Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/2143/Film-Production-Financing-and-Investment-Issues.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/2143/Film-Production-Financing-and-Investment-Issues.html Film financing is one of the most difficult and least understood challenges facing a producer and it is fraught with perils for the unwary. Many independent film producers find themselves caught in the “Producer’s Paradox” namely: “You can’t sign talent and develop your screenplay without financing, but you can’t obtain financing without talent and a polished script.” Given that most film producers do not want to use their personal assets to fund their films, the most important issue for many producers is how to finance their film project with other people’s money. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/2143/Film-Production-Copyright.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/2143/Film-Production-Copyright.html In order to secure meaningful distribution for a film, a producer must be able to prove that he or she owns, or has a license to use, EVERY piece of intellectual property in the film. “Intellectual property” includes many things, such as the right to use the screenplay, the right to use the music in the soundtrack, the right to use the title of the film, the right to use any brand names that appear in the film, ownership of the actors’ performances and many other issues. It is critical that a producer be very conscious and organized with regard to intellectual property. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/2143/Film-Production-Working-with-Unions.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/2143/Film-Production-Working-with-Unions.html Unions were created to protect workers from unfair wages and poor working conditions. If a producer wants to use any union labor, then that producer will have to become a signatory to the appropriate union contract. This does not necessarily mean that the production must hire only union labor, nor does it mean that the production will need a big budget. Some unions, such as the Screen Actors Guild (”SAG”) offer various contract options for small and medium budget films. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/2143/Defamation-on-the-Internet.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/2143/Defamation-on-the-Internet.html Many people believe that when they write something on a website, blog, or message board, that they are truly “anonymous” and have a free pass to say anything they want. This feeling of anonymity sometimes leads people to post false statements in an effort to discredit another individual or harm their reputation. These people are often surprised when they learn they have been sued for defamation for the statements they made on the Internet. The questions and answers below explain the basics of defamation and the specific issues that arise with defamation on the Internet. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/2143/Using-a-Photograph-for-Commercial-Purposes--Copyright-and-Right-of-Publicity-Law.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/2143/Using-a-Photograph-for-Commercial-Purposes--Copyright-and-Right-of-Publicity-Law.html If you are in business, chances are that you are involved in some sort of advertising or promotion for your goods and services. Say that you give out some of your products to a celebrity and photograph her with the products. Can you now use that photograph in your advertising? Or perhaps you learn that a famous football player has been using your product. Can you use his name in promoting your product? What if you just want to use the name or picture of an individual with no claim to fame? And what if you didn’t take the picture yourself and instead just found it on the Internet? http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/2143/Trademark-Basics.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/2143/Trademark-Basics.html Short introduction to the intricacies of Trademarks. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/2143/Are-Your-Trademarks-Being-Used-by-Other-Companies-on-Google.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/2143/Are-Your-Trademarks-Being-Used-by-Other-Companies-on-Google.html Saper Law Offices assists businesses in all areas of trademark law, from registration and filing to litigation. The following article serves as an overview of the effect search engine marketing and Internet “keyword” advertising through Google’s search engine has on a business’s trademark. For a case specific consultation regarding (1) whether or not your use of another’s trademark in a Google Ad could result in legal action, or (2) whether or not you may prevent another business from using your trademark in a Google Adword, a meta tag or as the text of an advertisement, call Saper Law Offices for a consultation at (312) 641-0551 or contact us by email at dsaper@saperlaw.com. If you need assistance with creating and implementing a Google ad campaign, contact www.LegalPPC.com.