Intellectual Property Archives - Take Creative Control

Oct 29

For College Athletes, Rules Changes are no Substitute for Salaries

By Kim Tignor Courts, Intellectual Property, NCAA, Sports No Comments

Fall is officially here and with it one of this country’s most beloved past times: college sports. There remain open debates on who suffered more during the cancelled seasons: college athletes or their fans. But in the midst of a global pandemic that shined a glaring light on systemic health and resource disparities, the future of our college athletes was under an additional layer of uncertainty. However, following a recent decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, some of that uncertainty has been resolved. Read More

Jun 23

Love0

If you created it, you should probably trademark it — even quarantine parties

By Kim Tignor Intellectual Property, Legal, Trademark

In early March, at the very start of quarantine, D-Nice reminded us all of the power of music. What originally began as a way to connect with his friends (first Bun-B and Black Thought) and listen to music over Instagram live, grew into a series of historic, hours-long DJ sets for a crowd that has included Jamie Foxx, Timbaland, Rihanna, and Michelle Obama. Club Quarantine has become a much-needed escape from what’s going on around us; they are pure nostalgia, fun, and authenticity. It wasn’t long until D-Nice was approached by record companies and fast food chains to partner up with Club Quarantine, but he rejected their offers in hopes of building something bigger and new with Club Quarantine. And so he took the step of filing for a trademark for “Club Quarantine” and “Homeschool” in hopes of using the brand even after Coronavirus passes. Read More

Feb 07

Love1

The Evolution of Artist Ownership

By Kim Tignor Hip Hop, Intellectual Property, Music, Music Business

When industry recognition finally knocks, it doesn’t come bearing a manual on how a musician should make smart choices. But for artists, making smart choices and deals early is critical to ensuring the integrity of their work and securing future earnings.

This past week, rapper Mase took to social media to call out his former label head, Diddy. His concerns centered around ownership of his masters — the recordings from which all licensing and royalty agreements flow: “You bought it (Mase’ master publishings) for about 20k & I offered you 2m in cash. This is not black excellence at all. When our own race is enslaving us. If it’s about us owning, it can’t be about us owning each other.” Read More