SMNR: Entertainment Law

• Semester: Spring 2021
• Course ID: 397S
• Credit Hours: 3
• Unique: 29670

Description

This course will be taught in person but with the option of remote participation via Zoom.  Please note that this course might become online-only in the event that actual in-person attendance during the semester consistently falls below a threshold to be determined in the exercise of reasonable discretion by the instructor and the Student Affairs Office.

Music, film, television, digital online media, social media, streaming, radio, publishing, branding, celebrity rights of publicity and privacy, and cyber law - that's entertainment! This writing seminar provides an introduction to the legal aspects of the entertainment industry through the analysis and discussion of commonly used business models, contracts, relevant statutes, judicial opinions, and current events. An emphasis of the course will be to understand the underlying intellectual property assets and historical positions of the parties to entertainment related transactions to prepare students to use the knowledge acquired to not only fulfill the course requirements, but to actively participate in, and demonstrate leadership in, any facet of the entertainment industry as a lawyer. This seminar will also directly examine specific terms and provisions commonly included in most entertainment industry contracts as well as terms and provisions applicable to specific genres within entertainment industry. In addition, articles relating to current industry developments, recent legal decisions, and live pleadings will be regularly assigned for class analysis and discussion. Students in this writing seminar will: (a) select and engage in research on an approved topic relevant to the legal aspects of the entertainment industry; (b) submit a substantial research paper in compliance with the writing requirement; and, (c) give an oral presentation to the seminar class on their chosen topic. Questions and lively discussions of entertainment industry legal issues are welcomed and encouraged!