Gary A. Watson is a an attorney with Gary A Watson & Associates, an entertainment law practice based in Los Angeles, CA. He is also the former chair of the American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries. His client list has included some of the most legendary record labels in the USA, such as Def Jam Records and Motown Records.
In this clip from the 2007 American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, moderator Terry McBride (Nettwerk Records) and attorneys Gary A. Watson, Michael Guido, Robert Windham, and Stanley H. Schneider discuss the effect of new digital music distribution technologies and enterprises on the music marketplace, and the state of the copyright laws which regulate this market. Among the topics discussed are: what the RIAA is really doing by suing its customers who illegally download music; whether unit sales are still the best way to measure success in today’s music industry – and if not, what is; the legal implications of the new 360 deals being signed by artists like Madonna; how online music services like The Orchard and SNOCAP attempt to address the new realities of music sales in the digital age; some possible ways to ensure that all parties still get their fair share in a digital distribution model; whether digital rights management works; and what the future might hold for artists, publishers, record labels, and retailers in the new digital marketplace.
In this clip from the 2007 American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, the panelists discuss the next five years of the music industry, and identify what they believe to be the major coming trends in how money is made and music is distributed.
In this clip from the 2007 American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, the panelists discuss an audience question about whether they are seeing record labels investing differently in artists with whom they have signed 360 deals. They also share their thoughts on whether companies like LiveNation are likely to engage in artist development in addition to signing marquee deals with artists like Madonna.
In this clip from the 2007 American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, the panelists discuss an audience question as to whether music still has value to people in an age when it can be heard for free. Moderator Terry McBride then shares his thoughts on the need for the music industry to learn how to monetize the behavior of the consumer, rather than focus on per-unit sales as the ultimate goal.
In this clip from the 2007 American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, the panelists respond to an audience question about possible ways that entertainment companies can capture revenue lost by illegal downloading and filesharing – including taxing internet service providers or requiring them to monitor the activity of users who have accounts on their system.
In this clip from the 2007 American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, the panelists discuss an audience question about what the future holds for music lawyers and young people who want to become music lawyers. They share their thoughts on how a lawyer in 2012 will make their money, what they should know in order to best represent their artist clients, and why understanding business and finance is now – and always will be – critical.
In this clip from the 2007 American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, the panelists discuss an audience question about whether a traditional record deal could –or should – ever be converted into a 360 deal, or vice versa, what the implications could be for an artist if this were to happen, and what a hybrid deal might look like.
In this clip from the 2007 American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, the panelists discuss what Radiohead’s lawyers would have done to make the pay-what-you-want experiment safe for their artist, how they would advise Radiohead if they were the lawyer in question, and what the long-term prospects for such a model are.
In this clip from the 2007 American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, the panelists discuss the RIAA’s lawsuits against music fans accused of downloading music illegally. The panelists address who the RIAA is suing, what effects the suits have on the music-consuming population, and whether the lawsuits are a viable solution to the music industry’s troubles.
In this clip from the 2007 American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, the panelists discuss the merits and income prospects of Live Nation’s “360 deal” with Madonna, and how that deal is structured to the advantage of each party. They also discuss 360 deals in general, and whether this model is likely to be the future of the record industry.
