Bobby Troup’s 1946 hit “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” helped make an American highway a tourist destination in its own right. The recently passed American Tourism Act is designed to give music tourism a similar boost by encouraging travel to concerts, festivals, museums, and other music destinations across the country. More visitors could mean bigger audiences and increased revenues for musicians and venues, as well as more business for adjacent hotels, restaurants, and other tourism-business.

However, the Act provides no additional funding for music organizations. Nor is there a no clear way to measure the Act's success. Read our newest blog article to learn about this new law.

Led Zeppelin transformed Howlin’ Wolf’s Killing Floor into The Lemon Song, leading to a copyright dispute centered the extent to which Howlin' Wolf's creative work remained. According to the US Copyright Office when AI is used the question instead becomes "How much human creativity exists?" A recent Executive Order replacing “Artificial Intelligence” (AI) with “Super Intelligence” (SI) in federal executive communications may seem just to involve semantics since it doesn't change copyright law. However, words influence perceptions. If the EO's terminology takes hold, calling the technology SI could encourage people to treat it as an extension of instead of a substitute for human creativity.

A raven’s disturbingly fixed stare at a coffee shop brings up thoughts of Edgar Allan Poe's poem and Alan Parsons Project’s music. In both the poem and the song, refrain of "nevermore" drones on incessantly without regard to what’s going on around it. Some clients take a "nevermore" approach when dealing with their attorneys. They research an issue, perhaps ask AI for a contract draft, or use a standard form and ask an attorney to approve it. But standard forms and AI can produce "standard" results, and most business relationships aren't standard. It's the attorney who adds the art and experience necessary to create a customized solution that creates a solution that meets the client’s goals.

With doorbell and security cameras seeming to be everywhere, the possibility of them recording conversations and events without proper consent has increased. Audio recording in particular can raise serious legal issues under wiretapping laws which can impose large fines and jail time for violations. These laws vary from state-to-state, and frequently, providing notice that someone may be recorded isn't sufficient. Before enabling audio recording businesses, property owners, and individuals should understand what they can -- and can't -- legally record. Read our blog to learn when “private eyes” can become legally risky “private ears.”

Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” isn’t about the seals that live in the ocean. Although the song is about committing to a romantic relationship, it also sounds like something an attorney might write about a contracting party. Long before people routinely signed their names to legal documents, wealthy landowners, nobles, churches, and other institutions used seals to show that a document was authentic. Stating that a document is signed “under seal” might seem anachronistic, and often that language is ignored. But it shouldn't be. Read our blog to learn how signing under seal can dramatically affect a party's legal rights and obligations and why it usually isn't advisable.

The US system’s use of performance rights organizations (PROs) to license music is efficient and enables widespread access to music. That benefit comes at the expense of artist control over the use of their recordings. Although musicians can’t prevent licensing of their recordings for most uses, they may be able to opt out of use of their recordings by politicians and political organizations. Read our blog to learn more.