A 43-year-old man jumped overboard from a Carnival Cruise ship over the weekend, resulting in a massive search that has now been called off. The incident occurred just after midnight on Saturday as Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras was approaching the Florida coast. At the time, the vessel was approximately 55 miles east of Port […]

The month of May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. While it is always important to exercise caution and safety when sharing the road with motorcycles, Florida highlights the importance of being safe while sharing the road with all types of vehicles, especially motorcyclists, during the month of May. Florida hosts several of the preeminent motorcycle […]

Norwegian Cruise Line  passengers claim the company has violated rules contained in its “passenger bill of rights.” The incident in question involved the passengers being stranded while on the Norwegian Escape after the vessel ran aground while attempting to leave a port in the Dominican Republic. The ship sustained structural damage, causing the company to […]

An estimated 200,000 car accidents are recorded in Florida annually, with an average of 650 crashes per day, according to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department. To date, Florida is one of the most populated states in the U.S., only surpassed by California and Texas. In a recent study, out of Florida’s 275,376 […]

Florida is one of ten states that make up half of all fatal truck accidents in the U.S. each year, according to statistics from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This is alarming when you consider trucking accidents, unlike your average car accident, are oftentimes more damaging. Think about it. Tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, and other […]

Virgin Voyages has partnered with Jennifer Lopez, to develop wellness, fitness, entertainment, and design collaborations for its new fleet. Rather than taking on a purely ceremonial role as ‘godmother,’ Lopez will be included in decision making, joining Virgin Voyages as an investor and the cruise line’s chief entertainment and lifestyle officer. As part of the […]

Oceania Cruises debuted their new ship, Vista over the weekend. The ship was introduced officially to the public off the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente, Italy. The cruise ship is expected to sail on its maiden voyage, traveling from Rome to Barcelona on April 14, 2023. Howard Sherman, President and CEO of Oceania Cruises, presided […]

New guidelines were issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding additional precautions they recommend all cruise lines take to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The CDC has given cruise lines until February 18 to decide whether they will opt in and follow these new guidelines. These guidelines come out a month […]

As a trial lawyer who sues cruise lines–like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Disney, Norwegian, Princess, Holland America, and others–on behalf of people who have been injured on a cruise ship, I cringe every time I read about a legitimately injured passenger who gets caught by the number-one secret weapon cruise lines use to win their cases: the one-year statute of limitations […]

What is Music Law? 

Music law is a sub-term belonging to the larger umbrella of “entertainment law.” Entertainment law covers the legal principles dealing with several branches of the industry. These include Music, Motion Picture, Publishing, Television, Theater, and Sports. 

The laws that impact how the music industry operates belong under music law. It involves anything from creating, selling, and performing music, and even how users listen to it. This law involves everyone in the music industry, from the singer, songwriter, producer, record label, live events sector, and the music publisher. 

Music law also covers traditional legal topics such as intellectual property law, contract law, bankruptcy law, defamation, and licensing laws, among others. 

Why Music Law is Important 

It’s not just people in the entertainment or music industry that are directly affected by music law. A majority of individuals in society have to deal with it in one form or the other. 

Music writers and distributors, along with the performers, are often the first few people directly influenced by music law. Distributors need a license to circulate the music, while musicians require a legal right to perform any licensed song or track. 

This is also true for any establishment or business that wants to use music. They need to comply with the legal stipulations surrounding the use of songs. Even regular listeners and consumers should follow music law, especially on their use of the track or the album they purchased. 

Main Aspects Involved with Music Law

Copyright

Music copyright is the legal ownership of a musical composition or recording. Once original music is created, it only needs to satisfy two requirements to qualify for copyright. 

• It must be an original work
• It must be in the form of a tangible medium, like a digital or analog recording, sheet music, or a sound file

The moment original music is transposed into a tangible form, it is automatically copyrighted. There is no need to publish the track or register it with the U.S. Copyright Office. However, registering a copyright is recommended if you intend to release the music to the public and want it to be protected. Having registered copyright is also the only way to collect benefits from a musical composition. Copyright remains active for 70 years after the artist’s death. 

Publishing

Songwriters and creators may choose to