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Crossing the Strait
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Can vs. Should in Music Licensing
The hottest trend in social media right now is short videos. On many platforms, after you create one of these short videos, the app asks...

Giovanni H. Turner, Esq.
Aug 3, 20242 min read
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Further Dividing the Penny
Those that publish their music on streaming services such as Spotify know all too well that the revenue per play is less than one penny....

Giovanni H. Turner, Esq.
Jun 29, 20242 min read
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Cover Band Not Covered
The legal landscape for cover bands can be difficult to navigate. In general, any singer that pays the licensing fee may legally perform...

Giovanni H. Turner, Esq.
Apr 21, 20241 min read
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Casting As a First Amendment Right
Is a casting director allowed to take an actress's race into consideration? According to a recent Southern District of New York case,...

Giovanni H. Turner, Esq.
Apr 9, 20242 min read
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Triangle Defense
As a new entrepreneur, few things are more frustrating that stumbling upon an idea or company/product name similar to your own. You've...

Giovanni H. Turner, Esq.
Feb 18, 20241 min read
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Indies vs Majors (Yes, again)
May is here. And as yet another crop of creatives graduate from college and high school, they each must weigh stability of signing up...

Giovanni H. Turner, Esq.
Apr 30, 20231 min read
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A Marvelous Trademark
Unless you're an avid (or really old) comic book reader, it may surprise you to learn that Shazam used to go by Captain Marvel. So how...

Giovanni H. Turner, Esq.
Mar 26, 20231 min read
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That's Not Fair (use)!
As another school year begins, librarians, teachers and professors across the country gear up to not only return to their classrooms, but...

Giovanni H. Turner, Esq.
Aug 28, 20222 min read
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Trademarking Slang
"Nobody owns 'turnt.' That's just something people say." Have you expressed a similar sentiment before marketing merchandise with a...

Giovanni H. Turner, Esq.
Aug 20, 20221 min read
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Team Work(ing)
I get it. When engaging me or another attorney for legal services, the price tag on the invoice could be anywhere between one month's...

Giovanni H. Turner, Esq.
Nov 8, 20201 min read
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It's No Longer Mine
What happens to your rights as an author when you sell a painting, sculpture or unique piece of jewelry? We are used to thinking about...

Giovanni H. Turner, Esq.
Aug 13, 20202 min read
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It's Become Impossible
Perhaps now more than ever due to CoVID-19, agreements in which you entered during a time more suitable for conducting business have...

Giovanni H. Turner, Esq.
Jul 26, 20202 min read
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Optimism*
Of course you expect it to work out. No musician or entertainment company would enter into a recording contract if they did not expect to...

Giovanni H. Turner, Esq.
Jul 8, 20202 min read
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Shooting YouTube Videos in My Home
The popularity of non-corporate YouTube channels has exploded. If your kids are like mine, birthday party planning now involves scouring...

Giovanni H. Turner, Esq.
Jul 1, 20202 min read
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