
Erin M. Jacobson, Esq. has been named to Billboard magazine’s 2022 Top Music Lawyers List. This will be the third time Erin has received this honor. Thanks to all at Billboard!
Categories: Honors and Awards, Tags: billboard top music lawyers 2022, billboard top music lawyers list, Erin Jacobson, erin m. jacobson, erin m. jacobson esq., top music attorney, top music lawyer, top music lawyers 2022, top music lawyers list
Erin M. Jacobson, Esq. has been named to Billboard magazine’s 2022 Top Music Lawyers List. This will be the third time Erin has received this honor. Thanks to all at Billboard!
Categories: Articles, Interview, Music Industry, Music Industry Interviews, Tags: best female music lawyers, copyright terminations, Erin Jacobson, erin m. jacobson, erin m. jacobson esq., female music attorney, female music lawyer, inspiring women, mbw, music business worldwide, music publishers, songwriters, top music attorney, top woman music attorney, top women attorneys, women in music, women in music industry, women music attorney, women music lawyer, women trailblazer
Erin M. Jacobson, Esq. has been featured in the “Inspiring Women” interview series on Music Business Worldwide.
“It is a great honor to be featured in Music Business Worldwide, and also among so many other inspiring women in our industry,” says Jacobson.
Erin discusses her path to becoming a music lawyer, her innovative work with clients, her views on copyright terminations, fair pay, and the importance of songwriters and music publishers.
Categories: Articles, Music Contracts, Music Industry, Trademark, Tags: artist name, band name, band name dispute, Erin Jacobson, erin m. jacobson, erin m. jacobson esq., LA Times, Los Angeles Times, morris day, Morris Day and the Time, music attorney los angeles, music lawyer, music lawyer los angeles, prince, prince estate, Randall Roberts, the time, top music lawyers, trademark, trademark dispute
Erin M. Jacobson, Esq. is quoted in the LA Times article about the trademark dispute over the name “The Time” between the Prince Estate and Morris Day. As the Prince Estate’s letter to Day offers a license to the use of the name, Erin comments on how trademark licenses generally are structured.
Categories: Articles, Catalogue Acquisitions, Legal Issues, Music Catalogues, Music Industry, Tags: Aretha franklin, book, Eamonn forde, elvis presley, elvis presley estate, Erin Jacobson, erin m. jacobson, erin m. jacobson esq., estate, estate plan, kurt cobain, leaving the building, music estates, music will, prince, top music attorney, top music lawyer, will
I am proud to announce I am quoted throughout a fascinating and original new book, Leaving the Building: The Lucrative Afterlife of Music Estates, by renowned music journalist, Eamonn Forde.
This is a very interesting book that takes an in-depth look at some of the most famous music estates, with commentary from industry experts regarding managing music estates, how the music is used, the problems they face, etc. This is definitely an insider look into a topic that the public usually doesn’t have access to, so pick up a copy if you are interested in this topic!
Categories: Honors and Awards, Music Industry, Tags: best music lawyer, Billboard, Billboard magazine, billboard top music lawyers, billboard top music lawyers list, Erin Jacobson, erin m. jacobson, erin m. jacobson esq., the music industry lawyer, top female attorney, top music attorney, top music lawyer, top music lawyers list, top music lawyers list 2021, top woman music attorney, top women attorneys, top women music attorneys
Erin M. Jacobson, Esq. has been named to Billboard magazine’s “Top Music Lawyers List” for 2021. Ms. Jacobson was also recognized on this list in 2020.
The full article can be seen here.
Thank you to Billboard for this prestigious recognition!
Categories: Copyright, Music Contracts, Music Industry, Music Publishing, Tags: copyright, copyright law, copyright ownership, copyright registration, copyrights, Erin Jacobson, erin m. jacobson, erin m. jacobson esq., music attorney, music attorney la, music attorney los angeles, music book, music business, music business attorney, music business book, music business lawyer, music contracts, music industry, music industry book, music industry lawyer, music law, music lawyer, music lawyer la, music lawyer los angeles, music publishing, music royalties, the music industry lawyer, top music lawyer
Don’t Get Screwed! How to Protect Yourself as an Independent Musician by Erin M. Jacobson, Esq. is now available in both print and ebook versions.
