Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Perspective on Impact of COVID-19 on Entertainment Industry

By Stan Soocher
May 01, 2020

Leslie José Zigel is Chair of the Entertainment, Media & Technology Group at Greenspoon Marder. Based in the law firm's Miami, FL, office, Zigel focuses on music, film, TV and new technology. His clients include musical artists Pitbull, Carlos Vives, the Wailers and Wisin, as well as entertainment companies Endemol Shine Latino, DJ City, and the iii Points and Dirty Bird music festivals. In this interview with Entertainment Law & Finance Editor-in-Chief Stan Soocher, Zigel offers his thoughts on entertainment industry issues arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic. He can be reached at [email protected].

Q: Live events are a segment of the entertainment industry that the COVID-19 pandemic affected immediately and for the near future. What are some of the key impacts you see in this?

Zigel: Touring is the lifeblood of many artists. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is wide sweeping on the live performance industry as a whole. Think about big tours where you have 100-200 or more crewmembers, ten tractor-trailers carrying sound, lighting and special effects equipment, tour buses and drivers, and the myriad vendors that provide equipment and services for tours. In the venues, there are the ticket-takers, ushers, box office personnel, cleaning personnel, etc. All of these people who often times are independent contractors surviving tour to tour are now unemployed with no idea of when they'll be able to get back to work. Also, the promoters businesses are all about concerts happening; they now have all the sunk costs from advertising, overhead and many employees with no work to be done.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws Image

This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.

'Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P.': A Tutorial On Contract Liability for Real Estate Purchasers Image

In June 2024, the First Department decided Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P., which resolved a question of liability for a group of condominium apartment buyers and in so doing, touched on a wide range of issues about how contracts can obligate purchasers of real property.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Fresh Filings Image

Notable recent court filings in entertainment law.