Case List

Content Clearance/Fair Use: Literature

21-0762 Full time student needs help determining whether she needs a license to register copyright and publish her "Unofficial Harry Potter" potion making cookbook.

Content Review: Memoir

21-0504 Minority author of a memoir needs help evaluating her potential liability for publishing a book that contains personal information about her ex-husband and about her now-deceased grandmother.

Contract Drafting: Beat License: Music

21-0900 Songwriter who is interested in licensing two beats from independent beat producers needs counsel to draft a songwriter favorable, beat license.

Contract Drafting: Cast and Crew Deal Memo: Film

21-0846 Minority filmmaker/musician is producing a short film about personal relationships and needs a contract for cast and crew members.

Contract Drafting: Freelance Writer Agreement

21-0956 Personal finance consultant for artists needs a standard agreement for freelance authors to write blog posts for her website.

Contract Drafting: Producer Director Agreement: Film

21-0897 Client agreed to direct a reality show about the music industry in Chicago but the terms have not been reduced to writing. Client needs counsel to draft a standard Producer Director Agreement.

Contract Drafting: Screenwriter Agreement: Film

21-0959 Screenwriter who is developing a script based on a book about a woman who lived in the 1600s and survived a pandemic, needs an agreement with the author of the book.

Contract Review: Performance Art

21-0896 NFP performance art group that hosts community events for all ages, sometimes through the Chicago Park District, needs counsel to review three contracts, 1) Community Program Agreement, 2) Limits of Liability Agreement, and 3) Instructor Agreement.

Contract Review: Publishing Agreement

21-0851 Minority author of an autobiography needs counsel to review a publishing agreement from a local publisher. Client, also, has one question about the inclusion of court documents in her book.

Copyright Public Domain: Film

21-0832 NFP organized to share silent films that have entered the public domain needs help evaluating the public domain status of a particular film.

Copyright Registration: Performance

21-0876 NFP needs help with copyright registration for its unique multi-sensory performances and exhibits.

Copyright Registration: Visual Art

21-0830 Visual artist needs help with copyright registration for ten drawings that she would like to register as a group. The drawings will be printed on pet related products.

Copyright: Podcasting

21-0751 Immigration NFP needs intellectual property advice regarding their plans to produce a podcast in which undocumented immigrants will share their stories of facing deportation. Organization has counsel to assist with immigration issues.

Dispute: Accounting: Music

21-0146 Minority music artist, Client, registered with one of the DIY music streaming distributors. Client needs help securing a royalty statement and determining if the distributor is withholding royalty payments.

Dispute: Consignment of Art Agreement

21-0568 Visual artist needs help recovering approximately 30 works of visual art from a Chicago gallery. The works were delivered to the gallery in the late 90's and early 2000's under a written Consignment of Art Agreement. Client has never received payment for any of the works.

Dispute: Copyright Infringement: Writing

21-0463 Journalist and business writer needs help evaluating a claim for copyright infringement of a business plan that she wrote several years ago.

Dispute: Demand Letter: Actor Management Agreement

21-0572 Minority actor signed a written agreement with a management company; but shortly after signing terminated the agreement. Following termination, the management company made unauthorized charges against Client's credit card. Client needs counsel to send a demand letter to recover amounts owed.

Dispute: Estates: Music Royalties for Recently Deceased Band Member

21-0491 One of the members of a World Music group, that has been together for ten years, recently passed away leaving two adult children as the heirs to his estate. The Band intends to direct royalties to the deceased member's heirs, but the record label is refusing to divide the deceased member's portion of the royalties. Record label claims that royalties need to go to one person. Client needs help resolving this dispute.

Dispute: Non-payment of Royalties: Music

21-0857 Co-author of a successful house music song needs help evaluating her right to royalties. In addition, if recommended, she will need assistance with recovery though litigation. The song was originally published in the late 1980's and is still being sampled, remixed, and used in various mediums including television and video games. Prior LCA counsel has exhausted options short of litigation. Discovery may reveal that the Client has a claim for fraud.

Dispute: Termination of Assignment of Copyright: Music

21-0075 Client, the son of a successful songwriter, inherited his fathers catalogue of music. He has a Writer Successor Agreement and a Publishing Successor Agreement with BMI. Client decided to request a termaination of the original publishing agreement and needs help negotiating with the publisher.

Estate Planning: Music

21-0282 Minority songwriter with a catalogue of about forty songs needs an estate planning document to transfer those assets to his children.

Immigration: Film

21-0836 Minority filmmaker would like to engage a French cinematographer as the Director of Photography for her experimental narrative film and needs help identifying the correct Visa for this situation. Specifically, she would like advice regarding ESTA.

NFP Advice: Podcast

21-0092 Start-up NFP that does podcasting, and was formerly a project of the founder, needs help evaluating proper steps for transferring assets and liabilities to the NFP.

NFP: Music School

21-0187 Client runs a music school that is currently set up as an L3C. Client needs help evaluating whether this is the best organizational structure for the current operations of the business.

NFP: General Advice - Sustaining the NFP

21-0868 NFP that experienced a rapid decline in membership last year needs advice regarding options for preserving the group or, if necessary, proceeding with dissolution.

Start-up: Music

21-0848 Leader of an Afro-Latin band needs start-up advice, help with business structure and an agreement with the band members. Counsel to represent the leader of the band, not the other members.