Athletes and Entertainers Need IP Legal Help
IP rights are vital assets for those in sports, music, film, television, and other creative fields. Trademarks represent a brand, copyrights protect creative works, and publicity rights control the commercial use of one’s name, image, and likeness. Athletes and entertainers risk losing control over these valuable assets without proper IP protections. An IP entertainment lawyer can help register, manage, and enforce essential IP rights.
Services and Entertainment Lawyer Provides
From startup performers to superstar talents, an IP entertainment lawyer provides various services vital for any sports or entertainment career.
Trademark Services
A trademark represents the brand identity of an athlete, entertainer, or character. An entertainment lawyer can help clients:
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Conduct trademark availability searches
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File trademark registration applications
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Negotiate licensing deals allowing third-party use of trademarks
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Enforce against trademark infringement and dilution
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Manage trademark portfolios globally
For example, an entertainment lawyer helped singer Amy Grant register trademarks tied to her name, logo, song titles, and brand.
Copyright Services
Copyright automatically protects original creative works like songs, films, broadcasts, and choreography. An entertainment lawyer assists clients with:
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Registering copyrights for stronger legal protections
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Negotiating publishing, production, and distribution agreements
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Collecting royalties, licensing fees, and distribution income
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Resolving copyright ownership disputes
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Addressing infringement issues with takedown notices or litigation
Publicity Rights Services
Publicity rights law governs the commercial use of an individual’s name, likeness, image, and other identifying attributes. An entertainment lawyer can help clients:
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Audit licensing agreements to maximize fee recovery
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Negotiate licensing deals with appropriate scope and compensation
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Strategize global publicity rights protections
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Pursue legal action against unauthorized commercial uses
For example, when an unauthorized sponsorship deal violated an athlete’s publicity rights, an entertainment lawyer helped resolve the dispute and secure a lucrative new endorsement contract.
IP Dispute Resolution
IP disputes frequently involve ownership rights, invalid licenses, missed royalty payments, infringement issues, and other conflicts. Rather than immediately pursuing court action, an entertainment attorney first explores alternative solutions like:
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Demand letters asserting rights and requesting compliance
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Settlement negotiations leading to licensing deals
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Mediation processes aiming for mutually agreeable resolutions
When conflicts cannot be resolved out of court, an entertainment lawyer handles IP litigation, arguing before judges and juries to protect clients’ creative works and interests.
How an Entertainment Lawyer Helped Athlete Brandi Chastain
Athlete Brandi Chastain worked with an entertainment lawyer to protect and profit from her iconic sports image. After scoring the World Cup-winning goal in 1999, Chastain spontaneously removed her jersey in celebration. The moment was captured in a Pulitzer Prize-winning photo that quickly gained worldwide fame.
Chastain smartly worked with an entertainment lawyer to trademark this defining snapshot of her sports career. Licensing the famous photo to publishers, advertisers, event promoters, and others enabled Chastain to monetize her branded athletic persona for years.
This example shows how hiring an entertainment lawyer early on can transform a public image into protected intellectual property. Savvy athletes and entertainers who secure legal help maximizing publicity rights stand to profit handsomely from commercial opportunities.
Specific Ways an Entertainment Lawyer Helps Entertainers
Those working in the entertainment industry, like actors, directors, producers, and technicians, have skills that an IP lawyer can address. An entertainment lawyer assists entertainers by:
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Reviewing and negotiating entertainment contracts covering studio deals, profit participation, equity opportunities, and more
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Guiding defamation, rights of publicity, privacy issues, and IP ownership disputes
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Advising on labor union agreements unique to show business professions
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Ensuring compliance with regulations involving child actors, stunt performers, television contests, and other regulated entertainment fields
Helping recording artists, an entertainment lawyer handles agreements with record labels, collects royalties, audits royalty statements, manages trademarks tied to performer names and logos, litigates sampling disputes, and assists with other music business legal issues.
Specific Ways an Entertainment Lawyer Helps Athletes
Sports figures likewise receive customized legal assistance from an entertainment lawyer for issues like:
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Drafting and reviewing endorsement and sponsorship contracts with favorable terms, locking in royalties, residuals, bonuses, and other compensation
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Litigating breach of contract disputes when advertisers or corporate sponsors fail to pay royalties or performance bonuses
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Advising athletes regarding league collective bargaining agreements establishing salaries, free agency rules, injury protections, disciplinary processes, and other athlete rights
Additionally, as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules now allow student-athletes to profit from their fame, an entertainment lawyer helps negotiate NIL licensing deals and alignment contracts with brands and advertisers. Wise universities even provide access to entertainment lawyer professionals to help their athletes build personal brands during their critical fame-building college years.
