Law Offices of Daniel W Katz Esquire, LLC

12/13/2024

MUSICIANS: do not opt in to “ai protection” or anything similar from digital distributors or aggregators without fully understanding what it means. More and more, this supposed protection means they will take your music and use it to train AI models. This is an emerging issue. Do not blindly agree to terms and conditions. If any of this is something you’re concerned with and need a trained eye to review, I am happy to help.

TLDR: don’t let your music be stolen and used because you can’t be bothered to read.

05/02/2024

If you are arrested protesting and have questions regarding your rights, contact my office and any consultation or questions you may have are free of charge.

04/19/2024

There’s been a new scam lately I’m seeing pop up in the music industry. Someone will approach you via social media claiming to be from a big label. They’ll express interest in your music and send you what may look like an official looking contract. This contract will likely promise a huge advance; I just saw one for a million dollars for a brand new artist. The “label” will then ask you for things such as a copy of your passport or banking info. Next thing you know, you’re out a lot of money or a new credit card has been opened in your name.

Some general advice:

1) a label will likely not approach you via social media, except from that label’s official social media channels.

2) there are NO circumstances that a label needs a copy of your identification documents or bank information in order to initially sign you to a deal. It is reasonable that they may require this down the road if the label is getting you a visa or setting up a direct deposit, but even then, it’s not incredibly common

3) big label record contracts are not 3-5 pages ever. They may send a deal memo confirming initial terms, but that will always be followed by a lengthy full agreement.

4) correspondence from labels will come from official channels. Look at the contact info on the label’s website. The domain from which you receive emails should be the same the majority of the time.

5) if you feel like a deal is too good to be true, say you’re a developing artist with only 5 singles out and you get offered an advance of 500k, contact a lawyer immediately before agreeing to anything or providing any information.

I’ve seen this scam most frequently from people claiming to be related to Motown Records, but it is hardly limited to that. It’s truly a shame that in an already predatory industry, scammers are making things even worse.

12/12/2022

Given the influx of calls as of late, I think this bears repeating:

Under no circumstances will we represent landlords.

10/15/2021

Hello! I almost forgot I had a page. Lately, my favorite sort of work to do has been helping people start businesses. In 2021, there’s a lot of opportunities for people to find a niche they’re passionate about and run their own company. I pride myself on helping people start from the ground up, and have seen multiple clients walk away from the grind of their jobs into their new position as owners of their own company. If this is an idea you’ve been kicking around, reach out. I am happy to offer a free consult.

04/20/2021

Unless ma*****na legalization is paired with release of non violent drug offenders and expungement of their records, it is a token gesture. Celebrate safely folks.

10/01/2020

It was a huge honor to talk about some nuanced areas of law in one of my favorite publications. I love music, and I love law (sometimes), so being able to combine the two was really cool.

https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2020/10/01/immortal-rights-dan-seagrave-vs-earache-records/ #

Decibel investigates the ongoing fight over album art between legendary artist Dan Seagrave and extreme metal progenitors Earache Records.

05/31/2020

If you need to speak to an attorney after yesterday’s protests, I will be offering my services pro bono.

04/16/2020

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there during these unprecedented times. The office is open, and while most people are not looking for legal services right now, rest assured if they are needed, I am available.