Publications

How Wu-Tang Clan's Secret Album Just Revolutionized Art Law

How Wu-Tang Clan's Secret Album Just Revolutionized Art Law

Not just another intellectual property case. For the first time, a U.S. court has recognized that a creative work, when it’s worth depends on secrecy rather than mass distribution, can be protected as a trade secret. The implications for the art world are staggering. A precedent-setting decision by a New York federal court ruled that Wu-Tang Clan's single-copy album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, could qualify as a trade secret under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA). Traditional Copyright Law isn’t enough for today’s art market.

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Feeling Good? James Brown Estate Inches Toward A Resolution
Matthew Erskine Matthew Erskine

Feeling Good? James Brown Estate Inches Toward A Resolution

Could James Brown have avoided the lengthy controversy that is still going on in the South Carolina courts? Perhaps not, but helping musician clients gain a firm understanding of how their copyrights can be transferred, and who gets their termination rights, coupled with some creative planning, makes it less likely to result in long-term litigation.

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