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MSBA to Create Two New Sections
~Entertainment & Sports Law
and Intellectual Property~
By Janet Stidman Eveleth
As the world grows increasingly high-tech, businesses are becoming more
sophisticated, with complex transactions that often require the services of
skilled lawyers to tackle their special needs. This is especially true for two
relatively new substantive law areas that have soared in popularity over the
last decade. Entertainment and Sports Law and Intellectual Property Law have
seen an influx of new business clients and, thus, an increase in law
practitioners.
To cater to the needs of practitioners in these fledging legal fields, MSBA
is creating an Entertainment and Sports Law Section and Intellectual Property
Section. In March, MSBA’s Board of Governors approved the establishment of
these two Sections and, with the Association’s membership vote of the support
in June at the Annual Meeting, the Entertainment and Sports Law Section and the
Intellectual Property Section will be up and running. Like MSBA’s 24 other
Sections, these two new Association entities will offer targeted services,
excellent resources and valuable networking opportunities to MSBA members.
“Our two new Sections will offer greater service to greater numbers of
members,” declares MSBA Executive Director Paul V. Carlin. “Our members, like
the public at large, expect to receive services which are particularly relevant
and useful to them. More often we find that one size does not fit all, but rather
benefits might be aimed at particular segments of members.”
Intellectual Property Law
The term IP “reflects the idea that certain kinds of protectable matter may be
thought of as being created solely by one’s intellectual or mental endeavors,”
explains Larry J. Guffey, Chair of MSBA’s IP Committee. “It consists of those
inventions, published works and product or service identifying marks that meet
certain criteria such that one’s ownership rights (e.g., exclusive right to
use) in them are protected, respectively, by government-granted or registered
patents, copyrights or trademarks.”
There has been a steady increase in the number of high-tech firms in across
Maryland with growing complex legal needs which involve the use, protection and
creation of IP rights. Client demand for such things as copyrights, patents,
trademarks, inventions, artistic and literary works and licensing to trade
secrets, fair use, protection/security, ownership and public domain has led to
the need for more skilled practitioners in this field to handle these legal
cases. This inspired MSBA to create a Special IP Committee in 2006, and now,
with 151 members, it is poised to advance to Section status in June.
The IP Committee already offers a number of services to its members. Since its
inception, it has fostered collaborative discussions, offered networking
opportunities and promoted interaction among its practitioners to enhance their
quality of client service. Much of the Committee’s work is handled through its
subcommittees: Program; Communications; Publications; and Membership.
It has also worked with MICPEL to present timely IP CLE programs, equipped its
practitioners with relevant practice skills and forged partnerships with
regional, national and international IP legal groups. “We have set up a website
with a searchable member database that gives an overview of what areas each
attorney handles,” reports Guffey. “This is a great networking tool as it
functions as a comprehensive referral service.”
As a Section, it expects to enhance these services and broaden its scope to
include luncheon programs, an e-newsletter, short webinars, involvement in
MSBA’s Speakers Bureau, articles in the Bar Bulletin and additional MICPEL
programs. It looks forward to becoming a Section in June.
Entertainment and Sports Law
In the last decade, there has also been a surge in the area of entertainment
and sports law. Today, this unique area of law practice encompasses everything
from film, music and literary publishing to multimedia, fine arts, copyright
and trademark legal matters. While there is some cross-over and sharing of
specific skills with the soon-to-be IP Section, as corporate and contract
issues constitute some of the work in the entertainment law arena, too,
Entertainment and Sports Law is a separate and distinct substantive area of
law.
In 2002, MSBA created a Special Entertainment and Sports Law Committee to serve
as a resource to these skilled lawyers. One of the reasons the Committee
combines entertainment with sports law is because sports law largely involves
contracts, agreements, trademarks, unions, merchandising rights and
negotiations. These legal transactions are usually handled by sports agents,
most of whom are lawyers. Now 120 members strong, this Committee seeks
permanence as a Section status in June, too.
Chair Cheryl L. Slay reports her Committee serves as a forum so members can
network and exchange ideas. To date, the group has sponsored MICPEL programs on
key entertainment and sports law issues and held regular meetings. As a
Section, Slay hopes it will expand services to include educational offerings,
informative seminars and other resources to serve the needs of its members. It
eagerly awaits ascension to a Section in June.
Upon MSBA membership approval, both Sections will be launched after the Annual
Meeting in June. Members interested in joining either or both Sections may
contact membership@msba.org to sign up, or refer to MSBA’s website at
www.msba.org.
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