The US system’s use of performance rights organizations (PROs) to license music is efficient and enables widespread access to music. But that comes at the expense of artist control over the use of their recordings.

Through talent, strategic branding, grit, and adaptability, Dolly Parton rose from poverty in rural Tennessee to become a global icon. Her entertainment career spanned recorded and live music, film, television, and publishing, and she also pursued a wide range of successful commercial ventures, including a theme park, food products, beauty and fragrance products, apparel, and home goods. Parton gave by to her community with her philanthropic initiatives, most notably the Imagination Library, which promotes early childhood literacy. Read our blog to learn how by retaining her copyrights and leveraging technology to promote her projects and expand her reach, Parton sustained her career for more than 60 years, while remaining true to her roots, values, and brand.

A music streaming subscription often doesn't give someone the right to can play that music for customers or at events. Businesses that use recorded music may need to navigate complicated copyright laws, streaming-service terms of service, and licenses from multiple performing rights organizations. Copyright law can treat even a “private” company event or apartment-community gathering as a public performance. A single recording may involve two different copyrights, and a playlist can require dozens of licenses, and licenses that worked in one context might not be sufficient in another. Read our blog to learn what businesses should consider using recorded music at their establishments.

During a recent performance of Bruch’s Violin Concerto in Finland, conductor Matthew Halls accidentally knocked soloist Elina Vähälä’s 18th-century Guadagnini violin out of her hands. The audience gasped. Time seemed to stop as the violin worth millions flew through the air and landed on the stage. Vähälä inspected the instrument and, after a few minutes, tuned it and signaled that the performance could continue. She later explained that the violin wasn't seriously injured because it was constructed so that rather than the wood cracking, a seam will come loose when the violin was under pressure -- the violin had a built-in crisis response plan. Violinmakers know what many teams don't -- that careful upfront planning can prevent a crisis.

Beethoven's late quartets were transformative but not necessarily well-received because they didn't conform to the technical expectations of the time. Law is like music in this respect -- document preparation requires both technical competence and an artful approach to create a structure that meets the clients' and transactions needs — and the artistic part of law is often underappreciated. Some view AI as a replacement for conventional legal advice -- they believe they can rely upon software to write their wills or create basic business documents without the benefit of an attorney. Although AI can be valuable tool that addresses many of the the "scientific" aspects of law and frees attorneys to focus on the art of creating documents customized to their clients' needs, AI isn't yet a replacement for sound legal advice.

Musicians traveling in the US are fortunate that federal law provides rules that help them bring their valuable instruments into the cabin. However, musicians still must navigate through the ticketing process, fare restrictions, and airport security before they even get to the gate. Once on the plane, a musician’s challenges with air travel isn’t over. Their instrument will use their carry-on baggage allotment and is treated the same as all other carry-on baggage and is subject to space limitations.