Enthusiast
Audience Participation: Crowdfunding Large Scale Theatrical Productions Through Regulation A+
By Christopher Johnson
Published in the Fall 2016 Issue of the Michigan Business & Entrepreneurial Law Review
Theatrical financing has been conducted in much the same way for the better part of a century. This method, however, has consistently provided only the shows with access to the deepest of pockets a path to Broadway. The advent of Internet-based crowdfunding provides producers access to a potential source of capital that was previously unavailable. Prior to the promulgation of the SEC regulations regarding Title IV of the JOBS Act, this capital could only be accessed through donation or reward based financing campaigns, but with the introduction of Regulation A+, there is finally a practical method for the widespread solicitation of investors for theatrical productions. This comment explores the realities of theatrical financing as well as the associated regulations regarding the sale of these sorts of securities.
“Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.”
In Sync: Encouraging Fair Compensation for Musical Theatrical Compositions Through A Compulsory Synchronization License
By Christopher Johnson
Published in the Spring 2016 Issue of the Berkeley Journal of Entertainment & Sports Law
The licensing framework for musical theatre has remained more or less unchanged for the better part of a century. However, the changes the industry has undergone in the internet age require a parallel update to the licensing process. The rise of contemporary musical theatre composers has been enabled chiefly through the use of user-generated content sites such as YouTube.
This Article explores the changing frontier of contemporary musical theatre as well as the licensing framework that has governed the industry in order to highlight the important omissions in regard to synchronization licenses and the failure of stopgap measures to provide the appropriate framework in an increasingly important facet of the industry.