Legal Line

Through the NT Law Society - Public Purposes Trust Grant. MusicNT in partnership with Media Arts Lawyers offer members access to advice on legal issues involving you and your music.

Understanding the rights you create and control and the ways in which to protect and obtain benefit from these rights is fundamental to all artists, musicians and other rights creators” Stephen King - Media Arts Lawyers 

Rights creators will encounter agreements, contracts, terms and conditions whether in respect of performing live, recording, touring, online music and merchandise sales.  Appropriate legal advice can greatly assist rights creators in understanding and protecting their rights and ensure that any agreements they enter into with respect to such rights are on the best possible terms.  Legal advice provided through Legal Line can cover matters relating to recording, publishing, synchronisation, touring and artwork and video creation agreements and contracts.

Qualification Criteria

In order to qualify for a thirty minute consultation session, MusicNT members must satisfy one of the following criteria.

  • Member is the owner/controller of intellectual property rights (master recordings/musical compositions/merchandise rights etc.) and requires advice on the exploitation of such intellectual property rights; 
  • Member is a member of an existing band and requires advice with respect to formalizing band agreement with other band members and/or structure of band entity;
  • Member has an existing or potential distribution agreement in place and requires advice with respect to such agreement;
  • Member songwriters are members of APRA/AMCOS and all works are registered and require advice with respect to potential exploitation of musical works;
  •  Members have master rights that are available for sale via physical/digital and online streaming services and require advice with respect to potential agreement for exploitation of such rights;
  • Member has an existing or potential recording, license or publishing agency agreement in place and requires advice with respect to such agreement;
  • Members have an existing or potential live performance and touring agreement in place and require advice with respect to such agreement;
  •  Member artist is a recipient of a funding grant and requires advice on use of funding for creation of copyrights and contracts to secure rights in such copyrights; 
  • Member has an existing or potential sponsorship or merchandising agreement in place and requires advice with respect to such agreement;
  • Member requires general advice on performer, producer and composer rights, agreements and releases;

Guidelines

  • All consultation discourse to remain confidential.
  • An eligible applicant can only have 1 referral per calendar year.
  • Consultation can be via email, phone or video conference, which ever is most appropriate for each case.
  • Each consultation is the equivalent of 0.5 Hour of evaluation and response.
  • If further advice or communication is required, the applicant must cover any additional costs incurred.

Process

  • Member applies for a consultation through this form.
  • MusicNT assess the application with the criteria checklist.
  • Application is sent to Media Arts Lawyers
  • Upon approval, applicant is notified by email.
  • Non-approved applications will be sent information on alternative options.

Legal Line

Name(Required)
In order to qualify for a thirty minute consultation session, MusicNT members must select one of the following criteria.