Artist Class Actions
With over thirty years of experience advocating for artists and entertainers, we understand the unique challenges they face. As experienced entertainment and class action attorneys, we are committed to helping you navigate the complex legal landscape—whether individually or banding together with your fellow artists to address unlawful practices collectively. Some of our successful artist-centric class actions include:
Musician Class Action against UMG Recordings, Inc. for Unpaid Royalties: $11,500,000
Musician Class Action against Warner Music Group for Unpaid Royalties: $11,500,000
Understanding Class Actions
Class action lawsuits are an essential tool for artists and entertainers who have been impacted by unfair practices or have experienced violations of their rights by institutions who use their power and resources to take economic advantage of those individuals who help create the culture we all enjoy. By joining together as a class, artists and entertainers can pool their resources to hold powerful entities accountable for their actions.
Our Commitment to Artists and Entertainers
At Phillips, Erlewine, Given & Carlin, our class action attorneys have a thirty-plus-year history of representing artists, entertainers, and the creative community they comprise. Our team of experienced and dedicated artist and entertainment class action attorneys know their way around complex class action litigation and possesses the expertise needed to address the unique legal issues faced by those in the creative industries.
Practice Areas
Royalty Disputes
Artists and entertainers rely on the fair and timely payment of royalties to support themselves and their families. Unfortunately, artists are not always paid what they are owed for the work they have contributed to. Our team of artist class action attorneys have extensive experience in handling royalty disputes and are adept at navigating the complex web of contracts, licensing agreements, and industry standards to ensure our clients get everything they are entitled to.
Breach of Contract
Contracts, unlike records for athletes or rules of aesthetics for artists, are not made to be broken. Yet, sometimes, entertainment companies do just that. These companies can also break contracts on a universal basis, impacting every artist or entertainer who made a certain type of deal with that company in the same way. We can help artists hold those companies accountable by helping them band together and ensure companies are making good on their contractual promises to every artist they deal with.
Intellectual Property Infringement
Artists often face challenges related to the unauthorized use or infringement of their intellectual property, such as copyrights and trademarks. Sometimes, companies can use the material of many artists without any of their permission, believing they are entitled to do so or banking on the fact that no one artist will take the time to hold them accountable. Our class action litigators are well-versed in copyright and trademark litigation and will fight zealously to protect artists and entertainers’ intellectual property rights on a class basis.
Unfair Business Practices
Artists and entertainers, just like everyone else, can be taken advantage of my unscrupulous entertainment companies, advisors, or other industry professionals. While such practices may impact different artists in different ways, to the extent the practices are widespread, derive from a uniform illegal practice or custom, or impact a certain type of artist, our class action attorneys stand ready and committed to pursue justice on behalf of those who have been wronged.
Our Approach
We are committed to providing strategic and effective representation for artists and entertainers. Sometimes that means resolving difficult matters through negotiation, sometimes it means litigating a matter for the individual artist or entertainer, other times it may mean seeking class action relief on their behalf. As one of the few firms with extensive experience representing artists and prosecuting class actions, we are uniquely suited to prosecute class actions on artists’ behalf. We prioritize open and transparent communication with our clients, ensuring that they are fully informed and involved at every stage of the litigation process.
Contact us to speak with one of our artist and entertainment class action attorneys for further information.
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