Know your rights and get them in writing ahead of time – “Friday” video cautionary tale
The popular “Friday” music video, produced by ARK Music Factory and sung by Rebecca Black, was removed from YouTube apparently as part of a dispute regarding the rights to the video. It is unclear whether Ms. Black or her mother signed any sort of contract with ARK, but if something was signed, it appears that it was not clear about ownership of the various rights involved in such a project. Whether you think ARK is unfairly exploiting Black or that Black is asking for more than she paid for, one thing is clear: Both parties would have benefited from a clear contract at the outset of their relationship.
If you put time, energy or money into any kind of creative project (e.g. writing, painting and other graphic arts, video, music), it is important to know your rights and to know your options for using, licensing or selling those rights. Rights of Publicity, Copyright and Trademarks are just a few areas to consider and each of these has very different rules regarding what is protected, how it is protected and how rights are transferred or licensed. Make sure you know your rights before collaborating with anyone on creative works.