About the Book:
There’s a lot of confusing information in the music business: copyright, different types of royalties, how to get paid, and how to not sign over rights you shouldn’t. Now there is a single resource that explains these concepts in an easy-to-understand format.
Written by Erin M. Jacobson, one of the music industry’s top lawyers, this book is a plain English, straight to the point, primer on the topics you need to understand to make important decisions about your music career.
This book explains:
– what copyright really means and why you should register yours,
– the different types of royalties and how they actually apply in the real world so you can understand how and when your music earns money,
– how to collect the money your music earns,
– the contracts most needed by independent musicians and why they are important,
– traps to avoid, and
– real examples of mistakes musicians have made and how you can avoid making them too.
This book provides information from an industry insider that is not available in other publications, and is an empowering resource for new, upcoming, and seasoned musicians.
Categories: Articles, Copyright, Infringement, Music Industry, Trademark, Tags: copyright, copyright infringement, copyright law, copyright registration, Erin Jacobson, erin m. jacobson, erin m. jacobson esq., music attorney, music industry lawyer, music law, music lawyer, music lawyer los angeles, the music industry lawyer, United States Copyright, US copyright law
By: Erin M. Jacobson, Esq.
Music creators and rights owners ask me on a daily basis about whether their musical compositions and recordings are properly protected by copyright. Lately, there have been some companies popping up claiming to offer protection for musical works, and these companies are promoting misinformation that actively hurts music creators and rights’ owners. In this article, I set the record straight.
Copyright Protection
When a work created with sufficient originality to qualify for copyright protection and is “fixed in a tangible medium of expression,” it technically has copyright protection under the law. “Fixed in a tangible medium of expression” means that the work has been reduced to a physical format capable of being reproduced, such as writing it down, recording it on an audio or video recording, etc.
However, even though a work may have copyright protection when it is created, registering works with the United States Copyright Office provides certain benefits that one only has with a federal registration. These benefits include:
Let me emphasize two of these points again:
A person (or company) cannot sue in federal court for copyright infringement without a registration with the U.S. Copyright Office, and the date of creation listed on a federal registration certificate is the strongest evidence a court will consider.
The Nature of Copyright “Registration” Companies
To be clear, there are some companies that will provide the service of filing copyright registration applications with the U.S. Copyright Office on a creator’s behalf. While one should still do one’s due diligence on these companies to make sure they are experienced and will file the registrations correctly, the services these companies provide is not the focus of this article.
In this article, I am specifically talking about companies that offer “registrations” with their own service in order to “protect” a work. There are companies offering a “date stamp” – some of them even advertise an encrypted date stamp – to show evidence of the date of creation of a work. These companies charge just a few dollars per registration and make it appear that using their service will save the user a lot of money in comparison to the fees of the U.S. Copyright Office (currently ranging from $45-65 per application).
However, here is the problem:
First, as already explained, the date of creation listed on a federal registration certificate is the strongest evidence a court will consider. While a court may look at other outside evidence, there is absolutely no guarantee they will accept this evidence, and a court will still want the federal registration certificate. When I have inquired with these companies about whether they have any instances of a court accepting the registration they offer as valid, I have not received a response, and the fine print on these companies websites will state there is no guarantee their registration will be accepted as evidence by a court. In other words, the answer here is no.
Second, also as already mentioned, a federal registration certificate is required to pursue a copyright infringement claim in federal court. If one does not have a federal registration certificate and an infringement (or potential infringement) occurs, the owner of the allegedly infringed work will then have to immediately register the work with the U.S. Copyright Office in order to pursue the claim, AND, will have to rush the application to pursue that claim timely. The Copyright Office calls this rushed status “Special Handling,” and charges a fee of $800 to rush the application.
