Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Music Business/Law Tips - "Merchandising" (Part 2)

Term. This period is usually one or more years, or until the advance is recouped. The artist should make sure it has the right to repay the advance so that the deal does not drag on if sales are slow. The merchandiser will want to have a sell-off period (generally six months) after the deal ends in order to finish selling the goods that were manufactured. However, there should be no right to manufacture any further items.

Territory. The territory can be worldwide or rights can be licensed on a region by region basis.

Creative Control. The artist should insist that it has approval over any artwork which will be marketed so that shoddy or negative merchandise does not enter the marketplace.

The sale of merchandise can be very lucrative depending upon the type of artist because some forms of music lend themselves better to the sale of merchandise. Yet, since most popular artists will enter into some type of merchandising agreement, knowledge of the parameters of the contract will help ensure a fair deal.


Ben McLane Esq
benmclane.com

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