In the entertainment world, celebrities and professional athletes no longer seek only money as compensation for their product and service endorsements. Instead, many are looking to secure hybrid ‘sweat equity deals’ that offer a combination of cash and equity ownership
Brian J. Murphy Blog
The Brian J. Murphy Blog, published by Brian J. Murphy – Attorney & Counselor at Law, focuses on legal issues at the intersection of entertainment, intellectual property, internet and new media, and sports law. It covers topics such as entertainment finance, production subsidies, talent representation, IP portfolio management, licensing, brand integration, and digital asset rights including NFTs and blockchain. The blog also addresses sports contract negotiation, marketing, esports agreements, and business formation and operations relevant to creative and media industries. It provides insights into evolving legal challenges faced by celebrities, athletes, content creators, and businesses in the entertainment and technology sectors.
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Latest from Brian J. Murphy Blog
Celebrities and Professional Athletes in Hot Water with SEC Over Crypto Asset Promotion
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been making headlines recently by enforcing U.S. securities laws surrounding crypto assets. The SEC has also taken an extremely aggressive stance regarding high-profile celebrities and professional athletes who have promoted crypto assets, sending…
Investment Firms Are Courting YouTube Creators
Investment companies looking for the next big revenue stream have taken notice of the second-most popular social media platform in the world, namely YouTube. Jellysmack, a company that works with YouTube creators to help them expand onto new platforms, is…
IP Rights to Blockchain and Digital Assets
NFT lawsuits involving content creators, celebrity endorsers, content distributors, businesses, and startups are becoming more frequent as the debate about who owns the underlying asset’s copyright and who has the authority to create an NFT becomes more contentious, and as…
How to Structure NFT Agreements
The recent lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court by G2 Esports against NFT developer Bondly should serve as a warning to IP content owners and creators considering working with an NFT developer/sales agent. To avoid major disagreements and…
How Will Recent Executive Orders Affect NFTs?
The rise in popularity of the blockchain ecosystem and growth in ownership of digital currency (e.g., Bitcoin), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), digital wallets, and digital asset trading platforms have had a substantial impact on our financial system. The United States is…
How Esports Contracts Exploit Players
The increasing popularity of competitive video games has created a global Esports industry that in 2021 had an audience size of 474 million viewers and generated $1.6 billion. While the industry is generating billions off its’ tournaments and providing long…
Sponsorship Revenue in the NFL Continues to Rise
Sponsorship revenue for the NFL increased 12% during the 2021-22 season to a record $1.8 billion, according to sports partnership consultancy firm IEG. Despite not associating with gambling businesses in the past, sports betting and casinos saw the largest growth…
Sports Jersey Patch Sponsorship Deals on the Rise
Brand sponsorship deals, including sports jersey sponsorships have become increasingly common in professional sports. Jersey sponsorships are when a company pays substantial amounts to advertise their logo on an athlete’s jersey. These corporate sponsorships represent some of the most profitable…
Europe’s Independent Production Model Grows
As big streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Disney Plus pivot from capturing market share to profitability, growth in European content supply may be about to hit a breaking point in 2022.
European SVOD Slowing Down
Resources for European content…