Legal Articles

• Business License
• Child Labor Laws
• Copyright
• Crew Contracts
• Fictitious Business Name
• Labor Laws
• Limited Liability Company
• Location Release Forms
• Talent Contracts
• Talent Release Forms

• In Box
  January, 2010
  by Videomaker Readers
  Comments and links to recent Videomaker Magazine Articles written to help people create better video.
• What's Legal: When Are Background Sounds With A Copyright In Video Clips OK?
  January, 2010
  by Mark Levy and Mike Szydlo
  The scenario is simple: background music, either live or recorded, is playing while you are videotaping a scene. Now you have sounds protected by copyright in…
• What's Legal: producer's rights
  April, 2009
  by John Weir and Mark Levy
  You've Been Pirated! How to take down Copyright Infringers with a Copyright Takedown Notice. Your copyrighted work shows up online, but you didn't put it there.
• Quick Focus
  October, 2008
  by Jennifer O'Rourke
  Seeing RED? How 'bout Scarlet?... Fair Use Guidelines Receive a Facelift for Online Videos... Sing Happy Birthday, for a Fee.
• What's Legal producer's rights
  October, 2008
  by Mark Levy and Gina Gullace
• What's Legal: Producers Rights.
  June, 2008
  by Mark Levy and Gina Gullace
  Private Lives: Who is protected... the producer or the citizen? It depends.
• In Box: reader's letters
  April, 2008
  by The Editors
• The Art of Making a Music Video
  March, 2007
  by Michael Fitzer
  A Comprihensive guide to making a music Video.
• What's Legal
  January, 2007
  by Mark Levy
  As video producers, we're often gifted with an intimate look at people, places and events in the world around us... but we're surrounded by legal time-bombs…
• In Box
  November, 2006
  by Jennifer O'Rourke
• New Titles
  August, 2006
  by Morgan Paar
  Indie Film/Video Legal Documents, 2nd EditionTotal Training for What's New in Adobe Premiere Pro 2Final Cut Pro Advanced Techniques
• Making Cents
  August, 2006
  by Bill Berg-Hillinger
  Turn time and tape into treasure.
• Music, Music, Music
  January, 2004
  by Jim Stinson
  There are several ways to create professional--and legal--music tracks, depending on your needs, talents and budget.
• Please Release Me
  January, 2004
  by Chuck Peters
  A model release form to use when including people in your video.
• Video Screenings for Fun and Fame
  June, 2003
  by Jim Stinson
  Five steps to hosting your own mini-festival.
• Copy Protection
  January, 2002
  by Mark Levy
  Protecting your work can lead to some confusing red tape. Use these tips from two copyright attorneys to help you cut through it.
• In box readers' letters
  January, 2009
  by The Editors
  Inspired by Viewfinder Column; Separation of Editorial Coverage versus Advertising; Sound Needs Consideration, Too; The World is Reading Videomaker - There are&…
• In box readers' letters
  November, 2008
  by The Editors
  readers' letters: Tip on Music Editing with Your iPod... What Is That?... Kids and Legal Video... eNews: Preserving Family Stories
• In Box
  August, 2008
  by The Editors
  readers' letters
• What's Legal YouTube: Fair Use Vs Copyright Laws
  December, 2009
  by Mark Levy and Saba Siddiqui
  The most common YouTube Video copyright infringement involves using songs in without permission of the copyright holder that cannot be claimed as "Fair Use".
• What's Legal: Can You Copyright A Name?
  July, 2009
  by Mark Levy
  The Copyright Act states that names, titles, short phrases and expressions cannot be registered in the U.S. Copyright Office. But Wait! Trademark law can cover…
• What's Legal producer's rights
  January, 2009
  by Mark Levy
  The Public Domain - Unraveling the Confusion of when Copyright claims dissolve. When our country's Founding Fathers adopted the U.S. Constitution, they wanted…
• What's Legal: producer's rights
  April, 2008
  by Mark Levy
  How Fair Is Fair? Copyright Law and Fair Use
• What's Legal: Producer's Rights
  January, 2008
  by Mark Levy
  Musical Copyright Tips to navigate murky shark-filled waters
• Charity Video
  August, 2007
  by Brian Schaller
  For aspiring video producers, it's always hard to find some interesting subject matter. Are you looking for an audience?
• In Box
  July, 2007
  by the Editors
• Share the Dream: Documentary Distribution and Sales --Part III
  June, 2006
  by Randal K. West
  Part 3 of a three part series on how to fund, make, and promote your documentary.
• Model Release Form
  September, 2005
  by Jennifer O'Rourke
  A Videomaker sample release form to use when hiring talent for your next production.
• In Box
  May, 2005
  by Morgan Paar
• Music in a Box
  January, 2005
  by Hal Robertson
  Suspense! Drama! Romance! Laughs! The emotion of your video can change with a click of a mouse with various ways to get music and sound effects into your video.