In this business, the law is the business model, a rare confluence that puts lawyers in charge of the business. Most executive officers who run the entertainment business are lawyers.

Deals & Contracts: Are you interested in knowing how the deals are structured and what terms are negotiable and what are not? We look at many many deal structures and contracts so that you will have a working knowledge of deal terms and deal structures that are portable to other contracts and industries.

Players: Who are the players in the business and what roles do they assume? What is the difference between managers, agent, and lawyers? How are they regulated?

Artists, Sports Stars and Celebrities: What rights and interests do they have? What sort of business entities do they form to protect their interests? How do they make money? How do personal service contracts differ from other types of deals?

Sponsorship and Merchandising Deals. How these deals structured and the interplay of trademark law is reviewed.

How does the music business work? Are all the nightmarish stories true? How does the Film & TV business work? What contracts are used and how are they negotiated?

The Entertainment Business is also about content and digital distribution. As technology develops, so do the distribution models. This class also explores the genres of film, television, book publishing, music composition and publishing, sound recordings, and other new media that rapidly expanding and converging in the digital age. As more and more people are engaging with digital entertainment, content creators are discovering ways to produce and deliver content faster and more effectively. The legal issues that accompany the creation of content in our interconnected world present opportunities for future lawyers to develop traditional and non-traditional practices in the Arts & Entertainment and Sports businesses.

Grading: Class participation (25%) & Final written exam (75%)

Prerequisites: Contract Law and Legal Writing

Prerequisites/Corequisites: Copyright or IP class is helpful but not required

Instructor (adjunct): Connie J. Mableson, JD: Ms. Mableson is an intellectual property attorney in practice for 34 years. Her practice emphasis is arts and entertainment, internet law, and technology law. She has represented successful clients in all aspects of the entertainment business including Stephenie Meyers (Twilight), Allison DuBois (The Medium), Rob Halford (Judas Priest), many New York Times best-selling authors, independent film projects, musicians, publishers, and game developers. She is a member of the ABA section of Science and Technology, and Forum on Sports & Entertainment. Connie is the former Chair of the City of Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission and has extensive experience in entertainment deal-making and new media.

Additional Information:
Credit Hours: 3
Grading Option: Letter Grade Only
Graduation Writing Requirement: No
Flexible/Upper-Level Writing Requirement: No
Skills Requirement: No
Simulation Course: No
Experiential Learning: No
Seminar: No
Prerequisite: Contracts & Legal Writing. Copyright Law is a pre or co-requisite, subject to instructor waiver
Special Withdrawal Course: No
Final Exam Given: Yes
Final Exam Type: In-Class - Completely Secure
Participation Points: Yes, 25% of class grade
Attendance Policy: Per Statement Of Student Policies

* The law school has a policy that is used to calculate credit hours. Please see the Statement of Student Policies.