ENTERTAINMENT LAW
Fall, 2016
INSTRUCTOR: Yocel Alonso, Justen Barks
LOCATION: TBA
CLASS HOURS: Wednesday, 5:30-7:30pm
A.
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course will focus on the constitutional, statutory, and common law framework of
entertainment law and the practical implications for lawyers. With the Constitution as our North
Star, we will explore the wide body of law that governs the world of entertainment; including
copyrights, trademarks, contracts, and tort law, analyzing their impact on the business and legal
affairs of recording artists, record companies, publishers, digital and terrestrial radio and
television broadcasting, and the motion picture industry.
The goal will be not only to provide you with a comprehensive insight into this unique
field, but also to prepare you to represent clients with entertainment law related issues, be they
transactional or litigation-oriented. Intellectual property is fundamental to an understanding of
entertainment law, so please be prepared to spend lots of time on Copyright and Trademark Law.
Please take the time to read the course schedule—the reading load will be non-wimpy, but
essential and hopefully interesting to interested students.
B.
REQUIRED TEXT
Paul C. Weiler and Gary Myers, Entertainment, Media, And The Law (West Academic
5th ed. 2015).
C.
YOUR GRADE
Your course grade is determined by a standard law school, closed-book final exam with
short-answer and long-form essay question—including true/false questions which ask that you
explain your answer—in conjunction with multiple-choice questions. The exam counts for 90%
of your grade. The remaining 10% of your grade is based on class participation. While we will
enforce attendance to the extent required by the school, your failure to attend and participate will
be your loss.
Course Schedule
Class Dates
Weiler Myers & Berry, Chapters/Pages
August 24
On Sex, Violence, &
George Carlin
Read: 33-42, 56-65, 75-82
(Skim: 1-33, 42-56, 65-77)
August 31
On the Rights Of A
Human Cannonball
Read: 231-244, 247-268
(Skim: 149-175, 244-247)
September 7
On Ed McMahon’s
Famous Two Words
Read: 291-298, 302-306, 319-330, 363-374, 378-381
(Skim: 298-302, 306-319, 374-378, 381-385)
September 14
On Copyright
Infringement
(Specifically)
Read: 385-390, 401-417, 426-438
(Skim: 390-401, 417-426)
September 21
On Copyright
Infringement
(Generally)
Read: 438-448, 451-454, 457-472, 477-515
(Skim: 448-451, 454-457, 472-477)
September 28
On How the Music
Business Broke the
Internet
Read: 523-558, 568-572, 575-580, 582-585, 592-595
(Skim: 558-568, 572-575, 580-582, 585-592)
October 5
On the Several
Ways Moral Rights
Do Exist in the U.S.
Read: 604-627, 634-646
(Skim: 595-604, 627-634)
October 12
On Hormel Foods
and Its Fight With
A Muppet
Read: 666-671, 674-693, 700-704, 710-722
(Skim: 648-652, 656-666, 671-674, 693-700)
October 19
On the Contractual
Obligations of Divas
Read: 729-733, 747-784
(Skim: 722-727, 733-747)
SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO REVISION, WITH NOTICE.
October 26
On Minors,
Bankruptcy, and
Moral Behavior
FINAL EXAM REVIEW
Read: 784-798, 815-830, 836-838
(Skim: 798-814, 830-836)
November 2
On Publishing
Agreements and
Record Deals
Read: 841-849, 851-856, 859-867, 872-881
(Skim: 838-841, 849-851, 856-859, 867-872)
November 9
On the Value of An
Western Filmed in
Australia
Read: 908-923, 925-938
(Skim: 887-908, 923-925)
November 16
On the Poor
Decision-Making of
Some Attorneys
Read: 969-993
(Skim: 939-969)
December 2 – 15
FINAL EXAM PERIOD