Music
The music industry is at a hugely significant point in its development: the Internet has driven traditional music distribution into a serious crisis, while at the same time the commercial use of music is at an all time high, whether in film, television, advertising, or on the new and rapidly growing markets of convergent technologies (such as the development of legal online music distribution platforms and the marketing of ringtones and mobile music for wireless devices).
In such a context, it pays more than ever to approach the field of musical rights with a strategic commercial strategy, and Taylor Wessing is strongly placed to advise clients on the legal implications and issues in a rapidly changing market sector
In the UK, Germany and France and, to a substantial extent, on a multinational level, we advise rightholders, music publishers, producers, record companies and music users on securing and the commercial exploitation of musical rights.
A special focus of our activities is the development of a sustainable legal framework for the use of music in the media, in particular with regards to film, television and advertising, and the law of collective administration of rights. We have particular experience in the sale and acquisition of record companies and music publishers, catalogues or single titles, and advise on strategic co-operation projects, complex restructuring transactions (including post-merger integration and financing issues) and related tax law issues.
Our range of services in this field includes:
- Advice on and drafting of contracts, such as recording license agreements, artist agreements, distribution agreements, music publishing agreements, and agreements relating to other licensing and exportation arrangements
- Copyright and rights clearance
- Advertising and agency agreements
- Multimedia productions and mobile entertainment
- Merchandising
- Negotiation of synchronisation rights for original soundtracks, film music and advertising
- Use of music in film and TV
- Collecting societies
- Distribution and antitrust law
- Title protection and marking rights
- Labour law
- Anti-piracy
- Litigation
- Mergers & Acquisitions; sales of catalogues and individual titles
- Reorganisation and restructuring, corporate financing
- Tax law
- Tax optimisation schemes for composers, artists and music companies
- Legislation procedures and lobbying.