Valar Bloghaeris (All Men Must Blog) - The [Legal] Artist Turns Four!
/
Greetings friends! Today The [Legal] Artist turns four years old! I truly never thought this would last so long and that's all due to you. Your readership and encouragement over the years has kept me going even when I wanted to throw in the towel. I hope to continue entertaining you for another year, but since I've made a habit on this anniversary date to look backwards, not forwards, here's a list, in no particular order, of some of my favorite posts from the past year. Please take a spin through them, pass them around, and comment to your heart's content. Cheers!
Graffiti Is Art Worth Suing Over. I enjoyed writing this piece quite a bit and I think it touches on something important - just because you may not like something doesn't mean it doesn't have inherent value.
Is The Roommate Agreement In The Big Bang Theory Valid? When I decided to start this blog way back in 2012, this was one of the first ideas I came up with, but for various reasons never got around to writing. I finally got to it this year and not only was it one my favorites to research and write, but also to go back and reread from time to time. It's also a pretty good primer on contract law, so check it out!
When Politicians Use Music Without Permission It’s Not a Copyright Issue, It’s a Trademark Issue (But It Doesn’t Matter Anyway). Man this election. For whatever reason, this season the issue of using music for political rallies has become a THING, so I wrote about it! I think it's one of my best written and it's also one of the most heavily clicked on articles I've ever posted.
When The Movies Get It Right: Spotlight Explains Why Lawyers Sometimes Have To Represent Bad Men. This blog post is the most visited in the history of this entire blog by orders of magnitude. I think it's probably the best thing I've ever put here and it's in service of a film that is truly great and that truly understood how to incorporate legal stuff without dumbing it down for the audience.
Is Working For Free Ever Worth It?, Is Working For Exposure Ever Worth It? and How To Ask To Be Paid: Part 3 In The "Is Working For _______ Ever Worth It" Series. Parts one, two, and three of a really important series I wrote that forces you to ask how to value yourself in the marketplace. All of these are must reads if you're an artist trying to make your way in the world.
Jessica Jones vs. The Purple Man: The Right Way To Build A Criminal Case and The Foggy Effect: Daredevil Season Two Shows Us What Good Lawyering Really Is. I love it when movies and TV get the legal stuff right, and Marvel's TV shows seem to be doing that with aplomb. It doesn't hurt that they're awesome shows to boot. I think these are some of my better written articles and I like to peek back in on them periodically just for fun. You should too!
Why Representation Matters. I wrote this for my short-lived film criticism blog but I think it's super important and am reprinting it here. Lack of representation is a major issue in the entertainment industry and I'm a huge supporter of ensuring that ensuring that everyone, not just white people, have a chance to get their voices heard.
You Can’t Copyright Style. It's important to know when copyright law protects you and when it doesn't. This blog post helps show you the way.
On Bill Watterson’s Refusal To License Calvin and Hobbes. Why did Bill Watterson's refusal to license Calvin and Hobbes end up making the comic strip more popular? I think it's a fascinating question and one I wanted to understand more deeply, so I wrote about it. I think this is one of my best written pieces.
Why Prince Didn’t Leave a Will. I think the answer is much less complicated than you'd believe. One of the most visited blog posts I've ever written.
Why “Is This Legal?” Is The Hardest Question I Get As A Lawyer. An important issue that I felt it was time to address.
When Cosplay Makes You Liable For Copyright Infringement. Cosplay has become a real cottage industry in the last few years so it felt like now was the right time to address the copyright implications of being a cosplayer. If you love cosplaying, you should read this.
