Sunday, October 21, 2012

Social Media and Lawsuits; Song Rights Battle; Marketing Strategies


The first podcast that I reviewed concerned Social Media and Lawsuits.  In this podcast, we discover the growing increase of social media within the courts system and legal filings.  In this podcast, they discussed employment and legal occurrences.  What was very interesting is that it has been used as evidence for both civil and criminal cases.  National Law Journal said that Facebook has been a leader or “primary evidence source” for may court cases in the recent months. My thoughts on this podcast and the topic in general is that social media can prove so much, in terms of the dates of postings, images as proof or validity, or even can show a connect between parties by reviewing the message history.  All information pretty much is either saved or can likely be recovered once it is needed.  A point that was brought up was that lawyers have advised their clients to not delete particular items on Facebook or Twitter because of the potential weight that it can possess in the courtroom.  The courts have considered social media to, in some cases, be a viable source.
Ambrogi, B. and Williams, C.  Lawyer2Lawyer-Social Media and Lawsuits (July 12, 2012).  LegalTalkMedia.com. Retrieved on October 21, 2012 from  http://legaltalkmedia.com/LTN/C2C/C2C_071112_SocialMediaLitigation.mp3

The second podcast that I listened to was “The New Legal Battle over Song Rights”.  I was immediately interested in this based on the title.  Within the Music Industry there was a U.S. Copyright Revision in the 70s (1976 Copyright Act).  This law “gave many musicians and songwriters termination rights which gave them the rights to reclaim ownership of their recordings after 35 years so long as they apply for ownership at least 2 years in advance of the 35 year timeline.”  This means many hits that were written almost 35 years ago could now technically be up for grabs by the artist who can apply to become owner.  Sales of catalogue records amount to be a bulk of what provides profits to current record label or music publishers.  Quite often, artists initially sign a contract granting rights to the label and music publisher.  After 35 years they can apply to terminate their contract and retrieve ownership.  This does not include ‘work for hire’ agreements.  ‘Work for hire’ means a stipend was paid or payment negotiated for a collective works agreement. If they were work for hire, then the artist is not able to regain copyrights.  I think it is great that an artist can have the possibility to retain copyrights after this period of time.  Ultimately, I believe it won’t be a quick and easy retrieval because the record label does not want to lose the opportunity to make money.  They don’t want to lose rights, especially from big name stars. 
Williams, C. Lawyer2Lawyer-The New Legal Battle over Song Rights (September 1, 2011).  LegalTalkNetwork.com.   Retrieved on October 21, 2012 from http://legaltalkmedia.com/LTN/C2C/C2C_083111_Copyrights.mp3


Legal Marketing is discussed and the best marketing strategies for lawyers.  One strategy is launching a powerful website that is built to engage and increase clientele.  Many people look online for what they need.  So a strong web presence is key.  Lawyers should prove they are an “expert in their field..answer legal issues in their areas…”  A lawyer has to prove they can be reliable and be held accountable.  Another way is using video marketing.  A great way to break down the communication barriers or intimidation factors is to make a lawyer appear approachable.  Lawyers can do webinars or just upload video updates that not only showcase his/her skill and expertise, but also his/her personality.  Ideally, you want people to want to work with you.  This was an insightful podcast.  I completely agree with this because I often times are hesitant to approach lawyers regarding anything.  This can really ease my communication with them.
Ambrogi, B. and Williams, C. Lawyer2Lawyer-Legal Marketing: Stateside and Worldwide (March 11, 2011). LegalTalkNetwork.com.  Retrieved on October 21, 2012 from http://legaltalkmedia.com/LTN/C2C/C2C_031011_InternationalMarketing.mp3

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