Entertainment law has become an essential part of the entertainment industry due to the nature of the business that involves legal intricacies of all the creative arts employed in the industry. As such, knowing the emerging legal trends in entertainment law is crucial for entertainment lawyers in Los Angeles, as it shapes legal practice and helps to provide effective legal services to their clients. Thus, this article would examine the emerging trends in the entertainment law sector from the perspectives of LA Lawyers.
Firstly, the tech industry’s growing involvement in the entertainment industry has become an emerging trend in entertainment law. The tech industry has been making strides in the entertainment industry by developing new technologies and platforms for entertainment distribution, resulting in legal intricacies in copyright, privacy, content distribution, among others. Claire Zovko, an entertainment lawyer at Lommen Abdo Law Firm, said, “We’re seeing an emerging trend of entertainment content appearing on tech platforms that have, up to now, been seen as purely tech platforms.” She explained that a streaming platform or an online marketplace could be viewed as entertainment platforms today.
Another emerging trend in entertainment law is the growing importance of social media and its impact on the entertainment industry. Social media platforms have become an essential marketing tool for entertainment artists, who use them to promote their brands and reach more significant audiences. As such, legal issues concerning endorsement agreements, trademark rights, and unauthorized usage of creative works on social media platforms have emerged. Fiona Gao, an entertainment lawyer at Selman Breitman LLP, stated, “The game has changed for advertising and marketing a product, and that’s the biggest trend that we’ve been seeing.”
Moreover, diversity and inclusion have become a significant theme in the entertainment landscape, with more calls for equal representation of minorities in film, music, and other entertainment sectors. This has created legal complexities as it affects talent representation agreements and casting diversity, among others. Samantha Cabaluna, an entertainment lawyer at Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP, stated that the movement towards diversity and inclusion is one of the biggest ongoing trends they see in entertainment law.
Lastly, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the entertainment industry has created legal issues that have become emerging trends in the entertainment law sector. The pandemic has brought to light issues such as force majeure, insurance coverage, contractual disputes, among others. Teri Karobonik, an entertainment lawyer at Karobonik Law Firm, stated, “I think it’s going to take a while for the entertainment industry to sort out all the COVID issues that it has created.”
In conclusion, understanding the emerging trends in entertainment law is vital for entertainment lawyers in Los Angeles. The trends mentioned above: the tech industry’s involvement, social media, diversity and inclusion, and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact, are shaping legal practice in entertainment law. As such, entertainment lawyers must be aware of these trends to keep up-to-date with their clients’ needs and provide effective legal representation.