It’s getting to that time of year where individuals reflect on the previous year’s accomplishments and everything they want to work on and improve in the coming year. At Edwards Creative Law, we are no different! This year, we have come up with a few potential New Year’s resolutions for our creative blog readers out there – but since you’re a regular reader of this blog, you probably already know this stuff! These fundamental considerations are for creatives of all types to keep in mind when working with others – whether it is a longtime partner, a new collaborator, or someone engaging you for ..read more

Comic Books and Graphic Novels – What are the Legal Considerations? Developing a comic book or graphic novel (we’ll collectively refer to as “comics” in this blog) is an exciting adventure to embark upon. While making comics may share similarities to writing prose, comics come with their own set of novel legal considerations (pun intended). For one, the comic may be based on existing characters or stories. Another unique aspect is that it may be a joint venture involving several creators in the production of the comic. As well, publishing or distribution of comics can be unique due to their se ..read more

Shareholder’s Agreements in Canada Corporate law is an important aspect of entertainment law because many entertainment businesses choose to incorporate. Often, a business will choose to incorporate after it has reached a certain point in its growth; this may relate to an increase in its personnel numbers or in its output capacity. For a more detailed discussion on incorporation, including why a business should incorporate, we recommend you read our blog Corporate Law: Why, When & How to Incorporate Your Entertainment Business. Upon incorporation, a business will have incorporators and dir ..read more

The History of #CandianContent Posts Canada Day 2023 – This series of blog posts was initiated in 2015 with the intention to share some Canadian content ideas on Canada Day – including films, music, TV programs, books, games, and more. While we know every day is a good day to consume and share #CanadianContent, Canada Day is another reason to celebrate it, be proud of it, and support the creation of more of it. New Canadian Music Releases in 2023 It’s been a breakout year for a variety of Canadian performers still very into their careers including Elijah Woods, Devon Cole, Aysanabee, LAVI$H, J ..read more

What Makes Manitoba an Appealing Destination for Filmmakers? Manitoba has a strong film tax credit program. With base tax credit percentages of 45% and 30% for its cost-of-salaries (“MBCOS”) and cost-of-production (“MBCOP”) programs, respectively, the province has become one of the most appealing and cost-effective locations to film in Canada. How Can Manitoba’s Film Tax Credits Be Increased Further? What may not be known is that both of Manitoba’s primary tax credit options can be increased further when a production utilizes tax credit bonuses. The MBCOS tax credit can be increased from its b ..read more

Introduction: Your Path to Success with an Entertainment Lawyer Hiring an entertainment lawyer can be a critical step in the career of an artist, producer, director, writer, developer, or entertainer in Canada. This guide will walk you through the process, answering key questions, such as “what is an entertainment lawyer”, and providing insights into the world of entertainment law. What is an Entertainment Lawyer? You may be wondering, what is an entertainment lawyer? How is an entertainment lawyer different from a “regular” lawyer? An entertainment lawyer restricts their practice to the needs ..read more

Can AI Generated Works be Copyrighted in Canada? In Part One of this blog series we begin our legal exploration of generative AI (artificial intelligence) looking at training data and rights needed to use the AI data. The general rule is that it is important for programmers to acquire licenses where training data is copyright protected. The exceptions to this are if the AI training data is now in the public domain or if it is an allowable use of the copyrighted material, such as through the fair dealing exception. In Part Two we continue our discussion on generative AI, exploring the copyright ..read more

Esports Sponsorships Introduction Sponsorships in Esports are an integral part of the landscape, just as they are in traditional spectator sports. Esports is an exploding entertainment sector on pace to outstrip the film and television industry in terms of sheer economic activity. Sponsorship – in terms of volume and complexity – is one of the fastest-growing and effective marketing communication tools with respect to Esports. Currently, there are more sponsorship opportunities at the team level compared to those for individual gamers/athletes. But as individual athletes grow their own fan bas ..read more

Music Royalty Fees Explained – The Recording This blog takes the perspective of a recording artist who either releases music independently or with the assistance of a record label and/or a music publisher. First off, if you as a recording artist are having your music produced by someone else, you need to ensure you own the recording by way of an agreement in writing with the producer. On its own, simply paying a producer does not mean you own the sound recording copyright. Other names for a recording are sound recording, master recording, and master. There are different types of record labels ..read more

Publishing Contracts and Publishing Rights – Introduction In Part 1 of this blog series we discussed how book publishing contracts vary in quality and fairness. We also addressed what you, as a writer, should watch out for when a publishing contract lands in your inbox. Specifically, we discussed the publishing rights granted, scope of licence, copyright owners, publisher’s obligations, and monetary advances. In Part 2 we continue our examination of publishing contracts, identifying further key sections such as publishing rights, royalties, termination, and potential red flags in the publ ..read more