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Just Announced!

New Bootcamp Dates Announced :

New York, NY
June 28, 2008

Read more about the VLA Bootcamp...

Participant Feedback:

"This was so useful and wonderful and well worth the price of
admission -- what a great resource! Thank you!"
New York Bootcamp Participant

For additional feedback from Bootcamp participants please click here.

Program Details

Saturday, 10:00am to 5:00pm

Registration & Orientation: 10:00am to 10:15am

Introduction & Welcome

Elena M. Paul, Executive Director, VLA
Alexei O. Auld, Director of Legal Services, VLA

A. Your Arts Business- 10:15am to 11:45am

Your artistic and creative activities may be exposing you to liability. Threshold issues for arts professionals and organizations include deciding if, and when, to set up a formal legal entity for your activities, and deciding between the for-profit and not-for-profit corporate models.

11:45am to 12:00pm: Break

B. Intellectual Property - 12:00pm to 1:30pm

If you create, perform or work with music, film, dance, theatre, literary material, visual artworks or graphic design, you are dealing with intellectual property assets. So, it’s key for you to understand the law that governs these assets. This segment will cover the general standards for copyright protection; moral rights; registration; ownership and authorship; infringement and remedies; works for hire; fair use; licensing; and protection duration. This segment will also cover trademark law and the importance of policing and protecting your service and trademarks.

1:30pm to 2:45pm: Lunch Break

In New York, a conversation over lunch with Peter Rienecker, Esq., Vice President and Senior Counsel in Charge of Original Programming of Home Box Office, to consider issues in television and film with a focus on documentary and reality programming.

C. Contract Basics - 2:45pm to 4:15pm

Contracts define and organize your relationships with others whether or not you realize it, since they may be oral or written. This segment will explain the standard for legally enforceable contracts, and will cover the additional terms that are recommended to be a part of your contracts (compensation, credit, control, performance standards and timing, default, termination, etc.). In addition, practical and strategic considerations of contract negotiations and drafting, and the rules by which courts construe and interpret contract provisions will be covered.

D. Ask the Lawyer Panels (Choose One) - 4:15pm to 5:00pm

Attendees will break into small groups for the opportunity to have remaining issues and questions addressed by experienced arts and entertainment attorneys.