While someone thought spending less than $5 on a “registration” with a private company was saving money, that person would end up having to pay $845-865 just to obtain a federal registration to have the ability to defend an infringement for one work. If the person initially registered the work correctly with the Copyright Office, the fee would have been $45-65, and would have come with all the protections afforded by federal registration, saving that person $800 (plus the money already spent on the other “registration” company).
A Note about Trademarks
Trademarks, which in the music space mostly apply to band names and company names, have a little more leeway here because trademarks can gain protection by use “in commerce”, i.e. out in the marketplace. However, the same benefits outlined for federal copyright registrations apply to trademark registrations as well.
Therefore, while these trademark “registration” services provide an example of using a name at a certain time, they do not provide the good will that can only be built by using the mark in commerce, which could include performing under that name, selling music under that name, etc. Plus, one also cannot sue to protect a trademark in federal court with out a federal trademark registration.
Therefore, the same arguments above also apply here as to why these companies are a waste of money.
What if There Is No Federal Registration?
For both copyrights and trademarks without federal registrations, there may be some protections under state “common” law, however, these protections only extend within a certain state (hugely important in the case of trademarks especially), and provide a much lower level of protection than federal registrations.
Conclusion
Music creators and rights’ owners receive bad information all the time — from friends, other people in the business, and the internet. However, what really makes me mad is when companies – many of them owned by musicians or former musicians – make promises to music creators and rights’ owners under the guise of helping them, when really the “service” they provide does not afford the level of protection suggested and is profiting off the ignorance of music creators who are simply trying to protect their work.
Are these companies malicious in their intentions? Probably not. They probably just saw what they thought was a creative business idea. As I mentioned, the fine print usually indicates that these services only provide an indication of a date of creation and no guarantee of acceptance as evidence by a court, but let’s face it, almost no one is going to read the fine print. Independent musicians already working with smaller budgets do not need to spend money on worthless date notations when they should be putting their money toward receiving all of the benefits afforded by federal copyright registrations.
A person can file one’s own registration applications with the U.S. Copyright Office, and those on a budget may be able to file some applications containing multiple works (if certain conditions are met). However, because the details of such registrations can often become nuanced, one can also hire an experienced music attorney to assist with correctly protecting one’s works.
All music creators and rights’ owners deserve the real and true information on how to protect their works. The correct information is available and can be obtained with a little research or by working with professionals acting in accordance with the definitive procedures provided by U.S. Copyright Law.
Creators and rights’ owners owe it to themselves to protect their work correctly, rather than looking for a cheap solution that will ultimately leave them and their work unprotected when it counts.
This article does not constitute legal advice.
Categories: Music Industry, Music Libraries, Music Licensing, Music Publishing, Royalties, Speaking, Tags: americana, americanafest, digital age, digital music licensing, Erin Jacobson, erin m. jacobson, erin m. jacobson esq., music attorney, music lawyer, music licensing, music licensing in the digital age, thriving roots
Erin will speak on the panel “Music Licensing in the Digital Age” at the virtual Thriving Roots conference, produced by the Americana Music Association.
Panel information:
“Music Licensing in the Digital Age”
Date: September 18, 2020
Time: 3:15-4:45 PM Central
Panelists:
Jeff Brabec, Esq., BMG, & Author of Music, Money, and Success
Todd Brabec, Esq., Author of Music, Money, and Success
Erin M. Jacobson, The Music Industry Lawyer
Kirk Schroder, Schroder Brooks Law Firm
Categories: Music Industry, Press, Tags: Billboard, Billboard magazine, Erin Jacobson, erin m. jacobson, erin m. jacobson esq., top music attorney, top music lawyer, top music lawyers, top music lawyers 2020, top music lawyers list
I can finally announce that Billboard has named me to its Top Music Lawyers List for 2020.
It is an honor to be recognized by Billboard, who has served as an authority in our industry for many years, and to share this honor with my colleagues.
Here’s a link to the full article.
Thanks to Billboard and to all of my clients, and you who are reading this!
