Music Industry Law profile picture

Music Industry Law

I am here for Networking

About Me

I am a music lawyer practicing in Los Angeles, CA.

Before becoming a lawyer I worked and interned in the music industry for eight years at companies such as Immortal Records, Tri-Tone Music, The Lee Solters Company, Nederlander, Gold Mountain Entertainment, American Recordings, Merchworks and Freedom Management.

I earned my J.D. from the UCLA School of Law, and my B.A. in Law and Society from UCSB.

In addition, I am a musician and have played guitar in the band Demon Bros. for the last five years. During this time, and during law school, we managed to record two songs with producer Bryan Carlstrom (Alice in Chains, Rob Zombie, Offspring), independently release a six-song EP recorded with Matt Thorne (Dust Brothers, Trapt, Eels) titled "Far From The Cold," and film two music videos.

I'll be posting blogs from time to time with good information for bands and indie labels. Make sure to check them out.

My Interests

I'd like to meet:

Musicians, producers, label executives, distributors, music publishers, music supervisors, managers, public relations people, promoters, agents, business managers, actors, film-makers, and other creative types who may be in need of legal services or who just want to talk shop!

In addition, I try to provide networking, business and promotional opportunities for those in my friends list.

Providing legal services including: trademarks, copyrights, recording contracts, publishing & performance contracts, band partnership agreements, incorporation & LLCs, talent agency & management contracts, producer agreements, licensing and litigation.

My Blog

Going On Tour

I will be going out on tour with My Ruin later this month.  I'll be in London on January 17 and 18, and then on to dates in England and Scotland.  For any of my U.K. friends (old or new), I ...
Posted by Music Industry Law on Sun, 30 Dec 2007 03:44:00 PST

Major Music Companies Pass On Extra Costs To Artists

Touring and merchandise sales are the main sources of income for an artist to get from one city to the next. Gas prices are soaring close to $4 a gallon making it extremely difficult for touring artis...
Posted by Music Industry Law on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:23:00 PST

Copyright Infringement Online - Uploading & Piracy

US court rules that 'making available' files for downloading is infringement; Atlantic v HowellA US District Judge has ruled that making recordings available on a peer-2-peer file swapping network con...
Posted by Music Industry Law on Wed, 31 Oct 2007 06:31:00 PST

Artists Can Still Sell Records - Kanye West Shows How

Kanye West's Success Provides a Blueprintfor the Recovery of a Beleaguered BizSeptember 21, 2007Can you say huuuuuuuuuge? Can you say huger than hu...
Posted by Music Industry Law on Sat, 22 Sep 2007 04:05:00 PST

Noise!

For those who are not familiar with the program, Noise! is a summer program funded by the Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation.  Thirty two high school students from across the country (and even two...
Posted by Music Industry Law on Mon, 30 Jul 2007 09:22:00 PST

South by Southwest - Great Information for Bands and Indies

At the trade show at South by Southwest, I was exposed to some amazing information and resources available for indie bands and indie labels.  I talked to everyone I could find there and have asse...
Posted by Music Industry Law on Sat, 28 Apr 2007 08:37:00 PST

Trademarking Band Names

Should You Trademark Your Band Name? The Que...
Posted by Music Industry Law on Thu, 17 Aug 2006 10:47:00 PST

Copyright Law 101

Copyright Law 101 by Donald R. Simon, Esq. Property laws are concerned with the rights of ownership in things.  This property concept is not limited to physical things like books, houses, ...
Posted by Music Industry Law on Thu, 17 Aug 2006 10:36:00 PST

Band Partnership Agreements

The Importance of a Band Partnership Agreement by Donald R. Simon, Esq. A band partnership agreement is an important, yet often overlooked, aspect of running a band.  Like it or not, as artis...
Posted by Music Industry Law on Thu, 17 Aug 2006 10:26:00 PST