Industry Expert

For my industry expert blog, I interviewed Entertainment Lawyer, Elliott Alderman of The Alderman Law Office. The Alderman Law Office is located in Washington D.C. near the White House. Mr. Alderman has been serving clients in the Washington D.C. Metro, as well as nationally and throughout the world for nearly 30 years. Mr. Alderman is a very busy man and was swamp with cases, but was able to have a brief meeting with me.

Can you give a little background about yourself?

Well, I was an English major at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978. I was a William V. Frankel Scholar and the Root-Tiden Nominee to New York University Law School. I then attended American University, Washington College of Law in Washington D.C., where I received my Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in 1982. I was associated with The Dean's Fellow Program and a Summer Research Assistant. I passed the District of Columbia Bar Exam in 1983 and the Virginia Bar Exam in 2004. I have worked with the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Copyright Office. I have done some counseling for tax analysts and I started The Alderman Law Office in 1994.

Why did you become an Entertainment Lawyer?

As a kid, I've always been into my schoolwork. I was one of those kids who liked to study. Even though I was into my studies, it didn't stop me from being a normal kid, I was always outside playing sports and just being a kid. As I got older it was the interest in arts and literature led me to my current position.

What kind of cases do you handle on a daily basis?

I do a lot of content licensing, rights clearance, opinion letters about copyright infringement, advice on monetizing content, sue people for violating my clients' intellectual property and defend people who are sued.

I want to start a movie production company, what should I be aware of?
Violating another company's intellectual property. Trademark infringement is always a major issue with companies, you want to make sure you're not stealing someone else's mark and using it as your own. Copyright infringement will also gain you several lawsuits. Anything you use that is not your own creative work, get a clearance from that party. Everything should be in a written contract, no verbal contracts, period.

Does the profession interfere with your personal life?

Practicing law is very consuming and definitely interferes with your personal life. It can be very stressful at times, but you learn how to corporate it in your daily routine. Although it demands a lot of time, I wouldn't change it for the world.

Can any lawyer be an Entertainment Lawyer?

Many lawyers claim to do entertainment law but unless you have particular copyright and trademark expertise, it is really impossible to do entertainment work. Any persons seeking legal counsel in the entertainment industry should make sure their lawyer is an expert in those particular areas.


I was glad to interview with Mr. Alderman, due to his busy schedule. His advice was great and would help me with my future business. I now know that any lawyer isn't always the right lawyer to have in the entertainment industry, also what to be aware of when starting my own business. With the right counsel, any business can be successful.

Contact Information:

Elliott C. Alderman

The Alderman Law Office

1629 K Street, N.W. Suite 300

Washington, DC 20006

Phone: (202) 973-0188

E-mail: thecontentlawyer@verizon.net

Web sites:  http://www.aldermanlawoffice.com

                  http://www.thecontentlawyer.com

                 

Twitter:      http://twitter.com/#!/ContentLawyer

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/thecontentlawyer.com

Linkedin:   http://www.linkedin.com/pub/elliott-alderman/9/38b/658

Controversy

This week's class assignment is to locate three articles, videos or podcast detailing any legal liabilities within our desired industry. Today I have decided to discuss the Charlie Sheen controversy, the Oscar nomination controversy and the 2011 NFL Lockout.

Charlie Sheen and "Two and a Half Men"

As many know, Charlie Sheen has been in numerous counts of trouble over the past 15 years. Since his recent drug issues and custody battles, he finally snapped. In recent reports, Sheen blurted out outrageous rants about owner Chuck Lorre and this eventually got the show cancelled. Since the show is cancelled, the network is not obligated to pay them. The question now is will Charlie pay for his actions. I believe since the situation is because of him, he should be given a fine to pay for suffering. Although it's not legal there shouldn't be a penalty for someone else's mistakes. Click here for the article.

Oscar Nominations

I have never been a big fan of the Oscar's; to be quite honest, I have never watched them. After reading the following article, I can continue to not watch them. In the article, they discuss the nominees and how this is big for their promotional sales. I don't think it's right that this happens to a lot of films because many films, actors and directors don't always get the credit deserved. The real talent isn't always portrayed and a lot of celebrities that received the award aren't as talented. Click here for the full article.

2011 NFL Lockout

In the following article, Law professor; Director, Tulane Sports Law Program, Gabriel A. Feldman discusses the NFL Lockout Legal Negotiations. Gabriel explains the reason behind the allegations in the NFL and what steps would be taken throughout the process. When I think about the 2011 NFL Lockout, I don't see it as a big deal. In my opinion, NFL players are over compensated. I know that the NFL is a contact sport and many players can get hurt at any time in the game but at the same time they aren't heros. When I say they aren't heros, meaning they aren't public service providers. Police officers, firemen and teachers are all underpaid. These are people who change lives everyday, these are the people who should make the big bucks. To follow the article click here.

Source: 

Inside TV

IP Finance

The Huffington Post