Media, Entertainment, Music & Sports

We represent all music industry players, including songwriters, recording artists, record producers, and record labels. On their behalf, we prepare and negotiate a wide range of industry agreements, including those related to copyright protection and licensing of music compositions; recording and distribution of master recordings of songs; and performances of music by recording artists.

Our representation of copyright holders, actors, directors, producers, and distributors covers the full range of agreements and relationships necessary to take an original work or reality concept from its acquisition — or creation as an underlying literary work — to its final distribution as a film, television, or internet production.

Our representation of authors and publishers includes negotiating publishing agreements for both traditional print and online content, assisting in clearance and defamation reviews, and licensing literary works for use in other formats or media. We provide comprehensive services that address issues such as an author’s engagement of agents, managers, and other professionals; copyright protection and licensing of literary works; clearance and defamation reviews; arrangements between multiple authors; publishing agreements; and the licensing, sale, or acquisition of rights to use literary works.

Carlton Fields represents clients, including innovative startups and emerging growth companies, in the areas of digital media, entertainment, internet applications (apps), gaming, and technology (including software, hardware and internet) industries. Our team handles a wide variety of their legal matters, including startup, formation and organizational work, commercial and transactional, corporate and M&A, seed and VC financing, real estate, litigation, HR and employment, IP protection and enforcement, rights review and clearance, union and guild matters, and data use and privacy matters.
 
We have particular expertise in structuring, negotiating, and drafting a wide array of commercial agreements in the following areas:
 
Interactive Entertainment/Gaming: All types of agreements involving interactive entertainment and games for consoles, PC, mobile, virtual and augmented reality and other devices and platforms, including development, marketing, publishing, licensing and distribution agreements. 
 
IP and Technology Transactions: IP licensing and technology based agreements, including merchandise and trademark licensing, digital advertising, software development and licensing, software service and subscription based agreements (SaaS), software publishing and distribution, IT infrastructure, cloud computing and distribution, and hardware design and manufacturing.
 
Digital Advertising: Advertising network advertiser and publisher terms of service, analytics and data use and sharing agreements, IOs and other partnership agreements with major advertisers (brand and performance), IAB terms and conditions, RTB programmatic ad exchange agreements, and ad platform technology licenses.
 
Digital Media and Distribution Platforms: Licensing, distribution and streaming of media and entertainment content via various digital distribution and streaming platforms, including cloud gaming, electronic sell-through (EST), and video on demand (VOD).   
 
Entertainment Content Acquisition and Licensing: Content acquisition and license agreements with major film and television studios and other major content companies.
 
Network and Data Center Infrastructure: Colocation, Network/POPs, IP transit, fiber and wavelength and other infrastructure and telecommunications agreements relating to the placement and operation of servers in network data centers, including data center leases.
 

We represent investors and producers of theatrical productions. Our services cover the preparation and negotiation of underlying investment agreements, the acquisition of literary and any grand rights for productions, and agreements with or for directors, choreographers, and actors. 

We advise and represent clients, including journalists, newspapers, and advertisers, regarding the U.S. and international laws that affect media and mass communication. Our services cover matters related to defamation; publicity and privacy rights; commercial speech regulation and related FCC and FDA rules; and other First Amendment issues, such as those concerning content based regulation, broadcast, cable and satellite regulation, ratings of film content, political programming, and obscenity.

We represent clients, including athletes, major and minor league franchises and franchisees, investors, companies, teams, leagues, associations, and related organizations, in a wide variety of sports-related matters. On their behalf, we provide comprehensive services that address issues including team, event, and stadium financing; structuring of joint ventures, entities, and franchises; litigation; launches of sports networks; sports franchise sales and acquisitions; player contracts and endorsements; marketing, branding, and advertising arrangements for franchises and athletes; naming rights for arenas and other venues; and copyright and trademark matters.