Media & Entertainment

Music

Recognized by Billboard and Chambers as a top music practice, ArentFox Schiff’s marquee music practice serves the needs of clients across the music industry. Our attorneys are highly experienced, not only in litigation, counseling, and transactions, but also in the business of music and the often unique ways in which that business intersects with the law. We have experience in all facets of the music industry, from music publishing to the recording industry to live music and merchandising. We represent a diverse spectrum of clients, including talent, copyright owners, and copyright users.

On behalf of our clients, we litigate cutting-edge copyright, trademark, right of publicity, and contract issues, including royalty audits and other disputes. Our music litigators have handled some of the landmark cases involving the use of music on the Internet and on artists’ rights to terminate their prior assignments and recapture the copyrights in their works.

We handle all manner of transactions, including license agreements, recording and songwriting agreements, and the purchase and sale of music catalogs. ArentFox Schiff is also highly experienced in royalty rate-setting litigation, including proceedings before the Copyright Royalty Board and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) rate courts.