Category Archives: Russell Rains – Legal Issues in the Digital Age

Russell Rains and Kelvin Brown on How a Lawyer Can Help You Found, Focus and Protect Your Business


Music attorney and educator Russell Rains works with Loyola University, New Orleans student Kelvin Brown to work through some of the legal aspects of establishing his company, Third Shift Productions, LLC. They discuss why establishing a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) or similar entity can help shield you from personal liability in business dealings, why seeking legal advice is generally a good idea when founding a company as an antidote to casual advice or

The Long Tail and the Future of the Music Industry


Russell Rains, a lawyer and Director of the Digital Media Management MBA Program at St. Edward

Digital Rights Management and the Future of Selling Music


Loyola University, New Orleans student Marley Lovell talks with Russell Rains, Program Director of the MBA in Digital Media Management Program at St. Edward

Can Creative Commons Revolutionize Copyright Protections?


Russell Rains, Director of the MBA Program in Digital Media Management Program at St. Edwards College in Austin TX, discusses the Creative Commons program and how you can use Creative Commons to protect your work against infringement, and assesses whether Creative Commons is a viable model for copyright protection in the United States. He also discusses when and whether to register your work with the Library of Congress, and what doing so gets you.

Is There a Future for the Music Industry


In this clip, Russell Rains, Director of the MBA Program in Digital Media Management Program at St. Edwards College in Austin TX, argues that with the advent of filesharing and the enormous problems facing traditional music companies, this is an excellent time to start a career in the music industry but only if you prepare yourself for the changes to come.

Video Games and Copyright Law


Russell Rains, Director of the MBA Program in Digital Media Management Program at St. Edwards College in Austin TX, discusses how copyright and licensing works in the context of the video game industry.

Why is Some Digitally Transmitted Music Illegal?


Russell Rains, Director of the MBA Program in Digital Media Management Program at St. Edwards College in Austin TX, explains the legal reasons behind why some free music (e.g. heard on the radio) is legal and some (e.g. an album downloaded via P2P) might be illegal.

Protecting Your Work: Understanding Publishing, Copyright, and Work For Hire


Russell Rains, Director of the MBA Program in Digital Media Management Program at St. Edwards College in Austin TX, explains what a work for hire deal is in the context of a recording or songwriting contract, and why its beneficial for artists to control their own copyrights instead of entering into a work for hire arrangement.

American Copyright System Explained


Russell Rains, Director of the MBA Program in Digital Media Management Program at St. Edwards College in Austin TX, explains the Constitutional underpinnings of the American copyright system, and discusses some of the ramifications of the system. He also notes ways in which some copyright holders are trying to game this system.

What is Legal Precedent and How Does it Work


Russell Rains, Director of the MBA Program in Digital Media Management Program at St. Edwards College in Austin TX, discusses the concept of precedent and how it relates to copyright law, which in turn underpins the entire music industry as we know it. He discusses the origins of modern law in English common law, and why it is critical that modern courts stick to the 1,000 years of precedents that have come before when formulating their decisions. He also analyzes the apparent breakdown in precedent that is facing modern copyright law, as technology and new distribution methods get far out ahead of the laws ability to encompass them.