Categories: Articles, Music Industry, Music Libraries, Music Licensing, Music Publishing, Performance, Royalties, Social Media, Streaming, Synchs, Tags: copyright, corona virus, covid-19, isolation, make money from music, make money from your music, make money in music, make money with music, make music virtually, money, music attorney los angeles, music business, music industry, music lawyer los angeles, music libraries, music publishers, royalties, social distancing
By: Erin M. Jacobson, Esq.
This article was previously published on Synchtank.com.
The COVID-19 pandemic is requiring people all over the world to adjust to new daily practices for public health and safety. The pause on live events and productions has caused uncertainty and worry among many in the music community. There is still business to do, but it will require a more creative approach.
Here is a list of ways for music creators and companies to continue doing business and earning money during this uncertain time.
1. Make time for registrations. If you haven’t registered for royalty collection services, like performance rights organizations, mechanical societies, Sound Exchange, etc., you are likely missing out on royalties owed to you if your music is being used in ways that trigger these royalties (streaming, performances in audiovisual works, etc.). If you are registered with these companies, but haven’t registered your individual songs, then you are still likely missing out on royalties. Similarly, if you know your registrations are incorrect, then – you guessed it – you are likely missing out on royalties. Quarantine or not, pandemic or not, people are still streaming music, and music is still being performed on TV and online, which means music is generating royalties. When income in other areas has decreased, royalty income can be of great help. Now is the time to get caught up and get royalty income flowing in. If you need assistance with preparing these registrations, hire an experienced music industry professional to prepare and submit them.
2. Protect Yourself. If you haven’t registered your works for copyright, now is a good time to complete your applications to reap the benefits copyright registration provides. If you’ve been meaning to get contracts together with your collaborators to protect your work, now is a good time for that too. Again, if you need assistance with protecting your work in these ways, hire an experienced music attorney to handle these matters.
3. Get creative! You’ve likely got more time on your hands right now – use some of it to create new music! You might start writing for your next album, or maybe for libraries or placements. If you are worried about the current state of the world, channel that worry into your music as a healthy outlet for your stress. If you want to make a positive difference, write songs to uplift others in this uncertain time.
4. Collaborate (virtually). The beauty of technology means you can still collaborate with others during social isolation. Before computers, some songwriters would snail mail cassette tapes to each other to work on songs together over long distances. Now, you can send mp3, ProTools, or other files to each other via email or file transfer websites (or keep them in a shared cloud drive) to work with collaborators you already know. You can also use video chat programs such as Zoom or FaceTime to collaborate in real time. If you don’t have anyone to collaborate with, you can find people by using gig sites such as Airgigs.com.
5. Get social (from a distance)! Many consumers are spending more time on social media, YouTube, and apps like TikTok. Take some of your newly created works and post them to social platforms so that people staying at home have new music to enjoy. Maybe one of your songs about hope will resonate with people everywhere and gain you new fans. If you are a performing artist, you could also do live virtual performances for or virtual video chats with your fans. Fans would love the opportunity to connect with their favorite artists in a way they cannot under normal circumstances.
6. Check for aid. If you are really in dire straits, some organizations have put together funds to help the music community in this time of need. Here is a list of many national and state-based funds in the United States. Here’s a list for anyone affected in Canada, and the PRS Foundation in the UK also has a fund. Many companies, like Sony Music, also have established their own assistance funds for the music community.
As mentioned above, this is a good time to catch up on registrations, paperwork, or anything you’ve been putting off that will help bring in additional money. Not only will companies help themselves by doing this, but will also help their employees and their families, and their songwriters, composers, artists, and their families. Some companies, at least in the United States, may also be eligible for government assistance or deferment of payroll taxes, and should check with their financial advisors for options.
Keep business going as much as possible.
For everyone, follow the CDC guidelines and keep yourself and those around you safe by staying home except for essentials, practicing social distancing when you do have to go out, and washing your hands well and often. You need to stay healthy to continue business. Also, focus on hope. Although we don’t know exactly when, this will pass and the music industry will survive.
Stay safe and be well.
This article does not constitute legal (or medical) advice. Any advertisement is general in nature and not directed toward any particular person.