stumbling dice

I'm a former musician and music journalist turned entertainment attorney. I have my own intellectual property and entertainment firm, The Seay Firm LLC (www.theseayfirm.com), where I mostly work with artists and arts-related organizations. I also work with non-arts-related (but usually creative-minded) small businesses. Follow me on Twitter: @TheSeayFirmLLC. I currently live in Atlanta, Georgia with my lovely wife, Jennifer, who is more of a rock star than I could ever be. I have a dog, Harold, who by all accounts is a good boy. I listen to music all of the time.

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How to Register a Copyright & Save Yourself Money

How to Register a Copyright & Save Yourself Money

We break down the odds and ends of registering copyrights.

This article was originally published by DJBOOTH

Whenever a client asks me to submit a copyright registration for them, I always tell them, straight up, “I’m happy to do it for you, but if you’re looking to save money, then this is something you can do yourself if you set aside an hour to figure out the application.”

The actual…

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Copyright Office Establishes New Rules for Group Copyright Registration

Copyright Office Establishes New Rules for Group Copyright Registration

Following public suggestion, the U.S. Copyright Officehas established new rules allowing for group registration of unpublished works. Whereas previously the number of unpublished works you could register was limited only by what you could upload to the system in an hour, the new system, available only via the online application (and with the deposits being uploaded through the online system),…

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The CASE Act: Small Claims Court for Copyright Litigation

The CASE Act: Small Claims Court for Copyright Litigation

            In September 2019, the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee passed the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act. The CASE Act would give claimants the ability to enforce copyrights in their creative works without having to shell out for expensive federal copyright legislation, which can cost around $397,000, according to the American Intellectual Property…

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Seay Firm Founder, John Seay Speaks at UGA Music Business Program On Thursday, September 5, John Seay spoke to David Barbe's class at the UGA Music Business Program in Athens, GA.

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What's the Deal With Global Release Day?

What’s the Deal With Global Release Day?

So, what’s the deal with new music only coming out on Fridays? Photo credit: Pixabay https://pixabay.com

If you’re over the age of 35, then you might remember a time when the only way to obtain your favorite artist’s new album was to go to the record store and buy a physical copy of it. In the pre-digital era, this meant purchasing a vinyl record, cassette tape, or compact disc. Then, as now, new…

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Georgia Trend Names John Seay 2018 Legal Elite in Entertainment Law

Georgia Trend Names John Seay 2018 Legal Elite in Entertainment Law

John Seay, posing at his office at The Goat Farm.

The Seay Firm is honored to announce the recognition of John Seay as a 2018 Legal Elite in the Entertainment Law field by Georgia Trend, yet again!

Georgia Trend is a statewide publication focusing on Georgia business, politics and economic development since 1985. Their annual recognition of “Legal Elite” names the state’s top attorneys in 16…

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Four Things to Know About Option Agreements

Option agreements are commonly used in the film industry. But what are they exactly? Photo credit: Pixabay https://pixabay.com What is an Option Agreement?

In the film industry, an option agreement is an agreement between a producer and an author of a book, play, article, or screenplay. A well-drafted option agreement is actually comprised of two different agreements: (1) the option agreement,…

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6 Things Artists & Producers Should Know About Beat Lease Agreements

6 Things Artists & Producers Should Know About Beat Lease Agreements

Take the Time to Understand Your Agreements! (Photo Courtesy of DJBOOTH)

Originally published in DJBOOTHSeptember 13, 2018

Not that you need me to tell you this, but the music industry can be intimidating. As artists and producers, you’ll confront a variety of agreements as you navigate your careers. Today, I’m going to break down a problematic but popular type of agreement between artists and…

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6 Things Artists & Producers Should Know About Beat Lease Agreements

6 Things Artists & Producers Should Know About Beat Lease Agreements

Take the Time to Understand Your Agreements! (Photo Courtesy of DJBOOTH)

Originally published in DJBOOTH September 13, 2018

Not that you need me to tell you this, but the music industry can be intimidating. As artists and producers, you’ll confront a variety of agreements as you navigate your careers. Today, I’m going to break down a problematic but popular type of agreement between artists and…

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Understanding the Georgia Musical Tax Credit

Understanding the Georgia Musical Tax Credit

The new Georgia Musical Tax Credit applies to qualifying touring musicals and recorded musical performances. Photo credit: Pixabay https://pixabay.com

After the success of Georgia’s production tax credit, the state enacted a new tax credit to boost the music industry. On January 1, 2018, Georgia’s Musical Tax Credit went into full effect, and the tax credit grants qualifying touring musical or…

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Understanding Georgia’s Film and Television Production Incentives

Understanding Georgia’s Film and Television Production Incentives

Motion picture director Oscar Micheaux (center) with an actor and possible a crew member appearing in an advertisement for the Micheaux Film Corporation. Credit: The New York Public Library, New York. The New York Public Library Digital Collections https://digitalcollections.nypl.org

Over the last few years, Georgia has become one of the most popular states in the film industry. So popular, that…

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What We Talk About When We Talk About Fair Use

What We Talk About When We Talk About Fair Use

What does a fair use trial take? Sometimes, a whole lot of grit. Credit: The New York Public Library, New York. The New York Public Library Digital Collections https://digitalcollections.nypl.org

Every conversation I have with clients about fair use is really a conversation about their tolerance for risk. Instead of a definitive set of black and white rules on which clients can rely, all we have…

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Will Ruling About Embedding Tweets Change the Internet?

Will Ruling About Embedding Tweets Change the Internet?

A man holding a volume of Casserius…was the painter an early embedder? Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images [email protected] http://wellcomeimages.org

Embedding, also known as in-line linking, is a common way to share information on the Internet. Online publishers regularly embed Tweets, YouTube videos, and Facebook content into articles.

For example, almost every article about…

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Recent Developments: Songwriters Strike Back

Recent Developments: Songwriters Strike Back

Rabid Crowd Celebrates Songwriters (probably)

Guest Post By Dorian Silva

Songwriters in the United States have had a good few weeks, given some recent developments in the music industry. Historically, creative work done by those in a so-called “supporting role,” such as producers and songwriters, has been undervalued. But the industry is now shifting towards and more equitable balance of power,…

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Dream do come true. New @omnideluxe on red vinyl. Thanks @troubleinmindrecords and thank you Great Octopus God in the Sky.

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New newsletter on the blog. Six years in business. Not too shabby. Link in bio, y'all. (at The Seay Firm LLC - Entertainment Law)

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Seay Firm Newsletter - Celebrating Six Years in Business

Seay Firm Newsletter – Celebrating Six Years in Business

SXSW Panel Photo: Maggie Vail (CASH Music), John Seay (Seay Firm), Nicole Poulos (Sideways Media), and Jay Coyle (Music Geek Services)

This past year, my sixth as a sole practitioner, was the most eventful year yet for my practice. I had plenty of cool stuff happen, including the following:

Stuff I Went and Did

I spoke at SXSW – yes, that actually happened. The title of my panel was “Building…

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