The key to Hurley Stanners and Matsko’s representation in the areas of creative arts and entertainment is a strong business law background, buttressed by a good understanding of copyright law and business practices in the arts and entertainment fields. We work very hard to educate our creative arts and entertainment clients on copyright law and on general business practices so that as they progress in their chosen field they do not encounter problems.
We have drafted or reviewed contracts relative to the purchase of literary rights, negotiated Option Agreements and License Agreements for the use of visual art to be used in fabric, draperies, furniture designs and other home products, as well as, a License Agreement for the use of art on a compact disc cover. We also negotiated a Production Contract between a well known Chicago based director and a visual artist client for 6 short films for use in the artist’s exposition of his works.
Do not even ask about the stir that was created when “Mr. T.” called the office to discuss a possible project with one of our clients or when a staff member was convinced that a business client named Shirley McLane was really the actress Shirley McLane and we were trying to protect her privacy.
The Hurley Stanners & Matsko arts and entertainment practice varies broadly.
Creative Arts. Creative arts clients include: writers, visual artists, fashion designers, stock photography companies, photographers, actresses, art investors, art advisors, graphic design companies, and marketing firms.
Entertainment. Entertainment clients include: screenplay writers, playwrights, musical and television production companies, musical artist business managers, recording companies and musical artists. Unique clients have included: the estate of a renowned Chicago composer, a 6 year old child prodigy musical composer, celebrity impersonator applying for a reality television show, a prior participant in a “Girls Gone Wild” production over a spring break, the family of an infamous Chicagoan buried in a Cadillac shaped coffin, who wanted to prevent songs from airing about their relative and an Employment Agreement for an assistant producer for a reality television show.