Since the earliest days of cinema the law has influenced the conditions in which Hollywood films are made, sold, circulated or presented – from the talent contracts that enable a film to go into production, to the copyright laws that govern its distribution and the censorship laws that may block exhibition. Equally, Hollywood has left its own impression on the American legal system by lobbying to expand the duration of copyright, providing a highly visible stage for contract disputes and representing the legal system on screen. In this comprehensive collection, international experts offer chapters on key topics, including copyright, trademark, piracy, antitrust, censorship, international exhibition, contracts, labour and tax. Drawing on historical and contemporary case studies, Hollywood and the Law provides readers with a wide range of perspectives on how legal frameworks shape the culture and commerce of popular film.

THE ACCUSED IS ENTITLED TO A DEFENSE. Jerry Giesler believed the accused is entitled to a good defense. What he delivered, consistently, was a brilliant defense. Here are some of the people he defended: Errol Flynn—charged with statutory rape on two counts; Clarence Darrow—charged with attempted bribery of a jury; Lily St. Cyr—charged with indecent exposure; Charles Chaplin—charged with violation of the Mann Act; Robert Mitchum—charged with illegal possession of narcotics. The due processes of law make fascinating reading. When the cases are charged with the legal genius of a Giesler at work, the fascination cannot be denied!

In Hollywood history, no other lawyer has achieved the movie star–like fame and glamour that Greg Bautzer enjoyed. This revealing biography tells, for the first time, the amazing story of a self-made man who for 50 years used his irresistible charm and prodigious legal talent to dominate the courtrooms, boardrooms, and bedrooms of Hollywood. Columnists of the 1930s through 1950s dubbed him “Hollywood Bachelor Number One,” and for good reason. His long-term relationships and momentary conquests were a who’s who of leading ladies. Through exclusive interviews with those who knew him best, the book uncovers the inner workings of not only Bautzer the high-powered Hollywood lawyer—whose clients included billionaire Howard Hughes—but Bautzer the man.

* How can you use a state's film tax credits to fund your film? SEE PAGE 63. * You have an idea you want to pitch to a production company; how do you safeguard your concept? SEE PAGE 77. * How can you fund your production with product placement? SEE PAGE 157. * How do you get a script to popular Hollywood actors and deal with their agents? SEE PAGE 222. Find quick answers to these and hundreds of other questions in this new edition of The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers. This no-nonsense reference provides fast answers in plain English-no law degree required! Arm yourself with the practical advice of author Thomas Crowell, a TV-producer-turned-entertainment-lawyer. This new edition features: * New sections on product placement, film tax credits and production incentive financing, Letters of Intent, and DIY distribution (four-walling, YouTube, Download-to-own, Amazon.com, iTunes, and Netflix) * Updated case law * Even more charts and graphics to help you find the information you need even more quickly. This book is the next best thing to having an entertainment attorney on retainer!

A guide to negotiating a deal for film, television, or new media that covers key players, terminology, option-purchase rights, creating employment deals, working out distribution deals and rights, specifying net profit and box-office bonuses, and other related topics.

Beginning with Thomas Edison's aggressive copyright disputes and concluding with recent lawsuits against YouTube, Hollywood's Copyright Wars follows the struggle of the film, television, and digital media industries to influence and adapt to copyright law. Though much of Hollywood's engagement with the law occurs offstage, in the larger theater of copyright, many of Hollywood's most valued treasures, from Modern Times (1936) to Star Wars (1977), cannot be fully understood without appreciating their legal controversies. Peter Decherney shows that the history of intellectual property in Hollywood has not always mirrored the evolution of the law and recounts these extralegal solutions and their impact on American media and culture.

Entertainment Law: Fundamentals and Practice is a comprehensive and unique "how to" guide covering every area of entertainment law including fundamental principles, detailed business models, legal foundations, contract terms, practical advice, and full legal citations for cases and statutes. It has the depth required for practicing lawyers and law students, while at the same time being readable, approachable, and a guidebook for anyone interested in how the entertainment industry works including general courses in the entertainment, film, and music industries. The key to understanding entertainment law is to understand the underlying business models. The unique broad scope of the book is organized into chapters focusing on film, television, book and magazine publishing, music, live theater, radio, celebrity rights, and cyber law. Within those categories, topics such as agents and managers, licensing, advertising, social media, financing, branding, digital media, new television models, new models in music publishing and recording and digital radio, computer games, and copyright fair use are included. The revised first edition includes new and expanded coverage on the Music Modernization Act, film and TV production state tax incentives, case updates in life story rights for film and TV music licensing, and updates on legal and business issues between talent agencies and guilds. Developed in recognition of the broad scope of entertainment law and its areas of overlap with contract, corporate, intellectual property, regulatory law, and more, Entertainment Law: Fundamentals and Practice is an excellent resource for both survey courses and breakout courses on film, television, and music law, among others.