Why Choose an Entertainment Lawyer from Holon Law
Selecting professional legal counsel makes all the difference in achieving optimal outcomes for athletes and entertainers. The entertainment lawyers at Holon Law leverage deep knowledge and real-world experience to assist creative clients.
Rather than handing off client matters to less experienced junior associates, Holon Law entertainment lawyers personally handle cases from start to finish. Clients enjoy direct access to the firm’s founding partners, benefiting from their prosecutorial backgrounds and extensive entertainment, sports, and IP litigation skill sets.
Holon Law collaborates with a worldwide network of legal partners in defamation, publicity rights, trademarks, copyrights, and other specialty areas impacting talent. This allows delivering comprehensive legal services to clients under one roof.
The entertainment lawyers at Holon Law take pride in being client-centric problem solvers known for secured wins. Savvy sports figures, movie stars, directors, producers, recording artists, models, influencers, photographers, and authors rely on the firm’s entertainment lawyers for customized counsel tackling today’s complex legal landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Working with an Entertainment Lawyer
Those new to engaging an entertainment lawyer often have questions about connecting for legal help. The IP attorneys at Holon Law have answered some frequently asked questions below.
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When Should An Athlete Or Entertainer Hire An Entertainment Lawyer?
Ideally engage an entertainment lawyer early on while establishing a sports or entertainment career. Signing contracts for endorsements, appearances, branding partnerships, or performances should involve legal review. Having an entertainment lawyer advocate for favorable terms from the onset prevents leaving money or rights on the table later.
Entertainment lawyers also suggest athletes and performers conduct trademark searches regarding their names before these gain commercial value. Establishing protections early allows for controlling branding and preventing competitors from profiting off a rising star.
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How Are Entertainment Lawyers Paid? What Agreements Govern The Client Relationship?
Standard agreements used by entertainment lawyers include:
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Representation Agreements covering services provided and payment terms. Many entertainment lawyers work on an hourly fee basis, monthly retainer structure, or hybrid fee options.
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Contingency Fee Agreements allow entertainment lawyers to earn an agreed-on percentage of monies recovered for the client.
Athletes or entertainers hiring an entertainment lawyer should communicate fee expectations clearly before commencing work.
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What Questions Should Athletes Or Entertainers Ask When Interviewing An Entertainment Lawyer?
Those evaluating entertainment lawyers to hire potentially should ask questions like:
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What experience does your firm have handling athlete endorsement deals and licensing agreements?
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How many years have you worked handling entertainment industry contracts and royalties processes?
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What is your successful track record litigating publicity rights cases or IP disputes on behalf of talent?
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Will you personally handle my representation or assign matters to junior associates?
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Who else handles legal work for sports figures or entertainers at your firm?
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Can you share athlete or celebrity client testimonials regarding service experiences?
Vetting an entertainment lawyer thoroughly allows identifying qualified, reputable counsel best meeting a client’s needs.
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When Does An Athlete Or Entertainer Need To Involve Other Types Of Lawyers Besides Just An Entertainment Lawyer?
While entertainment lawyers handle IP matters impacting publicity rights, branding, royalties, and creative works, other legal professionals may assist with:
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Litigation needs – Trial lawyers tackle complex lawsuits and arguments before judges and juries
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Family law matters – Divorce, child custody, and estate planning issues
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Tax and wealth management – Accountants and financial advisors guide investments and tax strategy
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Criminal defense – Attorneys defending clients facing investigation or charges
Fortunately, a seasoned entertainment lawyer brings a strong network of legal referrals across these skill sets.
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What Else Should an Athlete Or Entertainer Know About Working with an Entertainment Lawyer?
A top entertainment lawyer prioritizes personal services and communication every step of the way. Clients deserve straightforward counsel, strategic guidance, and responsive availability in handling time-sensitive issues like publicity rights violations.
Athletes and entertainers should also know what an entertainment lawyer cannot do, like serving as a talent agent or manager—separate representatives broker performance deals, schedule appearances, and similar talent management needs.
Most importantly, align with an entertainment lawyer in early on so this legal partner can help athletes and entertainers build their brands and maximize incomes as fame grows.
Choosing The IP Lawyer For You
The attorneys at Holon Law have supported startups and superstars alike, leveraging decades of combined experience as IP advisors and litigators. Whether an athlete launching endorsements or a performer collecting royalties, a reputable entertainment lawyer is a valuable member of any talent’s professional team.
Holon Law Partners has 100+ years of experience combined guiding clients through complex cases and legal intricacies. Our approach is empathetic, customized, and client-centered with a focus on you and your unique business needs. To schedule a consultation with us, call our team at (866) 372-0726 or email us at: info@holonlaw.com.
