To say I was highly vexed when I saw a release, yesterday, of an alleged video for a song titled ‘Oleku’ by Nigeria’s musician Ice Prince, would be an understatement. ‘Oleku’ was a hit song …
Usher Breaks Down on Stage, Cancels Tour. Fans Think Drug Use. #Breach of Contract
Aspiring lawyer Natasha Eubanks who dropped out of law school to pursue her passion for blogging, reports on her blog YBF.com, which pulled in $1million in revenue in 2009, the latest on Usher. According to …
Africa: Songwriter Credits + ESQlaw.net (Nigeria)
These days, I am getting used to receiving messages from legal colleagues within and outside Africa curious about Africa’s intellectual property laws and specifically, Nigeria’s as it pertains to its fashion and entertainment industries. If …
Chris Brown Completes Domestic Violence Class, Tweets About It #Crimes
If you pay close attention, you will note and see that the entertainment industry and its professionals rub shoulders, quite often, with the legal system. With music, it seems the industry “kicks it” with the …
Rapper 50 Cent Slapped with ‘I Get Money’ Copyright Infringement Lawsuit!
“I get money, money is got (I I get it)/I get money, money is got (I I get it)/I get money, money is got (Yeah)/Money I got, money is got (I run New York!) . …
Wall Street Journal Profiles David Kelly, Lawyer by Day, Acclaimed Hip-Hop Artist by Night
Africa is dear to my heart and so of course I stay on the pulse of highly relevant news coming out of the continent. One of the interesting stories this week from the continent is …
Record Labels Win Case Against Website Selling 25-Cent Beatles Songs
Interesting case below reported by THR. Esq. For non-lawyers, the wikipedia definition of “Summary Judgment” is easy to understand just in case you were wondering what it means. “A federal judge has ruled on summary …
The Big Payback: The History of the Business Of Hip-Hop
I love music but have a keen interest and love for hip-hop music. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to see NPR, a channel I listen diligently to, do this neat interview with …
The Future of the Music Industry (Video)
“Panel description: Improving our cultural infrastructure should be a priority for American recovery, and music certainly has a role to play. Innovation, education and investment are all necessary components, and each will depend on the …
Bob Marley Family Loses Case Over Hit Records #Copyright Law
The ruling in this suit is about a month old. But, I wanted to bring it to your attention in case you missed it. Also, let me highlight the “Work Made for Hire” part that …